Before the start of world war ii the uk imported 55 million tons of food, a mere month after the start of world war ii they imported 12 million. The ministry of food was responsible for overseeing rationing. Everyone, including children, was issued a ration book, each of which had a certain number of rationing points per. During the second world war, americans were asked to make sacrifices in many ways. Americans had to register to receive a war ration book filled with special stamps they could use to buy these specific items. A brilliant example of a ration booklet that children can use during their learning on the second world war and rationing. By 1942 many other foodstuffs, including meat, milk, cheese, eggs and cooking fat were also on the ration. You see, the war caused shortages of all sorts of things. World war ii ration coupon collection date 19421946 creator united states. Historic recipes world war ii cookbook created ration. With not a single person unaffected by the war, rationing meant sacrifices for all. Food substitutions became evident with real butter being replaced with oleo margarine.
To ensure that everyone had the minimum food required to survive, ration books with coupons. World war ii ration books bridgeport history center. Ration coupons on the home front, 19421945 source collection. A ration book is a book of coupons which is used to control consumption of certain products which may be in high demand. World war 2 ration books the war ration was not very high. The weekly food ration for two people, uk, 1943 this photograph shows the amounts of butter, milk, bacon, lard, sugar, cheese, tea and jam received by two people per week in britain. One episode of the delightful british miniseries foyles war addressed the crime sparked by rationing there.
The army and navy were growing, as was the nations effort to aid its allies overseas. So, citizens back home were given a series of ration books. For most of the war years and after, the rationing of food took five principal forms. World war ii rationing stamps program, 19431946 overview of the collection title world war ii rationing stamps program dates 19431946 inclusive 1943 1946 quantity 1 box.
World war ll ration book printable pdf teaching history. The world war ii years were all about making do with less. A bas relief panel on the world war ii memorial in washington, d. Rationing began on 8th january 1940 when bacon, butter and sugar were rationed. President franklin roosevelt created the office of price administration in august 1941. Here is a list of other food items rationed during the war. In wartime england, sugar and many other goods were rationed, and this gave rise to a black market for goods in demand. Learn more about rationing for the war effort during world war ii with research starters at the national wwii museum.
This collection consists of unused certificates, coupons and stamps issued by the united states government office of price administration opa on certain goods that were rationed during world war ii. What you need to know about rationing in the second world war. Food rationing during world war 2 primary homework help. Rationing during world war ii 30 march, 2012 rationing during world war ii rationing is defined as a fixed allowance of provisions of food, especially for soldiers or sailors or for civilians during a shortage. Each book was numbered, and the stamps inside controlled peoples consumption of things like food, gasoline and even clothing. Many of the commodities we take for granted today were in short supply during world war ii, because of the needs of us soldiers fighting overseas. There was a massive food shortage in the uk during world war ii and for a few years after the war. During world war ii, walter, harriet and marilyn lancaster wore the type of childrens shoes that were available when many items were rationed. Civilians still needed these materials for consumer goods as well. Food rationing and canning in world war ii national. These photos captured what happened when the united states. Sugar, butter, and meat were rationed, but that was only a start.
With the onset of world war ii, numerous challenges confronted the american people. Most of these items were from a special set assembled by the library of congress after the war. World war ii put a heavy burden on us supplies of basic materials like food, shoes, metal, paper, and rubber. After three years of rationing, world war ii came to a welcome end. Shortly after the commencement of world war two, rationing was introduced in canada on january 24, 1942, to limit the use of imported food and to free up supplies for the military and their allies.
The countrys entrance into the war meant many changes on the home front. This new book is the followon work to the authors wellreceived rations of the german wehrmacht in world war ii. Guide to the world war ii ration coupon collection, 1942. Ration books were used during world war ii for identification, and to control the amount of food and certain goods allowed per person. Rationing was not only one of those ways, but it was a way americans contributed to the war effort. Civilians first received ration books war ration book number one, or the sugar book on 4 may 1942, through more than 100,000 schoolteachers, pta groups, and other volunteers 7. Aided by the discovery of a large body of wartime british government intelligence reports this volume helps to further unravel the. What is the value of world war 2 ration books with all the. War ration books and tokens were issued to each american family, dictating how much gasoline, tires, sugar, meat, silk, shoes, nylon and other items any one. This book is the definitive reference on the topic. Other meat value of 1 shilling and 2 pence equivalent to 2 chops cooking fat 4 oz.
