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Far Eastern Liaison Office (FELO) Leaflets

Text

Title
Far Eastern Liaison Office (FELO) Leaflets
Subject
World War, 1939-1945--Sources
War stories
Japan--History--20th century
Propaganda
Papua New Guinea
Dutch East Indies
Malaysia
Singapore
Photographs
Correspondence
Category
4. World War II
Creator
Far Eastern Liaison Office (FELO)
Current holder
Australian War Memorial
Period of reference
1939 – 1945
Link
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C963607
Item number
RC00266
Access rights
Request at location
Rights
Copyright expired. Copying permitted subject to physical condition. Permission for reproduction not required.
Country of origin
Australia
Language
Japanese
English
Description from source
Collection, 46 folders, 5 albums

The Far Eastern Liaison Office (FELO) Leaflet collection comprises approximately 500 propaganda leaflets were created and dropped in areas of Papua, New Guinea, Netherlands East Indies, Malaya and Singapore by the Far Eastern Liaison Office (FELO) during the Second World War. From November 1942 until its dissolution in September 1945, FELO estimated that it produced over 69 million leaflets in seven languages.

These leaflets consist of three basic types: surrender leaflets, news bulletins, and nostalgia leaflets, and were part of a wider campaign to weaken fighting spirit among the Japanese and build morale among local peoples. The leaflets in the collection often state that any surrendered troops will be treated fairly, and that such action will enable them to take part in the post-war rebuilding of Japan. This is often accompanied by news of how badly the war is progressing for the Japanese. Mention is often made of favourable actions by the Allies in Europe, and the corresponding fortunes of the Axis powers. Nostalgic appeals to the traditional Japanese lifestyle aimed to breakdown the Japanese resolve to pursue the war effort to a futile end. Most of the leaflets included diagrams, photographs, and in some cases cartoons.
Physical format
Pamphlets
Letters
Related resources
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1189712?image=1