During the second world war, you couldnt just walk into a shop and buy as much sugar or butter or meat as you wanted, nor could you fill up your car with gasoline whenever you liked. The first book is a united states of america war ration book one. During world war ii the government kept a central register of everyone in britain. Reproduction ww2 rations during the second world war, each country had its own version of a field ration. Image detail for wwii ration books value wwii ration stamps victory gardens because of food shortages in world war 2 the government gave out ration books. Stack a few books on top of this for a few days to let it dry. World war 2 ration book horsemen of the apocalypse, journal.
War ration book one 1942 office of price administration. 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. Wwii ww2 war ration stamp book lot gasoline fuel oil book one. To meet this surging demand, the federal government took steps to conserve crucial supplies, including establishing a rationing. It was meant to ensure a fair distribution of food, in short supply due to enemy ships attacking merchant ships, preventing them from bringing supplies such as sugar, cereals, fruit and meat to the uk.
Ration books were given to everyone in britain who then registered in a shop of their choice. Ration books were given to everyone in britain who then registered in a shop of. World war 2 ration books the war ration was not very high. Any attempt to violate the rules is an effort to deny someone his share and will create hardship and discontent. World war two ration book copy of a ration book front cover blank inside cover lists names and addresses of retailers great teaching and learning aid british sweet rationing make your own sweets candy from wartime recipes. The book contains pages of coupons for clothing, tea, sugar and food. World war 2 ration book horsemen of the apocalypse, journal paper, ephemera. Well, can you think of a resource that not only gives you name, address, age and occupation, but also height and weight of a person. The opa accepted ration book applications and issued ration books, from which consumers tore out stamps in order to purchase food and other supplies at grocery stores. There were also red stamps, not included in eileens ration book purse, used to ration meat. Ration book number 4 inside 1943 office of price administration private collection. I forgot to schedule a thanksgiving post, so after the rabid consumerism many americans display on black friday weekend and throughout the christmas shopping season, i think this topic is, in a way, highly relevant to the holidays. Fabric was needed for the war effort to make uniforms, parachutes etc. This meant planning meals carefully, being creative with menus, and not wasting food.
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. Mar 23, 2007 i have wwii ration books 14 and would like to know what each stamp allowed you to buy. How to use your war ration book one genealogy today. People had to produce their identity card alongside their ration book to prove that they were entitled to their share of food or clothes. Vintage lot of 4 world war ii war ration book wstamps inside konczal family. At the start of the second world war in 1939, the united kingdom was. 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. Youll notice that they change slightly throughout the war. A responsible person in the household could pick up and sign for the ration booklets for everyone in the household. Fold so that the stamps are on the inside of the booklet.
Aug 12, 2014 world war 2 ration books the war ration was not very high. Any member of the family may use all the familys ration books. An antihoarding, pro rationing poster from the united states in world war ii. A world war 2 ration book template containing 12 pages and a front and back cover. A person could not buy a rationed item without also giving the grocer the right ration stamp. A ration book which was issued to the residents of the united kingdom during world war 2. Distributed may 20, 1943 the coupons used for food and other. Bring a copy of ration book 3 for each member of the family. Before the stamps of the war ration book may be used, the person for whom it was issued must sign it as indicated in the book. In 1942, five months after december 8, 1941 the united states entered the second world war, book one series were issued.
Make offer world war ii 1943 ration book four wstamps pennsylvania b. No matter the country, the contents of ww2 rations were similar, including some kind of crackers or biscuits, sweets or chocolates, and cigarettes. When the japanese attacked pearl harbor the question whether america will enter the second world war was over. Civilians first received ration bookswar ration book number one, or the sugar book on 4 may 1942, through more than 100,000 schoolteachers, pta groups, and other volunteers 7. On inside cover is printed instruction on how to use your ration book. The public went to their local designated ministry of food offices to collect their ration books. It wasnt just food that was rationed during world war ii. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is one persons allotted portion of the resources being distributed on a particular day or at a particular time. Initially used to ration sugar, coupons were later designated for other products.
