This is the glamorous woman who was the face behind one of the most controversial recruitment posters of the Second World War.

Map room assistant Doreen Murphy was sketched by artist Abram Games for the women's ATS poster that had to later be withdrawn because it was 'too sexy'.

In an effort to get younger women to join the Auxiliary Territorial Army, Games glamorised the role.

Doreen Murphy, pictured, posed for artist Abram Games who produced a poster to encourage younger women to join the Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II. Mr Games produced this poster, transforming the brunette Ms Murphy into this blonde

Abram Games, pictured with Doreen Murphy in 1989 with one of the posters he created. Many of the 10,000 copies which were printed were pulped after the image was deemed to be too sexy

He deliberately glamorised the role by turning brunette Doreen into a blonde, gave her red lipstick and put her cap at a 'sexy' angle.

But his 'blonde bombshell' poster triggered complaints, not least from Conservative MP and feminist Thelma Cazalet-Kier.

After an outburst in the House of Commons the 10,000 copies of the posters were ordered to be torn down from recruitment offices and public buildings.

The vast majority of them were pulped but it is known that a handful of them survive today.

One of those has now emerged for sale at auction for £5,000 having been in a private collection for more than 30 years.

It is in overall good condition, although its four corners are ripped from where it was torn down from the wall of the ATS recruitment office in Colchester, Essex, in 1941.

Patrick Bogue, of Onslows Auctioneers of Blandford, Dorset, has been in contact with Games' daughter, Naomi, who has been able to confirm it was Doreen Murphy who turned her late father's head.

Mr Bogue said: 'Doreen Murphy worked in the maps room at Whitehall at the same time Games was a draughtsman tasked wartime recruitment posters.

'He worked in an attic room in Whitehall and Doreen, who was aged 19 at the time, approached him as she wanted him to design a poster for the next ATS social club dance.

Following the outcry, 10,000 copies of the poster were pulped, meaning only a handful survived the war

'Games was rather taken with her and agreed to do it on condition she pose for him for the ATS recruitment poster. He sketched her many times for it.

'The ATS was like any other call up for recruits and was not a very glamorous occupation.

'Games was given the job to get recruits and he did it by designing a poster that made it look glamorous and made it look like something that young women would want to join.

'But then it was felt the red lipstick had a sort of sexual innuendo in it, which it does. It is a very sexy poster.

'They were printed and displayed in recruiting offices and train stations but then very quickly the poster was criticised and it was withdrawn.

'The stock of 10,000 posters was pulped but some survive because people kept them because it was an interesting thing to keep as it had ben banned.

'Games probably took a few for his own records and there is one in National Army Museum as well.

'The poster was replaced by a poster that was a rather dull photographic montage showing a woman in uniform in a marching pose with lots of soldiers behind her.

'The poster now for sale has been conserved in a folder and it has been conserved ever since it was taken off the wall of the Colchester recruitment office in 1941.'

Only one other Games' ATS poster has been known to have sold at auction before.

Games went on to be a famous graphic designer and designed the advertising posters for gee Festival of Britain in 1951. He died in 1996 while Doreen passed away in 1992.

The auction takes place tomorrow where the poster is expected to sell for £5,000.