His majesty's army : any man who wishes to acquire a mechanical training should apply to join the tank corps...

Designed by Charles Frederick Higham this British First World War poster aims at encouraging men interested in mechanical training to join the Tank corps. The poster depicts a group of British soldiers, armed with bayonets as they run behind three tanks. The top half of the poster consists of white text set against a blue background. Charles Frederick Higham (1876-1938) was born in England, but after his father died when he was nine years old his family emigrated to America. Higham left home at thirteen and after a series of different jobs he returned to England and found work with W. H. Smith, the newsagents. Higham eventually established his own advertising agency, Charles F. Higham Ltd. According to his biographer, Gordon Phillips: "Higham was a rumbustious, fiercely energetic, and indefatigable self-publicist, but though he understood the power of advertising, he failed to accept the growing trend for sophisticated market research." During the First World War Higham was appointed to a government committee on recruiting, dedicated to encouraging patriotism. This included the production of posters and as director of the National War Savings Committee, he helped organize the victory loan campaign of 1917. Higham became a member of the Conservative Party and in the 1918 General Election he was elected to represent South Islington in the House of Commons. He was awarded a knighthood for his war-work in 1921. In 1926 he helped establish the Advertising Association. Higham died of pneumonia in December 1938 at his home in Surrey, England.