Civilians Collection

Instruction booklet, Knitting for the RAF, WW2
Cover design, instruction booklet, Knitting for the RAF, World War Two, price one shilling. circa 1940

Dig for Victory poster - WWII
World War Two poster encouraging British civilians to dig for victory, featuring somebody doing just that

British trooper meets French woman on the road to Lille, WW1
A poignant scene captured by the Sphere magazines special artist, Fortunino Matania showing a British trooper riding through a devastated French landscape and stopping to speak to a French woman

Air Raid Drills at the Windmill Theatre
At the Windmill Theatre, London, the showgirls are given a crash course in fire-fighting and first aid. 1940

Coastguards and civilians of Leysdown, Isle of Sheppey
Commemorative postcard, Heroes All! Five brave coastguards and two civilians of Leysdown, Isle of Sheppey, Kent, who rescued 20 members of the 2nd Walworth Boy Scouts Troop who got into difficulties

Recruitment poster for the British Army
Poster for the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, encouraging everyone to Step Into Your Place. A long line of people, soldiers and civilians, combine in their effort to win the war

Soldiers doing target practice on a shooting range
A group of men doing target practice on a shooting range before the outbreak of the First World War. Their success or otherwise is written up on various blackboards

The Mine in the chutter Munzil exploded by the enemy at the first attack of General
NAM310751 The Mine in the chutter Munzil exploded by the enemy at the first attack of General Havelock, Lucknow (b/w photo) by Beato, Felice (Felix) (1825-c.1908); National Army Museum

Lyudmila pavlichenko, famous 26 year old russian guerrilla sniper who has killed 309 germans, for which she was made a senior lieutenant and given the order of lenin, a former historian

Firemen rescuing people from their house on Tabernacle St, Shoreditch. 11th January 1941

The Door-God - Civil, 1922. Creator: Unknown
The Door-God - Civil, 1922. Menshen are divine guardians of doors and gates in Chinese folk religions, used to protect against evil or encourage the entrance of positive energies at thresholds

American troops marching through Liverpool, WW1
American troops marching through the streets of Liverpool, UK, on the way to their rest camp during the First World War. Date: 11 August 1918

American sailors in Vladivostok, Russia
The arrival of American sailors from the USS Albany in Vladivostok, Russia, as part of the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War. Date: circa 1919

Wartime poster, Britain Expects that you too, this day, will do your duty. Suggesting that civilians as well as soldiers have a role to play in the war effort. 1940s

Exodus of a people: the Serbian army protecting a column of peasants fleeing to Albania, World War I
6000376 Exodus of a people: the Serbian army protecting a column of peasants fleeing to Albania, World War I, 1915 (colour litho) by Bombled

A church service in the bombed out remains of Norwich Cathedral. Norwich was bombed as part of the Baedeker Raids against historic and beautiful cities such as Bath

V1 (Robotplane) damage at Arlington Road, Southgate, N14, London, 19th June 1944

Delayed Action Bomb explodes on King Edward Street while Bomb disposal Team are working on it. Two casualties and L.F.S are called in to clear debris. 9th March 1941

Partisan units of yugoslav national liberation army march into liberated belgrade, october 20th, 1944, yugoslavia, world war 2

A young byelorussian partisan woman, world war 2, january 1944

November Insurrection
Polish cadets and civilians take the Belvedere Palace, Warsaw, from the occupying Russians - a fine victory, though the insurrection was suppressed by the Russians

British Tommies Welcomed
A British tommy is given a warm welcome by civilian French women

Sailors, probably American, and some civilians posed on a cruiser berthed in New York(?), c1905

Two young men in civilian suits, 1892. Creator: Bogdanovich
Two young men in civilian suits, 1892. This collection of photographs and documents from the private archive of Sergei Mikhailovich Chashchin relates to the establishment of a firefighting service in

A young man (Innokenty Verkhovinsky) in demi-season clothes. late 19th-early 20th cent. Creator: PA Milevskii
A young man (Innokenty Verkhovinsky) in demi-season clothes, late 19th cent - early 20th cent. This collection of photographs

A young man in a civilian suit, late 19th cent - early 20th cent. Creator: PA Milevskii
A young man in a civilian suit, late 19th cent - early 20th cent. This collection of photographs and documents from the private archive of Sergei Mikhailovich Chashchin relates to the establishment

An elderly woman, a young man in a civilian suit and two. late 19th cent - early 20th cent. Creator: PA Milevskii
A photograph of an elderly woman, a young man in a civilian suit and two standing girls. late 19th cent - early 20th cent

Girls making cartridges for Enfield rifles at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, 1862. Creator: Unknown
Girls making cartridges for Enfield rifles at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, 1862. Our illustration was taken [at]...the Royal Laboratory Department...near the Plumstead marshes

