Rationing
Hello,
Rationing went on in Britain until many years after the war. Somewhere in my loft I have my grandmothers last ration book which was dated 1955, the year before I was born.
I can remember as a child in the 1960's, that several of the older local women (in their 50's and 60's) that I knew in my local village still kept tinned milk supplies in their pantries just in case they went through rationing again.
In Britain immediately after the war rationing got tighter than it had been during the actual war. This was because we were sending considerable supplies into war ravished Europe, and not just to the liberated countries like Holland and France, but even to Germany, as it was realised that if starvation and malnourishment got any worse there civil society would breakdown completely.
Britain embarked on an enormous increase in mechanisation during the war years, as it had previously in 1917. The Americans came to an arrangement whereby, if they supplied tractors, combine harvesters etc. under a form of war aid we would provide food for American troops stationed here.
Many families here received food packages from American soldiers who had visited them in their homes, and had been appalled by how small our civilian rations were.
My mother told tales of the American Airman who smuggled a cooked chicken out of his base and gave to her father.
A friends mother used to tell of the great generosity of American negro Engineering Battalions who built the airfields in Northamptonshire.
They saved their rations to put together surprise parties for local children, dressing up as Red Indian', Pirates, etc, and setting off into the countryside in 2.5 tonne trucks to round up the children.
Sadly at first the Red Indian raiders were all too real for one of her friends, who ran away as fast as her little legs would go screaming away in fright, until reassured that these were not cannibals she had taken them for but friends.
Rationing was very hard for civilian workers, and urban peoples. It was not quite so bad in rural areas and farms.
My father left school in summer 1945 having lived on boarding school food, and being really hungry often.
Having his call up deferred because of the end of the war, he went onto a farm in Shropshire. He recalls the delight of having a cheese provided on the sideboard that they were quite welcome to help themselves to, after their main meal was over.
Photographs show that he grew in girth and muscle volume substantially within months.
Two of my mothers brothers emigrated immediately following the war. I have letters they sent back to my grandmother, and the first letters from both one son in New Zealand and another in America both go on at length about just how great the food was, and how freely it was available compared with Britain.
Regards
Nick Balmer
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