Bernard Newman will speak here...

This British Second World War poster was a generic poster produced by the Minsitry of Information to be distributed to different locations where Bernard Newman was speaking. Bernard Newman was a popular British author, writing some 110 books during his lifetime. During the First World War, he was a member of the British Army, rising the rank of staff sergeant as aprt of the 21st Divisional Train within which he earned a MiD. During this period, being fluent in French, he was sent on various clandestine missions in France to spy on troops stationed in various areas of France. During this period, Newman gained a keen interest in espionage and wrote several historical fiction books that gained much media attention. To this day, Newman is still incorrectly credited with undertaking some of the fictitious activities described in his books from this period. During the interbellum period, Newman travelled extensively, mainly through Europe, visiting around 60 countries and giving lectures. His was celebrity enough to on one occasion even meet Adolf Hitler. On another occasion, in September 1938, Newman was arresed on the German island of Rugen after noticing large concrete buildings and unusual noises. He reported this to authorities in London, where it was later deemed to be preparations towards the production of V1 rockets.

During the Second World War, the Ministry of Information employed Newman to give public talks about his travels. From 1940-1942 this involved discussing the countries that he had visited. During 1942, he was sent to America and Canada to lecture on Britain and the war, which included audiences from the likes of President Franklin Roosevelt and other leading American political figures. After returning to the UK, Newman then lectured on America.

This item has been digitised with funding provided by Commonwealth Government.