Finding Aid
Michel Brisebois collection of World War I leaflets. – 1915-1918 – 6.5 cm of textual records.
F.1 Leaflets dropped by the British on Belgium and France
Five illustrated postcards with captions in French and Flemish. Probably dropped in 1918. Each measures14 cm x 9 cm:
Courage, nous songeons à vous ! [Portrait of Sir Douglas Haig]
De bonnes nouvelles. [Picture of an airplane in the sky]
Nous les aurons. [Picture of a British sailor]
Nous les tenons. [Portrait of Admiral Sir David Beatty]
La délivrance est proche ! [Picture of a woman working in a munitions factory]
Twelve illustrated bookmarks dropped on France by British planes. Each measures 16 cm x 5 cm:
Le Maréchal Sir Douglas Haig.
Depuis le commencement de la guerre
Lorsqu’au mois d’août 1914 l’Allemagne
Le service britannique de l’Aviation
Le Général Sir Stanley Maude
Trois amis de la France
Les femmes ont joué un rôle
L’Infirmière militaire
Mr Lloyd George
Le sous-marin britannique
Le Général Smuts
L’Amiral Sir David Beatty
F.2 Leaflets dropped by the French on France
La Note à Payer. Paris, “La Conférence au village” [Imp. A. Tournon, 1918], 2 pp.
At least some of the copies of this leaflet were dropped by planes on occupied France. It encourages France to squash Germany and make it pay the price. A note in pencil in the upper margin reads: “Ramassé à Douai 21-9-18” [Picked up in Douai 21 September 1918].
26.5 cm x 20.5 cm.
Il faut que ceux qui ont fait le mal le réparent and on the reverse Rapportez, Réparez, Remboursez . Paris, Imp. Henri Diéval, [1918]. 2 pp. One side is a cartoon taken from “La Paix Allemande” a special issue of Rire. At least some of the copies of this leaflet were dropped by planes on occupied France. As in the case of the previous leaflet, a note in pencil in the upper margin reads: “Ramassé à Douai 21-9-18” [Picked up in Douai 21 September 1918]. 28 cm x 22 cm.
Quel est le pays qui a voulu et déchaîné la Guerre?
Accordion-like publication of 10 pages (5 sections) each with a question and an answer. On the top of each page there is a drawing by Henri Caruchet. A hole in one corner suggests that this booklet was dropped by balloon. 21.5 cm x 14 cm (closed).
F.3 Leaflets Sent by Balloon by the British over Germany (the A.P. series)
All these leaflets have a hole in the top left corner (for a string) sometimes affecting the A.P. number. They are printed in gothic type face on thin paper. Size given in millimetres. The date and number of copies come from Klaus Kirchner. Flugblatt-Propaganda im 1.Weltkrieg. Vol.1 Flugblätter aus England. 1914-1918. (Erlangen: Verlag D+C,1985). [KK]
A.P. 10. – Wirking des britischen Angriffs. 2 pp. Contains photographs of dead soldiers in the trenches. Dropped in June 1918. K.K. Vol.1 p. 206-207. 240 x 190.
A.P. 11 – Soldaten Deutschlands: Der Kaiser. 2 p. Dropped in June 1918. K.K. Vol.1 p. 208. 175 x 140.
A.P. 26a – Genoffen und Kameraden! 2 pp. Smaller format than the A.P. 26. Dropped in June 1918. 255,000 copies. K.K. Vol.1 p. 228. 170 x 120.
A.P. 37 – An euch, in den gefilden des Todes! 2 pp. Dropped in July 1918. K.K. Vol.1 p. 241. 180 x 110.
A.P. 51 – Die Sklaverei des deutschen Folkes. 1 p. Dropped in July 1918. 300,000 copies. K.K. Vol.1 p. 254. 275 x 210.
A.P. 54 – Gebrochene Versprechen. 1 p. Dropped in July 1918. 100,000 copies. K.K. Vol.1 p. 257. 215 x 140.
A.P. 55 – Grokherzige Britannia! 1 p. Dropped in July 1918. 100,000 copies. K.K. Vol.1 p. 258. 220 x 140.
A.P. 57 – Deutsche Beitungsausschnitte. 1 p.. Dropped in August 1918. 300,000 copies. K.K. Vol.1 p. 266. 280 x 195.
A.P. 58. – Zum diesjährigen Frohnleichnamsfeste Tatsachen. 1 p. Dropped in August 1918. 200,000 copies. K.K. Vol.1 p. 267. 215 x 140.
A.P. 61. – Amerikanische Soldaten in Frankreich. 1 p.. Dropped in August 1918. 500,000 copies. K.K. Vol.1 p. 271. 190 x 125.
A.P. 64. – AUSJUG eines im Februar 1918 von Berlin. 1 p. Large drawing showing a German war amputee refused a job. One corner torn taking out part of the code number. Dropped in August 1918. 50,000 copies. K.K. Vol.1 p. 274. 285 x 195
A.P. 65 – Deutsche Soldaten! 2 pp. Dropped in August 1918. 250,000 copies. K.K. Vol.1 p. 275. 180 x 110.
A.P. 66. – Aus der Kriegsgefangenschaft. 1 p. Dropped in August 1918. 500,000 copies. K.K. Vol.1 p. 276. 190 x 110.
A.P. 67. – Die italienische Beute am Piave. 1 p. Dropped in August 1918. 500,000 copies. K.K. Vol.1 p. 277. 215 x 135.
A.P. 84. – Ankunft der amerikanischen Truppen in Europa. 1 p. Dropped in September 1918. K.K. Vol.1 p. 314. 175 x 125.
