Your Food In War-Time
London: United Kingdom, Lord Privy Seal's Office, 1939. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Single sheet, printed on both sides. Sheet is approximately 11 inches by 8.5 inches, folded in half, with printing on all four sides/pages. Sheet has wear, soiling and some staining. Some creasing noted. Contains the number 51--4382 1 [which may be related to the printing]. This is Public Information Leaflet No. 4. It addresses Your Food in War-Time, What the Government Have Done, How You Can Help, Food Supplies For Evacuation, National Housekeeping in War Time [with a discussion of Central Control and Local Distribution, and a Rationing Scheme]. At the end of the leaflet, enquiries about food supplies in war time were directed to the Director, Food (Defence Plans) Department. Air Raid Precautions (ARP) refers to a number of organizations and guidelines in the United Kingdom dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air raids. Government consideration for air raid precautions increased in the 1920s and 30s, with the Raid Wardens' Service set up in 1937 to report on bombing incidents. Every local council was responsible for organizing ARP wardens, messengers, ambulance drivers, rescue parties, and liaison with police and fire brigades. From 1 September 1939, ARP wardens enforced the "blackout". Heavy curtains and shutters were required on all private residences, commercial premises, and factories to prevent light escaping and so making them a possible marker for enemy bombers to locate their targets. With increased enemy bombing during the Blitz, the ARP services were central in reporting and dealing with bombing incidents. They managed the air raid sirens and ensured people were directed to shelters. For many people who experienced World War Two on the homefront, their most vivid memories were of food. Rationing changed the way people cooked and ate - food shortages meant that home cooks often had to use their initiative to create meals out of meager rations. This led to popular dishes such as Lord Woolton Pie, Vinegar Cake and Spam Hash. The government rationed food in World War Two to ensure people got an equal amount of food each week. In 1939 Britain only grew enough food to feed one person in every three and with Nazi U-boats threatening to starve the country into defeat, the government had to take action to prevent a food shortage. It was also worried that as food became scarcer, prices would soar and people would hoard food. On 3 April 1940, Baron Woolton became Minister of Food. He had been a social workers and former managing director of the Lewis store chain in Northern England. Woolton was the mastermind behind the recipe books and nutritional advice offered by the Ministry of Food - he knew that it wasn’t enough to ration food; the government had to advise people as well. Woolton worked closely with his chief scientific advisor Jack Drummond, who helped the government’s rationing strategy. Woolton’s method communicating with the public was effective and by 1945 housewives had a much deeper understanding of nutrition. The Ministry issued many cooking leaflets, often dedicated to specific topics such as the health benefits of carrots. The Ministry of Food employed 15,000 people at its height, with 18 Food Officers and 1,500 Food Control Committees. The Ministry became involved in every aspect of consumer life - from telling grocers where to get their supplies from in order to reduce petrol costs to advising home cooks on recipes. Unknown to the British population, the Ministry of Food also created secret food depot warehouses throughout the country in which it stockpiled food in the event of invasion. The Ministry of Food issued ration books to every family. Each one contained coupons which allowed them to buy a limited amount. Petrol was the first commodity to be rationed in 1939, followed by butter, sugar, bacon, paper and meat in early 1940. By the end of the war, half of Britain’s food was rationed. Condition: Fair.
Keywords: Civil Defense, Public Information, Emergency Procedures, Food, Evacuation, Housekeeping, Rationing, Central Control, Local Distribution, Government Planning
[Book #83839]
Price: $50.00