Advent Calendar Day 15: A Christmas at War

Christmas 1940 was celebrated by Radio Times with this iconic festive cover designed by cartoonist John Gilroy, well known for his posters advertising a popular brand of Irish beer.

Seasonal delights ranged from the cultural heights of Bach's Christmas Oratorio to the comedy of Jack Warner (later famous as Dixon of Dock Green, but at this time a comedian in Garrison Theatre) and his sisters Elsie and Doris Waters.

The speech bubble about 'this is Father Christmas reading it' is a reference to the wartime innovation of newsreaders identifying themselves to prevent enemy propaganda broadcasts passing themselves off as the official BBC news.