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. Many troops lost between 3070 pounds during their tours due to not only the rigorous physical demands of ww2 combat, but also to the undernourishing k ration where a full days k ration. Ration book definition and meaning collins english dictionary. To help the process, ration books were introduced in july 1918 for butter, margarine, lard, meat, and sugar. I have looked all over the internet and have found explanations of how the rationing work during the way, but not how the stamps themselves worked. Clothes rationing began on june 1, 1941, two years after food rationing started. One grandson is a wwii buff and he really enjoy the replicas of ration book and letters, etc. In fact, as you smokers probably all know, paper matches will absorb body sweat and quickly reach the malfunction stage. Home front coupons, rare book, manuscript, and special collections library, duke university. Food rationing lasted for 14 years in britain, from 1940 until 1954. It has the warnings on the front and was printed in 1942. The ration books contained removable stamps good for certain rationed items, like sugar, meat, cooking oil, and canned goods. 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. Guide to the world war ii ration coupon collection, 19421946.
Wwii ration book one print the following page on buff paper. The government found it necessary to ration food, gas, and even clothing during that time. May war ration book two be used by any member of the family. What is the value of world war 2 ration books with.
Yes, ration book two like war ration book one now used for sugar and coffee may be used by any member of the household to whom the book is issued. The card contains front, back and inside pages that can be assembled to make a booklet. Throughout the 1940s every man woman and child in britain owned ration books of coupons that had to be used to obtain food and clothing. Acceptance letter ww2 pictures, historical pictures, uk history, women in. Wwii ration book 4 cover print this page on buff paper. The work of issuing ration books and exchanging used stamps for certificates was handled by some 5,500 local ration boards of mostly volunteer workers selected by local officials. Place ration stamp pages 16 inside and staple along fold.
Each page is separate so you can include what you need. Imagine what it was like during world war ii, when rationing meant you couldnt always buy. The army and navy were growing, as was the nations effort to aid its allies overseas. War ration book 4 will be distributed to the citizens of pocahontas county at school houses on thursday and friday, october 21 and 22. There were pages of numbered squares and each product required a different ration book. In the age of the dinosaurs, a day lasted no more than 23 hours. Replica newspapers archives memorabilia pack company ltd. The name of a person under 18 years of age may be signed either by such person or by his father, mother, or guardian.
Making an exception to my pre1922 only rule, here are some high quality scans of u. Guide to the world war ii ration coupon collection, 1942. How the ministry of food managed food rationing in world war. 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. This assembled collection consists of war ration books 1, 2, and 4 issued in the. Each stamp was worth 1 lb of sugar and was given a designed two week period during. Rationing was introduced temporarily by the british government several times during the 20th century, during and immediately after a war. Front cover blank, inside cover lists names and addresses of retailers. During world war ii, british soldiers were given a ration. Clothing rationing was introduced in 1941 and lasted eight years. Unfollow world war 2 ration books to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. 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. I found a recipe from wwii and they really enjoyed the food and then we opened the packets and i enjoyed the information inside as much as the boys. One can only imagine the frustration of juggling all these different ration books in order just to get byhere is a wonderfully wry account of the.
Top 5 weird ww2 german prototypes that actually flew duration. Food rationing during world war 2 primary homework help. Jan 07, 2015 the october 21, 1943 edition of the pocahontas times reads. Paper rationing during world war ii historic newspapers. Every american was issued a series of ration books during the war. During the second world war, you couldnt just walk into a shop and buy as. What is the value of war ration book four with stamps inside.
Living off rations with ration book cooking day one. Here are some facts about rationing during ww2 in britain. It stopped the resources running out during the war. These books were not the only rationing coupons issued by the u. A message about food from the president of the united states in this fourth year of. Two motor fuel ration coupons for a motor cycle, valid for the month of october 1947, in a booklet of coupons issued by the minister of fuel and power. Genealogists are always in search of new record sources when confronted with a brick wall. It began after the start of ww2 with petrol and later included other goods such as butter, sugar and bacon. Identity cards had to be presented with the ration book to prove that the person was the proper owner of the ration book. The second world war broke out on 3 september 1939. The coupons inside allowed the owner to purchase a small amount of different foods, clothing or petrol each week.
A brilliant example of a ration booklet that children can use during their learning on the second world war and rationing. Records from war ration books for genealogy world war two. Asked in world war 2, stamp collecting philately, ww2 homefront. Each ration book had instructions and rules in both english and irish. Okay, so the vd and victory matches are way cool, but when its been raining for three days and your habitat is a muddy fox hole, these paper book matches wont answer the bell. Jun 07, 2019 after the december 7, 1941 japanese attack at pearl harbor, the u. Home page ration book search how to use your war ration book. World war ii put a heavy burden on us supplies of basic materials like food, shoes, metal, paper, and rubber. Trim edges, fold in half lengthwise first then fold in half again to create a booklet. What was bought and when and in which shop had to be filled out too. United states of america office of price administration of price war ration book four issued to print first, middle, and complete address read before signing in accepting this book, i recognize. Mary has had a newspaper column in the bridgeport news, a blog for the. What is the value of world war 2 ration books answers.
