Rationing in WW2 (1 Viewer)

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My Aunt was in the 'land Army' as her eyesight was too poor for active service. She always said that it was great fun driving tractors etc and having opportunties to do work that she wouldn't have had otherwise.
 
Interesting that the 'donation' of aluminium pots and pans, in the UK at least, was purely a propaganda thing, the 'brain child' of Lord Beaverbrook, designed to involve the population, so they thought they were helping the war effort by providing materials for aircraft.
The local authorities around the country ended up with huge mounds of scrap aluminium, useless for anything except pots and pans, that they didn't know what to do with!
After the war, they were re-cycled - and made into new pots and pans!!

Not forgetting the iron railings that disappeared from peoples frontage.
 
Ah, the iron did have some use, in the production of shells and steel.

Some of the railings ended up as rebar in anti invasion concrete. There is a well broken down anti tank defence near my house and one of the exposed rebars is an ornamental railing post with the rotted remains of a finial and flutes.
 
Remember the steel pennies that we had because copper was in short supply?

My Mother had 1 pair of shoes a year back then and the souls were made of a cardboard like material. She always said if you got them in the fall you would be bare foot by spring!

She was a plane watcher for the air defence folks. Had the book that showed all the German planes. Even in her 70's she called a B-24 and a B-17 that flew over (on their way to an air show I think)

She remembered the fake butter with the yellow coloring.

The people gave up a lot because they were supporting those in the fight. It let everyone do thier part.

I just hope we never get to that point again. I don't know if the people have that strenght anymore?
 
The most controversial rationing was bread, this was because bread rationing did not take place until after the war. I am told bread rationing was brought in because the British having won the war then had to feed the Germans which could only be done from the limited flour supplies available. Straight after the war British civilians responded to an appeal that requested food to be donated to Germany, the Germans at this time were apparently close to starvation in some places and I understand that many people donated food because they were concerned about the welfare of German children.
 
Britain started rationing early because of their experience in the Great War: the UK was (and is) a net importer of food, and malnutrition was problem in WW1.
 
It is often stated that British agricultural production doubled during the war. Total production may have but it was not so for cereals. Wheat production in 1945 was less than 1885! Since the war cereal production has more than doubled from 2-3 tonnes per hectare to 7-8 tonnes per hectare.
Cheers
Steve
 
It is often stated that British agricultural production doubled during the war. Total production may have but it was not so for cereals. Wheat production in 1945 was less than 1885!
In the late 19th century British farming collapsed due to cheap inports from America, it only recovered due to WW1 and 2 and the governments realisation of the dangers of dependance on foreign food produce during a war.
 

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