Hello, I am after some help regarding some posters which I have recently come across. I have found 3 posters which have been stored away presumably since WW2 depicting what looks like London suffering from war damage. The posters are marked: War Office Design. Crown Copyright Reserved. Printed by J. Weiner Ltd London W.C.1 Street Scenes Series (To be viewed at 4-5 yards) There are 3 posters each measure approx. 5ft x 2ft. They follow on from one another so would measure 15ft in length when joined up. The 3 posters are Street Scenes Series Fig 1, 2 and 3. Only the middle one (Fig 2) is also marked 'Beric Young 42' A few things puzzle me about these; the 'view from 4-5 yards' comment, their unusual dimensions (especially when joined together) and the fact they show London in a negative way. I wonder if they were supposed to be a backdrop to something? Any help, opinions etc would be greatly appreciated! I find them fascinating & would love to find out what their original purpose was. Thank you.
They look like urban versions of the rural posters we used to practice Fire Orders in the classroom. ie. Gun Group. 100 metres. right of arc crane, base of crane enemy infantry. Rapd FIRE!!! So I suggest they could have been used when training for street fighting.
Harmonization targets, used them myself as a weapons instructor. The 'poster' is put up on the 25 metre range, selected points that you will use will have a conventional target set above the picture at those selected points, the rifle probably then a Morris tubed Lee Enfield .22 would have sights harmonized, eg; when you aim at the point on the target and fire the round will strike the target above. GRIT was used (G) Group you were indicating for 'gun group' or riflemen (R) Range ie. 400 etc. (I) Indication - eg; red bricked building window top left. (T) Type of fire - watch and shoot or five rounds rapid etc.
The fact that the images were produced by the War Office confirms that they were for military use rather than posters in the ordinary sense for the general public. The lack of any slogan also confirms a military use. Morale boosting posters were published by the Ministry of Information.
Nothing to do with purpose, but I was puzzled for a while by the "Next of Kin" banner on one of the buildings depicted ... and then i remembered the film that was mentioned on this thread http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/books-films-tv-radio/34921-next-kin-1942-war-film.html
I assumed that Beric Young was the artist, but couldn't find much online about him modbritlist Primarily a graphic designer, Young painted extensively in his spare time and his involvement in the design world resulted in very stylish and up to date images such as the one you see here which is a fine example of period chic! Lovely `flick of the wrist` depiction of the interior furnishings and confident use of line. Cream mount and great 1960`s frame with hessian insert, would look wonderful in a contemporary retro interior. Unsigned . Beric Young (1902-1963) was one of the founding members of London Typographic Designers,(Today LTD Design Consultants) and exhibited widely at the Royal Academy, RBA and other Galleries in the 1940`s and 50`s. http://murriarti.com/murriarti/P1150001web.jpg Beric Young, 'Ramsey Harbour, Isle of Man', water Artist: Oliver Burridge - Poster and poster artwork collection, London Transport Museum Oliver Burridge, died 1954. Designed posters for London County Council Tramways 1925 Biography: Oliver Burridge was a graphic illustrator and printer. He designed a number of posters in the 1920s and 1930s. During the Second World War, whilst working for the Ministry of Information, he met the artist Beric Young and typographers Leon French and William Morgan. In 1945 they founded London Typographical Designers (now LTD Design Consultants). Burridge left the growing company a few years later to manage his family's printing business. Full record - Archives Hub
Wow! Thanks very much for your replies! I had contacted the Imperial War Museum & a specialist poster auction house & neither knew what these were for! (Though both were very interested in them). Then within a few hours of posting on here I've found out exactly what they are! Brilliant. Even the 'Next Of Kin' slogan being explained - I had assumed this was the name of a movie but couldnt find any reference to it online. I too found the same info online about Beric Young - ie not a great deal! All his other works shown are nothing like these. I suppose now the holy grail would be if someone had a photo of these types of pictures in use, ie on the firing range. Thanks again! John
I will keep looking - Targets Landscape -Harmonization, Infantry Training Volume 1. Pamphlet No 3, 1955. Chapter 2 Section 9. See if I can find a landscape target in use.
Got it! In browser - 'Landscape targets for direction training' This is copyrighted so could not reproduce here, however, this is Section 9 in great detail, how to set up for harmonization, shown in use indoor and outdoor. Several Landscape targets shown in use. See Lee Enfield Rifle No 8 .22 RF- showing harmonization of sights (Parker Hale)
Great stuff Wills. That Rifleman.org site seems to be popping up on more and more searches - some really nice articles on there. Another kind of simulation range that Ron mentioned a while back: WW2talk - Does the "Puff Range" still exist ?
My late father a pre war Fitter/Armourer (Guns and Bombs) RAF told of setting the Hurricanes up on the ranges, a datum line on the fuselage levelled to give flying attitude. The Harmonization targets set up with a range mark - if the pilot wanted a three hundred yard convergence, all of the guns would in turn be optically bore sighted. the armourer looking through a scope to align the bore with the aiming mark set at the pilots request. The pilots sight would then be zeroed to the mark before test firing to prove the set up. Later in discussion I explained that we bore sighted the 84mm Anti tank gun - the Carl Gustav- What just one he laughed.
Used this early 60s as an Army cadet, you took aim as the instructor laid at right angle to you and looked into the angled lens, acting like a prism it would show the foresight and target or if the glass was removed and slotted into the other groove show the rear sight aperture. There were other devices which were for safety reasons discontinued, I remember the 'aiming disc' a small hand held target with a pin hole centre, you laid in front of the aimer and looked back through the hole to check sight alignment.
Thanks again everyone for your help! The link showing the landscape targets in use is great! Also very interesting to see there was such a large series of them covering different countries etc. Ive ordered the book on the subject by Dave Clark as I would be very interested to see more photos of the different ranges of these landscape targets.