World war ii ration books bridgeport history center. Rationing for the war in the united states began in 1942 and ended in 1946. Make offer world war ii 1943 ration book four wstamps pennsylvania d. Each book was numbered, and the stamps inside controlled peoples. An epic tragedy 19451975, max hastings explains how meals were cooked by punching holes in a ration tin and using a c4 explosive to. The government then sent call up papers to the person, telling them where they should report for service. A ration book was issued to each person and each child. On august 15, 1945, world war ii gas rationing was ended on the west coast of the united states. This is the inside of the blue stamp book, showing the stamps eileen used to buy canned goods. Identity cards, world war ii, original object lessons. It held the information needed for issuing national identity cards and food and clothing ration books, and for identifying children eligible for evacuation and adults eligible for callup. Guide to the world war ii rationing collection, 19421945. During world war ii, british soldiers were given a ration of 3 sheets of toilet paper a day, while american soldiers received 22.
This is a speedy and convenient method of establishing identity. A warning inside the front cover declared it illegal for the shopkeeper to accept loose coupons they had to be presented in the book to be valid. 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. Ration books, world war ii, original object lessons. Rationing was officially started on 8th january 1940. Once a persons ration stamps were used up for a month, she couldnt buy any more of that type of food.
This months teaching resource from the gnm archive looks at the pressures of producing the guardian during the war and effects of paper rationing on the newspapers content. War ration books and tokens were issued to each american family, dictating. War ration book one ration coupons on the home front, 1942. To me the wwii ration books are an interesting part of our history and serve as a valuable. Four different series of war ration books were issued. Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, or services, or an artificial restriction of demand. 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. Eventually, most foods were covered by the rationing system with the exception of fruit and vegetables. The packets contained many items and great information. Collection consists of ration coupons, stickers, permits, and certificates for tires, bicycles, typewriters, sugar, shoes, fuel oil, gasoline, and food which were issued by the office of price administration between 19421946. Individual family members could then be responsible for their own clothing coupons, while the food books were usually looked after by the person who was responsible for the familys food shopping. More than 8,000 ration boards across the country administered the program.
How to shop with ration book two poster 19431945 office of war information national archives and record administration. Ration book four also introduced red and blue cardboard tokens, each valued at onepoint, to be used as change for ration coupon purchases. There is no exact number on how many ration books were issued but over 8000 ration offices were opened to control the rationing. Publishing in wartime ww2 paper restrictions american. The first two images explain how ration books were to be used.
Print or photocopy onto coloured card and staple together. It has three stamps inside which are numbered 19, 20, and 22. This months teaching resource from the gnm archive looks at the pressures of producing the guardian during the war and effects of paper. Outside, inside the original id card was printed on a pigskin textured brown paper. Newspapers were smaller during the second world war due to the. Clothes rationing ended on 15 march 1949 clothing ration book can you spot the two books for children.
Ration book one was issued in may 1942, book two in january 1943, book three in october of 1943, and book four towards the end of 1943. The template is black and white and one booklet fits onto an a4 page. Rationing in world war 2 australia deborah burrows. Ration book four was printed in red, blue and green. From 1943, a detachable clothing ration book was included inside the main food ration book.
Civilians still needed these materials for consumer goods as well. The government introduced rationing because certain things were in short. Print the second page of the pdf file on buff paper using black and white printer. With not a single person unaffected by the war, rationing meant sacrifices for all. Even though i was born in oct of 1941 i had one and what was not used i still have. The war ration stamps are very common and the demand for them in the collectors circle is not very high. With the onset of world war ii, numerous challenges confronted the american people.
A shopkeeper cancels the coupons in a british housewifes ration book. 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. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Of the 180,000,000 printed, 123,000,000 were issued. Tobacco, soap and clothing as well as shoes were other items. Rationing in many forms did not officially end until around the time of the. Apr 19, 2012 rationing regulations for food and clothing were gazetted on 14 may 1942. Names, date of birth and address were listed in this national register. Food and gasoline rationing practices in the united states during world war ii. World war ll ration book printable pdf teaching history. Page for cooking fats inside a replica ration book from 1941, a piece of world war ii related memorabilia from britain in the 1940s.
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