Wartime murals like this one were often subversive, humorous, risqué, nostalgic, or decorative. Military authorities tolerated some in the interests of morale, while others were officially sanctioned. These fragile images are often in abandoned or semi-derelict buildings on former airfields and other military sites, subject to erosion and decay. Many have been lost. However, some examples have been preserved and fully documented, and a handful have been removed for display in museums and other sites. Such art offers important visual traces of the past, unlocking clues to the original use of buildings and intimate insights into military lives, longings, and preoccupations in wartime Britain.
This is part of the Volume: KAP01/01/33 Colour Slides Of Second World War Airfields - Folder 33; within the Series: KAP01/01 Colour Slides Of Second World War Airfields; within the Collection: KAP01 The Philip Kaplan World War 2 Airfields Photo Collection
© Historic England Archive (Philip Kaplan WW2 Airfield Collection)
Photographer: Kaplan, Philip Irwin
Second World War Wall Painting, Second World War Royal Air Force Base, Art And Design, Derelict Or Ruin