Original Item: Only One Available. Very good condition with vibrant colors this is a 21 inch by 15 inch poster mounted on a cardboard backing produced by the British War Relief Society which was based at 730 Fifth Ave., New York. This WW2 poster featured the headline caption We Can Help Them! depicting a mother and her son standing outside the flaming ruins of their home, after a German bombing raid, with the Union Jack in the background. The poster urges WE CAN RUSH RELIEF TO BRITAIN GIVE NOW.

Very good overall condition with some minor corner and edge bends and time worn wear. Vivid colors and still retains some gloss. Art by Carleton McCutcheon.

According to several studies, Americans are among the most generous countries in the world, giving more to charity, per capita and as a percentage of gross domestic product, than the citizens of many other nations. A large percentage of the donations are to religious organizations, but a close second is giving to relief organizations such as the Red Cross, 9-11 Fund, National Cancer Society, etc.

This type of generosity was also evident during WWII. Despite the widely held isolationist views that kept the U.S. out of the war until after Pearl Harbor, Americans regularly donated money to relieve the suffering of the victims in Europe. In addition, Americans opened their homes to children who were evacuated from war zones. As the needs grew, numerous charities on behalf of the British people were created: American Committee for Air Raid Relief, American Ambulance in Great Britain, American Hospital in Britain, and British American Ambulance Corps.

Incorporated in 1941, the British War Relief Society was an umbrella organization that handled the non-military supply of food, clothes, medical supplies and financial aid. BWRS acted as the administrative and receiving center for donated items that were then parceled out to affiliate organizations for distribution. Countless celebrities donated royalties from movies, plays, and books to the cause. The Duchess of Windsor, American Wallis Simpson wrote a cookbook in 1942, and donated all proceeds to BWRS. Other fundraising efforts include the selling of memorabilia ceramics, books, bookmarks, stamps, celluloid badges, cigarette cases and compacts, many of which displayed the society’s emblem of a lion rampant and shield while others featured the motto of the British monarch “Dieu et mon Droit (God and my right).