F.4 Uncoded Leaflets dropped by British Airplanes on the Germans
The date and number of copies come from Klaus Kirchner. Flugblatt-Propaganda im 1.Weltkrieg. Vol.1. Flugblätter aus England. 1914-1918. [KK]
Bekanntmachung. An alle deutschen Soldaten. 1 p. Dated 4 December 1915. “1st Army Printing Section, R.E. 720”. Dropped in December 1915. K.K. vol.1 p. 4. 160 x 195
Deutsche Gegangene in England. Duitsche Krijgsgevangenen in Engeland. 2 pp. Contains photographs showing German POWs in England who seem to be in good health. Dropped in July 1917. Only 20,000 copies. K.K. vol.1 p. 69. 450 x 285
!!Deutsche Soldated!! Achtung! 70,000 eurer Kameraden. 1 p. On the number of German prisoners already in England. Dropped in early 1917. K.K. vol.1 p. 32. 340 x 210
Leaflets dropped on the Germans by the French
The date and number of copies come from Klaus Kirchner. Flugblatt-Propaganda im 1.Weltkrieg. Vol. 2. Flugblätter aus Frankreich. 1914-1918.(Erlangen: Verlage D+C, 1992). [KK]
F.5
Bayern! Landsleute! 1 p. Dropped in May 1918. K.K. Vol. 2 p. 253. 295 x 145.
Deutsche Kriegskameraden! Merket Euch. 2 pp. Dropped in June 1918. K.K. Vol. 2 p. 265. 145 x 130.
Deutsche Soldaten! Rumanien welches mit den Sentralmachten. 1 p. See Falling Leaf no.81 p.71 “Jeté dans les tranchées allemandes le 28 août 1916” [Dropped in German trenches on August 28 1916]. K.K. Vol. 2 p. 79.
Deutsch Soldaten! Wie Ihr wiBt, sind die Vereinigten. 2 pp. Dropped in April 1917. K.K. Vol. 2 p. 133.
Republik bedeutet Frieden und Freiheit! An die Kameraden.2 pp. German colours on one corner. Dropped in November 1917. K.K. Vol. 2 p. 181.
Die Ereignisse im Balkan und in Palästina. 2 pp. Dropped in October 1918. K.K. Vol. 2 p. 348. 105 x 125.
Du armes, deutsches Volk! 2 pp. Dropped in April 1918. K.K. Vol.2 p. 243. 200 x 120.
Wie Lange Noch? Habtr Ihr den ersten August 1914. 4 pp. Dropped in September 1918. 300,000 copies. K.K. vol.2 p. 319. 140 x 210.
An die deutschen Soldaten! Eure Heeresleitung. 4 pp. Dropped in May 1918. K.K. Vol. 2 pp. 256-257. 130 x 210
F.6
Die Feldpost. Newspaper in German published by the French for dropping on German troops.
No. 2. 7 October 1915. 4 pp. K.K. vol.2 p. 25. 260 x 220.
F.7 Leaflet dropped by the Germans on American troops
What are we fighting for? 2 pp. Exchange of letters between the Imperial Chancellor and the President of the United States between 4 and 12 October 1918 on the conditions of Armistice Leaflet reproduced in Falling Leaf no. 84 (Spring 1979): 34. 200 x 125.
F.8 Leaflet dropped by the Germans on British troops
Dear Tommy, You are quite welcome to what we are leaving. When we stop we shall stop, and stop you in a manner you won’t appreciate. Fritz. 1 p., with a manuscript note in pencil which reads: “German paper dropped over our trenches December 1917”. Leaflet which was found in a photograph album (a few photographs included) and glued on a piece of cardboard. 135 x 190.
Leaflets dropped by the Germans on French troops.
F.9
Berlin, le 26 juillet 1916. Français! Vos aviateurs, au moyen de bombes, ont tué un grand nombre de civils. 1 p. Protest against the bombing of German civilians by French aviators. The leaflet accuses Poincaré of having initiated this practice which was suggested by the British. 330 x 205.
F.10
Le Peuple Allemand offre la paix / The German People offer Peace. 2 pp. Dropped in October 1918. A new democratic German government asks President Wilson to negotiate peace. Folded. 205 x 145.
F.11
Confiance!!! A.P. 70 by balloon 1 p. Fake German leaflet imitating the A.P. series of British leaflets (see F.3 for authentic ones) and dropped over France. The text deals with a surprising renewal of religious fervour in France. 310 x 210.
F.12 Periodicals
Note: This Duplicates the holdings in Archives and Research Collections periodicals.
La Libre Belgique. Very famous underground Belgian newspaper which began on 1 February 1915. There were 171 issues published of which only 5 mention airdropped leaflets (nos. 47, 61, 65, 160 and 163). There are four of these in this file. The name of the newspaper was borrowed during World War II for another famous underground Belgian newspaper. Each issue has 4 pp.
no.47. September 1915. Has letter to “M. Olieslagers, aviateur, armée belge” thanking him for the newspapers dropped by plane and asking him for leaflets.
no. 61. January 1916. Deals with an Allied leaflet which reproduces a letter from a German POW.
no. 65. February 1916. On white paper. An article dealing with a copy of Feldpost dropped by plane.
no. 137. December 1917.
no. 160. August 1918. Deals with the leaflet Frieden in Osten und Frieden in Westen. Code no. AP43 dropped by the British over German troops.
no. 162. September 1918
no. 164. September 1918. Shows the new stamps on the first page.
no. 165. October 1918.
no. 166. October 1918.
no. 169. October 1918.
no. 171. 12 November 1918. This issue was not underground because it was published after Armistice Day.
Note: Two other periodicals that formed part of this collection, La Lettre du soldat à ceux du pays envahi and Lettres à tous le Français, have been removed and catalogued for Archives and Research Collections periodicals.