The Undefeated: Propaganda, rehabilitation and post-war Britain

Julie Anderson In 1950, newspapers announced the release of the film The Undefeated, a documentary which focussed on the state’s support for disabled ex-servicemen. Commissioned by the Ministry of Pensions and produced by the Central Office of Information (COI) , the film centred on a pilot who became disabled as a result of injuries sustained in a wartime glider accident. The film follows ‘Joe Anderson’s’ journey from hospital to workplace through the rehabilitation process, highlighting the Ministry of Pensions’ work and the state’s responsibility to its war wounded. This chapter explores post-war British propaganda in film and focusses on The Undefeated to examine the series of relationships between the state, the public and information programmes. Starting with the seminal work of David Welch, historians have explored war and film propaganda during the Second World War, demonstrating that the relationship between propaganda and the state was often highly complex. Welch observes...