Instructions for British Servicemen in Germany, 1944

Instructions for British Servicemen in Germany, 1944 provides a fascinating glimpse into the mindsets and attitudes of British troops preparing to enter a post-D-Day Germany. Nine-and-a-half months after D-Day, 30,000 British troops crossed the Rhine as part of the Allied assault on Germany. Two years earlier, work had already begun on a guide aimed at helping soldiers navigate everyday life in what was still enemy territory.

This extraordinary document was designed to educate soldiers on a range of topics, including German history, national character, politics, culture, food and drink, and currency. It aimed to explain the current situation, highlighting the effect of war on Germany and German attitudes towards the British. It was also intended to condition soldiers to resist German propaganda by providing a healthy dose of British propaganda.

The result is a remarkable booklet, often unintentionally humorous and occasionally crudely stereotypical. It reads by turns like a travel guide—praising the excellence of German sausages and beer, described as 'one of the pleasantest in Europe'—and a crash course in psychological warfare. This document is very much a product of its time, revealing as much about British wartime attitudes towards Germany as it does about British hopes and fears.

'If you have to give orders to German civilians, give them in a firm, military manner. The German civilian is used to it and expects it.'

'The Germans are not good at controlling their feelings. They have a streak of hysteria. You will find that Germans may often fly into a passion if some little thing goes wrong.'

'Don't be too ready to listen to stories told by attractive women. They may be acting under orders.'