Every man, woman and child was given a ration book with coupons. In the kitchen, home cooks found thrifty ways to stretch the familys food. Make offer two world war ii war ration book four with stampsissued houston texas. On august 15, 1945, world war ii gas rationing was ended on the west coast of the united states. War ration book two ration coupons on the home front. How the ministry of food managed food rationing in world. Throughout the 1940s and for nine years after the end of the war every man woman and child in britain owned ration books of. Rationing was introduced temporarily by the british government several times during the 20th century, during and immediately after a war.
Why did the shopkeeper have to stamp your ration book in. Around 1939, when world war ii began, the united kingdom imported twothirds of its food, all of which had to be shipped over oceans teeming with german uboats. War ration book of diana mujica, an elevenyearold puerto rican girl, ca. Civilians first received ration bookswar ration book number one, or the. Under those committees were about 1,300 local food offices, and these did all the detailed work of licensing food dealers, enforcing orders and distributing the ration books. Many items were in short supply due to a transition to military production in. Every american was entitled to a series of war ration books filled with stamps that could be used to buy restricted items along with payment, and.
Its main responsibility was to place a ceiling on prices of most goods to prevent wartime price gouging, and to limit consumption by rationing. Civilians first received ration bookswar ration book number one, or the sugar bookon 4 may 1942,11 through more than 100,000 schoolteachers, pta groups, and other volunteers. The government found it necessary to ration food, gas, and even clothing during that time. These ration books were issued to doris and montague corri. Students engage in reading and activities about living on the home front in the united states during world war ii. It turns out that it is a meat ration token from world war ii produced by the canadian government. Due to rationing, cooking during the world war ii era required some special recipes.
World war 2 ration book template book template, world. The only way to survive was to implement world war 2 rationing, and soon the ration book would become the most important book in every british household. The events on december 7, 1941 catapulted the united states into world war ii. Ration books were given to everyone in britain who then. In 1942 a rationing system began to guarantee minimum amounts. Britain had already instituted a pointbased rationing system and had found it effective, so the united states decided to implement a similar program in 1943. On 8 january 1940, bacon, butter and sugar were rationed. Two world war ii war ration book four with stampsissued houston texas. Canadian war ration books food rationing in canada 1942.
Meat rationing in world war ii the british columbia food. It established a rationing system after the attack on pearl harbor. Eventually, the rationed food items extended to canned fish and milk, meat, cheese, and other processed foods. Shortages of essential war materials such as rubber, gasoline, and sugar were initially anticipated, but soon rationing grew to include food as well as fuel and. Make it do meat and cheese rationing in world war ii. Historic recipes world war ii cookbook created rationworthy meals nov 7, 2015.
Coupons and rationing during world war ii dealhack. This ration book belonged to luella runck of oxford, indiana. Chief among these alterations was the introduction of food rationing in 1942. Why not create a role play area and provide all children with one, allowing them to experience rationing firsthand.
Rationing during world war ii essay 819 words bartleby. Ration books are particularly associated with the second world war, when many countries experienced shortages of needed consumer goods, and they decided that a rationing system would ensure fair and even distribution. To meet this surging demand, the federal government took steps to conserve crucial supplies, including establishing a rationing. Every american was entitled to a series of war ration books filled with stamps that could be used to buy restricted items along with payment, and within weeks of. In these 6 station activities, students plan victory gardens, explore ration cards, play with puzzles, and discover the art of radio plays. Many different foods were added to the food ration list during the war. The war ration stamps are very common and the demand for them in the collectors circle is not very high. But it was the shortages of various types of food that affected just about everyone on a daily basis. People who lived through the war years in the 1940s will be familiar with these ration tokens. Cottage cheese took on a new significance as a substitute for meat, with sales exploding from 110 million pounds in 1930 to 500 million pounds in 1944. They were used in conjunction with ration books and coupons.