Can you imagine how you would feel today if you were told that you couldn't buy your favourite food? Show
Or, if you could, you could only buy a small amount that would have to last you a week and you would have to queue up for it? This is what happened to people during the Second World War (1939 -45) when rationing was introduced in Britain. Why was rationing introduced in Britain during the Second World War?Adolf Hitler, Germany's dictator, tried to force an early end to the war by attacking ships carrying food and other resources heading for Britain. He wanted to starve the nation into defeat and his weapon was a fleet of submarines or U boats which travelled across the Atlantic. In Wales, as in other parts of the country, their planes also targeted ports and docks, as well as goods trains in industrial places such as Newport, Swansea and Cardiff. What was Rationing in the Second World War?Certain items, in particular food, were in very short supply and difficult to buy in people's usual shops. People started to panic buy in a manner similar to recent times as in the petrol or Covid crisis. So, the Government introduced rationing as a fair system to allow people to have a certain amount of food each week. Other countries involved in the war such as America had rationing too. Some people remembered rationing as it had also taken place during the First World War (1914 -18). When did Food Rationing start in Britain in the Second World War?With the shortage of food during the First World War still fresh in the memory, the government introduced the food rationing scheme in January 1940. How did the rationing system work?Every person in the country, including children, received a ration book and each home had to register with a local butcher, grocer and milkman who had to ensure they had enough food for their customers. The ration books contained coupons which had to be presented when items were bought. Everyone had a ration book, including members of the Royal Family. The list of foods which were rationed grew as the war continued. The rules were very strict and people who were caught trying to cheat were fined or sent to prison. Often people who were poor or unemployed and undernourished in the pre-war years were much better fed in wartime because of rationing. How did rationing affect people's lives in the Second World War?In 1939 the government began its "Dig for Victory" campaign and it issued a series of colourful posters to encourage people to grow their own fruit and vegetables. Some of these posters can be seen in Blaenwaun Post Office and the tailor's shop at the Museum. Surplus products were made into jam, pickles or chutney which could be eaten in the winter. People also kept goats, chickens, rabbit and pigs. Pigs were particularly popular as they would eat virtually anything and could be fattened up quickly to be killed for their meat. Woolton Pie was a pastry dish of vegetables and was widely served in the war. It enabled people to use the both the vegetables they grew and those which were rationed, thus giving them a nutritious diet. Who were Potato Pete and Doctor Carrot?To make the campaign appealing, two characters, Potato Pete and Doctor Carrot were created to promote eating vegetables. They appeared in most recipes in books and magazines. What sort of food was rationed in Britain during the Second World War?Here is an example of a ration for one adult during the war:
Children, because they were still growing, received extra milk, orange juice and cod liver oil. Many non - food items were also rationed such as soap, clothing, petrol and paper. When did rationing end after the Second World War?In 1945 the war ended but rationing continued. Because of poor weather conditions, bread was rationed until 1948 and potatoes were also in short supply. Some food was not restricted at all e.g. whale meat but, not surprisingly, this never proved popular with British people! It was only in the early 50s that some foods were no longer rationed i.e. tea in 1952, eggs, cream, sugar and sweets in 1953 cheese, and butter, cheese and cooking oil in 1954 and meat and bacon in 1954. Here is a photo of Mrs. Barbara Donaldson from Aberdare, Mid Glamorgan. She remembered rationing quite clearly as she was 13 years old when war broke out. The dried egg was quite tasty and had a great deal of uses, she said. After the war, she always refused to buy margarine as she said it had an artificial taste and reminded her of the war years and "The White Cliffs of Dover" a song she was never keen on! Lesser known facts about Rationing in the Second World War.Whale meat was 'off ration', i.e. it was available for people to buy without ration books. It was not popular with the British public as they thought it had an unpleasant smell and tasted bland even when spices were added to it. Because bananas were imported i.e. brought from countries abroad, they were one food item which was not available at all during the Second World War. Some fruiterers would put sign in their windows stating, "Yes, we have no bananas!" to raise people's spirits. This was inspired by a 1920s American catchy and fun song of the same name. Other fruits which many children never saw until the war was over were oranges, lemons, pineapples and grapes all of which were also imported.
