Propaganda handkerchief : Chinese People's (Korea) Volunteers

Printed cotton handkerchief with a blue and white border reading, 'FROM THE CHINESE PEOPLE'S VOLUNTEERS KOREA 1951. DEMAND PEACE! STOP THE WAR! IT'S NO DISGRACE TO QUIT FIGHTING IN THIS UNJUST WAR. WITHDRAW ALL FOREIGN TROOPS FROM KOREA. LEAVE KOREA TO THE KOREANS'. One corner is printed in red, yellow and blue 'MERRY CHRISTMAS'. The opposing corner is printed with a blue dove of peace, and 'Peace' in red lettering. In the centre, also in red, is 'Those who Love you want you back home - safe and sound'.

This rare example of a propaganda handkerchief from the Korean war has an unknown history. It was found dropped in a Canberra street in the early 1980s and it was donated to the Australian War Memorial. It is presumed that an Australian serviceman collected it while serving in the Korean War.

The North Koreans and their Communist Chinese allies used a wide variety of propaganda methods and dedicated much time and effort to undermine the United Nations forces opposing them in the Korean war. This diversity of propaganda included the dispersal of conventional paper messages and cartoons, radio broadcasts, photographs and even large banners and Christmas gifts placed in or near front line positions. These types of small examples of propaganda were sometimes souvenired by Australian troops fighting the Communists and either sent or returned home with their new owners as a memento.

Printed on this handkerchief is a reference to 'Chinese People's Volunteers'. The Chinese People's Volunteer Army (commonly abbreviated to either CPV or PVA) fought against the United Nations in the Korean Peninsula from October 1950 until the ceasefire in 1953. They are an interestingly named force as they were sent to fight in Korea by the Communist People's Republic of China but were never officially part of their People's Liberation Army (PLA). This name change was done in order to avoid an official Chinese commitment to war with the United States of America (who were a significant part of the United Nations 'police' force); the use of the word 'Volunteer' was intended to indicate that these men had gone of their own choosing.