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Purpose The purpose of this article is provide an insight in to the work of ABCA from a public relations history perspective. It addresses why and how ABCA was created in 1941, its purpose and resolves whether ABCA delivered PR, propaganda or education. Design/methodology/approach This historical research article was based on archival research of original historical documents relating to ABCA in seven UK archives, primarily: Churchill Archives Centre, University of Cambridge: The Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London; The National Archives, Kew, London. Analysis of the ABCA case was organised using the method of historical institutionalism to identify the institutional case study and time period. ABCA from 1941 to 1946, the formal and informal institutions, and the institutional entrepreneurs who created ABCA and its institutional ideas and effects. Findings The scope of ABCA's institutional and communicative purpose – to improve morale and motivation in the army by informing soldiers about what they were fighting for – was an internal communications task. ABCA adopted an educative style of informative public information for the army that had been laid out by Grierson, Tallents and others in the interwar years. The mode of delivery was an educative PR approach that involved soldiers actively in their learning, which encouraged expression of opinions and moved beyond the paternalistic approach of public relations in the 1920 and 1930s. Practical implications The historical case of ABCA case has relevance at a time when many voters – particularly young people– are disillusioned with mainstream politics and disengaged from civic life, or engaging with populist political options. Alongside this trend of civic disengagement, countries in Europe, including the UK, are planning expansion of their armed forces on a scale not seen since the end of the Cold War in response to a rising threat level. Originality/value Although the Army Bureau of Current Affairs (ABCA) in the Second World War is mentioned in several books on public relations (PR), this article offers the first in-depth analysis of ABCA as a PR organisation from the perspective of public relations history. ABCA's application of an educative style of communications on civic topics was novel to the army – and a direct response to the new demands of conscript soldiers – and built upon the educative style of public relations work in the interwar years.