The scheme was designed to ensure fair shares for all at a time of national shortage. Here is the weekly ration allowance for one adult in the 1940srationed food was the food you were guaranteed to be able to get. 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 the first issuance, more than 91. In january 1940, the british government introduced food rationing. This is a single replica junior ration book from 19441945. Bbc history rationing in world war two pictures, video. The average food rationing for one person were as follows. The rationing process was applied to anticipate the starvation because of limited production of local food and restriction of food import. Their names are on the front cover, along with their national registration numbers. Butter, meat and fresh eggs were among the first foods to be rationed. 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. These food ration books from 1941 and 1943 belonged to alan and margaret martin who lived in stratfordonavon. It is interesting to note that some cookbooks published during the war featured sugarless recipes so home cooks could more easily comply with the rationing program. Official rationing began on 8 january 1940 with bacon, butter and sugar.
The k ration was an individual daily combat food ration which was introduced by the united states army during world war ii. I have included a table showing the food rationing in england during world war ii. Oct 10, 2019 green ration books were issued to children under 5, pregnant women and nursing mothers. It will limit their purchases of sugar beginnning around the middle of march to 12 ounces per individual per week. Rations were distributed by weight, monetary value or points. The front cover has been left blank, so it can be filled in by the new owner. Green ration books were for pregnant women and children under five years of age. Points were given for rationed foods, and each family needed rationing stamps in order to buy rationed foods.
Wwii us war rations books and stamps this page describes the way in which resources such as gas and sugar were rationed and distributed to the civilian population in the united states during wwii. These were for children between five and 16 years of age. During the war major staples such as meat, sugar, etc, were extremely limited and rationed. Rationing regulations for food and clothing were gazetted on 14 may 1942. There are many forms of rationing, and in western civilization people experience some of them in daily life without. It was felt important that children had fruit, the full meat ration and. See more ideas about wwii, wartime recipes and vintage recipes. My grandmother recently died peacefully at 95, and while my sisters and i. Nov 20, 2016 on 15 july 1918, the ration books, which covered the meat, lard, butter and sugar, were introduced to assist rationing process. Green ration books pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under 5. One problem that many people have is determining how much food to store. Jan 31, 20 the small coins introduced in 1944 were used by retailers to give change back for food bought with ration stamps.
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. A national speed limit of 35 miles per hour was imposed to save fuel and rubber for tires. What is the value of world war 2 ration books answers. 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. Each stamp was worth 1 lb of sugar and was given a. Ideal for school projects, events or for those with an interest in world war 2. Each stamp was illustrated with a military symbol such as a naval ship, airplane, tank, gun, horn of plenty or torch of liberty, adding a patriotic flair.
Blue ration books were given to children between the age soy 5 and 16. I was given 6 war ration books with most of the stamps still in them. War ration book one ration coupons on the home front, 1942. The first two images explain how ration books were to be used. Youll notice that they change slightly throughout the war. The people with these ration books could choose their fruit, they got a daily pint of milk and a double supply of eggs.
During spring 1942, the government introduced rationing of certain consumer items that were in short supply. Rationing made sure that people got an equal amount of food every week. Of the 180,000,000 printed, 123,000,000 were issued. Throughout the 1940s and for nine years after the end of the war every man woman and child in britain owned ration books of coupons for food and clothing. Food rationing lasted for 14 years in britain, from 1940 until 1954. The inside cover lists names and addresses of retailers. Other meat value of 1 shilling and 2 pence equivalent to 2 chops.
By 1942 many other foodstuffs, including meat, milk, cheese, eggs and cooking fat were also on the ration. Can you tell me more about rationing from this period and what the ones i have might be worth. Ww2 replica ration book, evacuee tag and identity card by memorabilia pack company. Staining, soiling and other cosmetic damage would detract from the resale value of your wwii era ephemera. Ration books were very valuable and had to be presented to the grocery clerk. The kration was an individual daily combat food ration which was introduced by the united states army during world war ii. I recently inherited my familys world war ii ration books, including paper coupons and coins. Ration book four was printed in red, blue and green. Each stamp was worth 1 lb of sugar and was given a designed two week period during. In the beginning of 1940s, the refinement of ration was applied by the british ministry of food.
My grandmother recently died peacefully at 95, and while my sisters and i were. Every man, woman and child was given a ration book with coupons. On the home front during world war ii, all families in the united states were affected by food rationing. Civilians first received ration books war ration book number one, or the sugar book on may 4, 1942, through more than 100,000 schoolteachers, pta groups, and other volunteers. The front cover of the war rations book is featured on the picture above. Governmentimposed rationing of meat and butter ends. March 1, 1942 food rationing begins nationwide the. The only part i really remember was that during rationing they were required to bring a few things in place or part of paying for the week at camp. Holders like these would help protect the book and its stamps. The national wwii museum tells the story of the american experience in the war that changed the world why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today so that all generations will understand the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn sign up for updates about exhibits, public programming and other news from the national wwii museum here. Use this ration booklet to teach about ww2 and rationing. Poland also had food rationing which took place post the world war 1. Food, rations and rationing 19141918 richardson, matthew on. When i was in the boy scouts one year at summer camp some adult leaders were telling some stories about their time in scouts during the war.
