British World War II home front travel time recommendation poster

British wartime poster depicting a figure resembling Hermes, the ancient Greek god of travel. The poster encouraged members of the public that were not essential to the war economy to avoid rush hour travel and allow the workers to commute to and from their places of work in a timely manner. This poster was issued by the Thomas Tilling Group of Companies, a private company that owned and operated a fleet of buses used for public transport and tours. After the fall of France in June of 1940, Great Britain was left alone to withstand the full force of the German military. The country needed every citizen to do their part and assist in national defense. The Ministry of War Transport was created to control shipping, public and private transportation policy, safety, and the resources of Great Britain during World War II. The Ministry of Labour was responsible for managing Great Britain’s economy, including human and material resources, and turned it into a war economy focused on production for the war effort. Workers were tied to jobs that were considered essential and employers were prevented from terminating workers without permission from the government.