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Britain in the Second World War. Rationing and Resources. A Ration Book. Meeting Britain’s needs.
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Britain in the Second World War. Rationing and Resources.
Meeting Britain’s needs. There was a great increase in agricultural production during the early war years, as Britain tried to produce enough food to feed its population. Britain is a country which does not have enough land to feed its entire people, and has always had to rely on importing foodstuffs from other countries. By the middle of the war, despite a huge increase in production, British production could still only feed 2 out of 3 of its people. The convoys bringing food to Britain were vital! From January 1940, the government introduced rationing to make sure that everyone received a fair share and we did not run out too quickly.
What this amounted to? • Left the weekly ration in August 1942. • Each person had a ration book filled with coupons which they used to buy the amount of food they were entitled to each week. • A points system was introduced later (when the war was going better), to give people a choice about what they could buy. • The Board of Trade also issued recipes sowing people how to make healthy meals using food that was available.
Being sneaky… • Rather than feel hungry some people went to any length to get a bit on the side! • Even if this meant breaking the law people often kept their extra sources of food hidden. • Smuggling farm animals and secret butchery became common. • Even in the army tins of rations disappeared quicker than expected!
However the system brought in tried to be fair. The Ministry of Food ensured that all people rich and poor got the same rations. This gave everybody the same strength to fight.
Dig for victory. People were encouraged to use alternatives to rationed goods. Some goods came from abroad, such as powdered milk and Spam (Supply Pressed American Meat) from the USA. People tried new recipes such as carrot marmalade. At first only butter, bacon and sugar were rationed. Later this was extended to include meat, tea and most basic foodstuffs. Vegetables were never rationed and people were encouraged to grow their own. A dig for victory campaign was launched.
Grow your own. Above, a government campaign poster encouraging people to eat vegetables. Many people grew vegetables in their gardens or on allotments. Above right allotment gardens in the moat of the Tower of London! All land was used that could be used!
Waste not want not! Kitchen waste could be used as pig feed, or for compost. There was simply no room for waste. Waste from any pigs or chickens could in turn be used to help vegetables to grow.
Making do with second hands. From June 1941 clothes were rationed. This led to shorter hemlines on women’s skirts and fewer buttons on clothing to save on materials. The government also encouraged people to save by mending their own clothes and to use cheaper more basic clothes and furniture. These were identified with a utility mark, so that people buying them would know they were helping the war effort.
Other things were rationed! Left, a government poster encouraging people to make their soap last longer. Soap is made from coal, and the government encouraged people to use less coal in their fires and heating hot water, so that coal could be used to help the war effort. Fuel, petrol and diesel was also strictly rationed. People gave up using their cars so that as much fuel was available to the war effort as possible.
Any old iron! Other resources needed for the war effort such as metal, were collected from people’s homes so that they could be used to make military equipment. The aluminium saucepans left and the iron railings right would be melted down and re-used.
