A folder of soiled and damaged pencil drawings by Thomas Bert , MBE , who drew for the British Punch magazine and contributed to wartime propaganda , unearthed in South Australia .
Wikipedia states that in 1918 Bert became nationally known for his cartoon "Arf a mo, Kaiser", drawn in ten minutes for the Smokes for Tommy Weekly Dispatch campaign.
The cartoon raised nearly a quarter of a million pounds towards "comforts" (tobacco and cigarettes) for front line troops and the image was re-drawn and used during the Second World War with the caption "Arf a mo, 'itler".] The Germans banned the "Arf a mo, 'itler" cartoon and to ensure British prisoners did not have their comfort parcels confiscated, he created a variation with the caption "Are we downhearted?"
One of Bert's sons, Peter, also contributed to Punch.
Three of the 21 drawings in the folder shown below illustrate Thomas Bert's wide rang of subjects , beginning with a version of the Roman legend , the Rape of the Sabine Women, strangely with the title The Raid On the Sabine Women .
(Cartoons, War, Bert)
