INSTRUCTIONS FOR BRITISH SERVICEMEN IN FRANCE 1944 (HB)

In 1944 the British War Office distributed a handbook to British soldiers informing them what to expect and how to behave in a newly-liberated France. Often unintentionally hilarious, this unassuming publication had a deeper purpose: to bring together two allies who did not enjoy ideal relations by stressing a shared history and the common aim - defeating Hitler. Many of its observations still ring true today. For example, ‘The French are more polite than most of us. Remember to call them “Monsieur, Madame, Mademoiselle,” not just “Oy!”’