Rationing regulations for food and clothing were gazetted on 14 May 1942. Rationing was introduced to manage shortages and control civilian consumption. It aimed to curb inflation, reduce total consumer spending, and limit impending shortages of essential goods. The broad reasoning behind the introduction of rationing was to ensure the equitable distribution of food and clothing. It was also hoped that a cut on consumer spending would lead to an increase in savings, which in turn could be invested in war loans. Australians were never as short of food nor rationed as heavily as civilians in the United Kingdom. Rationing was enforced by the use of coupons and was limited to clothing, tea, sugar, butter, and meat. From time to time, eggs and milk were also rationed under a system of priority for vulnerable groups during periods of shortage. Rationing was administered by the Rationing Commission. The basis for policing food rationing was through the surrender of coupons before rationed goods could be supplied. This had to occur between traders as well as consumers. Coupons were passed back from consumers to retailers, from retailers to wholesalers, and in many cases from wholesalers to producers, who were requested to return them to the commission. Breaches of rationing regulations were punishable under the general provisions of National Security Regulations by fines of to £100 or up to six-months imprisonment. Responding to the complaint that these penalties were inadequate, the government passed the Black Marketing Act at the end of 1942. This Act was for more serious cases and could carry a minimum penalty of £1,000.
A window display in a city store showing the price tag and number of coupons required for the purchase of a child's overcoat and caps.
This table reflects initial quantities. Many items were adjusted and rations reduced at a later date.
NEW HAVEN, United States — When envisioning vintage, one often thinks of the 1970s hip-huggers or the bobs of the 1950s, but rarely does one think of World War II (WWII) and food rationing when considering “vintage” trends. WWII was a dark time that most attempt not to recall; however, the diets and recipes of those times are not forgotten. Human history is marked by war and the quirky trends it creates. There is a wealth of information on this period and the living conditions amongst the Allied and Axis forces that could cover many volumes. We would like to highlight the conditions primarily in Britain and the United States. How Was Food Rationed in World War Two?Rationing was developed during the war to ensure that all citizens had enough to eat and to prevent bread line riots. Americans and Europeans alike were affected by rationing and came up with creative ways to make the most of what they were allotted. Many notable American and British women’s magazines joined in the effort with recipes and adverts promoting ways to stretch food. Ironically, even the very paper they were printed on was rationed, and they therefore had to encourage sharing of their pages with neighbours. Victory gardens, also known as war gardens were created as a way to ease pressure on the food supply and enable governments to send more food to the warfront. “By 1943, 40% of all produce eaten by Americans was grown in over 20 million victory gardens (wartime US population was much lower than today),” says Lauren Handley Eckert, Education Programmes Coordinator at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans. These gardens helped to provide enough fruits and vegetables for people on the home front and allow a large portion to be sent to the troops abroad. What Foods Were Rationed in World War Two?“The first foods rationed in Britain were bacon, sugar, tea, butter, eggs and meat. There were no bananas and many children did not learn of them until the war. In the US butter, eggs, spices, bourbon, meat, sugar, cooking oil, coffee, canned goods were tough or impossible to get,” according to Cynthia Bertelsen, writer, historian, and photographer. This meant no banana splits and no ice cream sundaes; many of the treats relished by children were put aside during the war. SPAM, a tinned meat, created for soldiers’ rations, is a recognisable holdover from that dark time. Meat, oils and butter were all rationed in most countries that took part in the war. A typical weekly British ration contained bacon and ham 4oz, other meat to the value of 1s 2d, butter 2 oz, cheese 2 oz, margarine 4 oz, cooking fat 4oz, milk 3 pints and 1 packet dried skimmed milk per month, sugar 8oz, preserves 1lb every 2 month, tea 2oz, 1 shell egg and 1 packet dried egg per month and sweets 