Jabo Danger Poster – September 1944

Original public notice from Baarn warning about the danger of “Jabos” (Jagdbomber / fighter-bombers, here referred to as dive aircraft).

These feared Jabos were notorious for deadly attacks on virtually everything, especially German troop formations, traffic, and even simple horse carts.

Citizens were instructed to indicate the direction of approaching aircraft by hand signals.

NB 1: Whether this was truly effective is doubtful, since these aircraft appeared and disappeared at extremely high speed. Sometimes they flew so low that they reportedly passed beneath telegraph wires.

NB 2: German magazines from 1944 occasionally show Waffen-SS soldiers sitting on vehicle hoods to watch for these feared Jabos. Once one was spotted, soldiers would jump from the moving vehicle. Doors were sometimes removed beforehand to make escape easier.

NB 3: During one such fighter-bomber attack in March 1945, Henk Feldmeijer, leader of the Germaansche SS in Nederland, was killed.

Date: September 18, 1944.
Format: 43 x 55 cm.
Condition: heavily used and period-restored.