The ration books contained removable stamps good for certain rationed items, like sugar, meat, cooking oil, and canned goods. It comes down to the old adage of supply and demand as far as value. The goverment wanted to curb inflation, reduce total consumer spending, and limit potential shortages of essential goods, as in britain, by trying to ensure that there was an equitable distribution of food and clothing. Families had ration books, but what about restaurants and hotels, how did they stay open. Here is the weekly ration allowance for one adult in the 1940srationed food was. Mar 23, 2007 ration books became a way of life for everyone at home during world war ii. Rationing was introduced temporarily by the british government several times during the 20th century, during and immediately after a war at the start of the second world war in 1939, the united kingdom was importing 20 million long tons of food per year, including about 70% of its cheese and sugar, almost 80% of fruit and about 70% of cereals and fats. What you need to know about rationing in the second world war. Rationing began on 8th january 1940 when bacon, butter and sugar were rationed.
Ration books, world war ii, original object lessons. World war two ration book replica wwii teaching aids. The books have been well used several pages are missing from each book, coupons have been cut from the remaining pages and some coupons are scored through. Later that month volunteers again helped distribute gasoline cards in. Mar 28, 2015 one problem that many people have is determining how much food to store.
Apr 19, 2012 rationing regulations for food and clothing were gazetted on 14 may 1942. What you need to know about rationing in the second world. Once a persons ration stamps were used up for a month. A brilliant example of a ration booklet that children can use during their learning on the second world war and rationing. Why not create a role play area and provide all children with one, allowing them to experience rationing firsthand. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is ones allowed portion of the resources being distributed on a particular day or at a particular time. The ministry of food s carefully formulated diet is generally believed to have improved the nations health. It was originally intended as an individually packaged daily ration for issue to airborne troops, tank crews, motorcycle couriers, and other mobile forces for short durations. It still cost money, but you couldnt even buy it unless you had stamps. World war ll ration book printable pdf teaching history. The kration provided three separately boxed meal units.
You had to have ration stamps to buy things at the store. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Several photographs of the paperwork needed to obtain food and gas are displayed here. Buffcoloured ration books most adults had this colour. Use these books to illustrate how ration books worked. Ration book definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Blue ration books children between 5 and 16 years of age. I have a ww2 ration book, it is a ration book number 3. What is the value of world war 2 ration books with all the. One source that i have used is information on the rationing in england during world war 2. Families were given a ration book and they could only buy their ration from certain, local shops. Wartime kitchen ration book cooking farmersgirl kitchen.
Make offer two world war ii war ration book four with stampsissued houston texas. Home page ration book search why war ration book no. What is the value of world war 2 sugar ration stamps. Aug 09, 2012 value of ww2 ration book answered by a verified antique expert we use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website.
Food rations for indian people and black people were significantly smaller. Truman, who led the country through the last few months of world war ii, is best known for making the controversial decision to use two atomic bombs against japan in august 1945. Heat the oil over a moderate heat, add the cleaned chopped leeks, and. Jul 11, 2016 every american was issued a series of ration books during the war. On 15 july 1918, the ration books, which covered the meat, lard, butter and sugar, were introduced to assist rationing process. Meat rationing continued for 10 years after dday june 1954 in 1946, when food was just as short as during the preceding years, bread was added to the ration and the sweet ration was halved. The war ration stamps are very common and the demand for them in the collectors circle is not very high. The ministry of food was responsible for overseeing rationing. The ministry of foods carefully formulated diet is generally believed to have improved the nations health. Ration books became a way of life for everyone at home during world war ii. 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. I know what ration books were used for,i was wondering if something like this would have any value, i will never sell it because it was my grandmothers at one time. The ration books arrived quickly and in perfect condition for use in a ww2 project at our grandsons school.
Ww2 replica junior ration book and identity card 4. World war two ration book what did ration books look like. How did rationing affect restaurants and hotels during ww2. Interestingly, the ration books issued during world war two attempted to capture these items. Value of ww2 ration book answered by a verified antique expert. Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, services, or an artificial restriction of demand. Rationing in world war 2 australia deborah burrows. These were required before rationed goods could be purchased. Oct 10, 2017 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. This article may feature affiliate links to amazon or other companies, and purchases made via these links may earn us a small commission at no additional. Jan 08, 2018 in january 1940, the british government introduced food rationing. World war ii food rationing was implemented to ensure that rich or poor, all americans would be able to get the same amount of foods that were in short supply. An online encyclopedia of british history for children. 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.
Every american was issued a series of ration books during the war. There was also a danger that some people might hoard food, leaving none for others. Towards the end of the first world war, panic buying in the united kingdom prompted rationing of first sugar, then meat, for the rest of the war. By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our cookie policy unless you have disabled them. In the united states, nationwide food rationing was instituted in the spring of 1942, and each member of the family was issued ration books by the office of price administration opa. The government was worried that as food became scarcer, prices would rise and poorer people might not be able to afford to eat. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Ration book definition and meaning collins english. They had first choice of fruit, a daily pint of milk and a double supply of eggs.