The War in America: refugees from southern cities on the Mississippi, from a sketch by our... 1862. Creator: Unknown
The War in America: refugees from southern cities on the Mississippi, from a sketch by our special artist, 1862. Our special Artist and Correspondent...writes as follows

Fountain Road in Hull, Yorkshire, during the blitz of World War Two. The emergency services, local people and the army search the rubble and crater lift by the bomb dropped by The Luftwaffe

Bomb damage at Saltburn, children looking at a bombed building from a metal fence

British and Empire military personnel and civilians involved in the war effort parading before Britannia (colour litho)
6030881 British and Empire military personnel and civilians involved in the war effort parading before Britannia (colour litho) by English School

Red Cross flag seller in central London catches up on the latest news from Normandy following the Allied invasion. 7th June 1944

Women at John I Thorneycroft & Co, Hampton Launch Works, Platts Eyot have just put the finishing touches to a Whaleback boat. 25th April 1943

Civilians walk amongst the ruins of Dolphin Street following a further raid on Bristol by the Luftwaffe. The city endured the bombing between 24 November 1940

A long the roads leading to Antwerp an everlasting stream of civilians may be seen flying before the German shells. But despite " this hurricane of fire and blood

View of the bombed fire station at Tooting in South London following an air raid by the German Luftwaffe. 1943

Bomb damage in Kentish Town, London, 19th June 1944

Bomb damage, London Chest Hospital, Bethnal Green in London, 2st March 1941

A poor Belgian woman outside her burnt out home in Melle with her four children, is forced to beg for money so she can feed her family

Muster of the Cape Town Guard on the Parade Ground Cape Town, January 12, 1901, 1901
Muster of the Cape Town Guard on the Parade Ground Cape Town, for Inspection by General Brabant, January 12, 1901, 1901. British military parade in colonial South Africa

Burning the Farm of a Treacherous Burgher, 1901. Creator: Richard Caton Woodville II
Burning the Farm of a Treacherous Burgher, 1901. During Peace talks of February 1901, Kitchner declared he would stop his troops burning farms if Louis Botha instructed the Boers to stop using them

25 June 1916 - Serbia Day, French World War I poster, 1916. Artist: Charles Fouqueray
25 June 1916 - Serbia Day, French World War I poster, 1916. Soldiers and civilians carry their possessions across a snow-covered bridge

French women searching through ruins during WWI
French women searching through ruins during the First world War

WW2 - Young Heroes Of The War
An illustrated front cover of a WW2 children's book, Young Heroes Of The War, written by Joseph Gollomb and Alice Taylor

WW2 A. R. P. Wardens
An illustration which shows a pair of British Air Raid Protection wardens at their post, they were responsible for helping civilians during an air raid

WW2 British Forces Enlistment Queue And Refugees
A pair of WW2 illustrations from a children's ABC book. The left image shows a boy scout presenting us with a queue of civilians lining up to serve the British forces by enlisting

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"Civilians: Unsung Heroes in Times of War and Crisis" In the midst of chaos and uncertainty, they have always played a crucial role in supporting their nations. Like an instruction booklet guiding us through troubled times, they demonstrate unwavering resilience and adaptability. During World War II, knitting for the RAF became more than just a hobby; it was a way for civilians to contribute to the war effort from home. With each stitch, they provided warmth and comfort to brave pilots soaring through the skies. The iconic "Dig for Victory" poster served as a rallying cry during WWII, urging civilians to cultivate their own gardens and grow essential crops. These ordinary individuals transformed into farmers overnight, ensuring that no one went hungry amidst rationing. In WWI, an encounter between a British trooper and a French woman on the road to Lille showcased the compassion shared by people across borders. In moments of despair, these chance connections reminded us of our shared humanity. Air raid drills at Windmill Theatre exemplified how civilians adapted their daily lives to protect themselves during wartime. They sought refuge within theaters' walls while still finding solace in entertainment despite imminent danger. Coastguards and civilians of Leysdown on Isle of Sheppey stood united against enemy threats along Britain's shores during WWII. Their vigilance safeguarded coastal communities from harm's way. Recruitment posters for the British Army called upon able-bodied men who willingly stepped forward as volunteers or conscripts – embodying bravery in its purest form. Soldiers honed their skills with target practice on shooting ranges before heading off into battlefields - training alongside dedicated civilian instructors who prepared them mentally and physically for what lay ahead. Firemen rescuing people from Tabernacle St houses in Shoreditch demonstrated selflessness amid blazing infernos - risking their lives without hesitation to save those trapped within burning buildings. "The Door-God.