12oz. Non-rationed items like potatoes and carrots were used as filler and mock foods and casseroles were popular ways to make food go further. Britain even had “Doctor Carrot” carrying a bag of “VitA” that became a propaganda item touted by the Ministry of Food. There were several slogans that accompanied “Doctor Carrot,” but he was used to encourage the use of carrots as a healthy source of vitamin A. Carrots were often used in desserts as sweeteners and were substitutes for vegetables that could not be obtained. “Potato Pete” was also introduced in Britain to inspire people to use potatoes as a substitute for unavailable commodities. This is not to say that the world was a completely dark and dismal place. Birthday cakes did not disappear in the US. “As for treats, there were still birthday cakes and wedding cakes and such. Home sugar rationing meant that you might save up your points and/or sugar or the whole neighbourhood might get together to contribute ingredients for a special occasion. You could also buy things from commercial bakeries, which got more sugar than your average housewife/family,” says Handley Eckert. However, the picture was not as rosy for Europeans. In Britain an account by Anne Addison and published by Fulwell Writers’ Circle tells: “Sweets were devised from a mixture of dried milk and peppermint essence with a little sugar or icing sugar if available. Grated carrots replaced fruit in a Christmas or birthday cake, while a substitute almond paste was made from ground rice or semolina mixed with a little icing sugar and almond essence. Dried egg powder was used as a raising agent, and this same dried egg could be reconstituted and fried, yielding a dull, yellow, rubbery-like apology for the light and fluffy real thing – but there was nothing else, so we ate it.” People made do and used what they had to keep uplifting events like birthdays and weddings as cheerful as possible. Why Was Oil Rationed in World War Two?This world was in stark contrast to the present day. Women saved and reused oil and then brought the waste oil to the butcher who paid for it. In turn, the butcher would sell it to a rendering plant that would turn it into explosives. The war was a time of stretching and making do. Everyone was expected to do their part. The motto, “so they will have enough” developed, meaning that all the hardship the common citizen went through was to ensure the troops had everything they needed. Recycling and reusing were mandated in all aspects of daily life. The items that most households throw out today would be held onto, knowing that each had to do their share. Being a glutton at this time was not just looked down upon, it was downright treasonous. Rations varied from country to country but one thing was certain, citizens of all countries were encouraged to grow their own food so that soldiers could be supplied with whatever could be spared. What Happened to Restaurants in World War Two?Interestingly, restaurants in Britain were not subject to rationing. Bertelsen says: “Exclusive restaurants in Britain could not charge more than a certain amount, 5 shillings per meal, after 1942; prior to that only the wealthy cold afford to eat there. Restaurants in Britain were ‘off ration’ and so people ate out when they could.” By contrast, American citizens were encouraged to eat at home rather than in a restaurant. Handly Eckert explains: “Restaurants used what they could find, and did have rationed limits on how much they could get of rationed items, and would alter their menu according to what was available, but again, true food shortages were never a huge issue in the US during WWII. Though not technically rationing, the OPA (Office of Price Administration) did have ceiling prices for dishes at restaurants. They legally could not charge more than a set amount for menu items.” This means that trip to the local burger joint would be out of reach for most in any of the countries involved in the war. This look at rationing envisions a different view of vintage, one that is not always happy or fun. This vintage is the foundation our modern world has been built upon, and one that should not be quickly forgotten. It was a time of citizens banding together and each doing their part. Rationing has left us a legacy of recipes, food products and strength in the face of adversity. Think vintage, think differently! For more information we suggest you to visit the blog Gherkins Tomatoes by Cynthia Bertelsen covering mostly French rationing and the book: How to Cook a Wolf by M. F. K. Fisher. |
What was the most rationed food in ww2?
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