Beware...It may be a flak trap

Australian propaganda posters during the Second World War were used to instil anti-Japanese attitudes. Using racial stereotypes and derogatory humour the posters harboured fear and caution amongst Australian society. This poster depicts a pilot (flying what is likely a stylised Grumman F6F Hellcat) pointing to a duck on a silver platter placed on a mousetrap with a grinning Japanese soldier peeping out. This poster was used to encourage smart, evasive tactics and to not be trapped or fooled by the enemy.

The South West Pacific Area (SWPA) was an Allied supreme military command in the Second World War. It primarily consisted of United States and Australian forces, Dutch, British and other Allied forces also served part of the command. The Allied command founded various departments to oversee war operations. This included the Far Eastern Liaison Office, part of the Allied Intelligence Bureau department, established to control and co-ordinate propaganda and misdirection after the outbreak of the Pacific War. This propaganda poster was created for the SWPA Allied Air Forces to caution against unwise military attacks and to keep vigilant of Japanese ground assaults.