A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO WORLD WAR TWO
3rd September 1939
Start of the war
22nd September 1939-
Petrol is rationed
29th September 1939-
Identity cards
8th January 1940-
Bacon, sugar and eggs are rationed
12th February 1940-
Paper is rationed
8th May 1940- Tea, maragarine and cooking fat were rationed. A ban on icing of confectionary was introduced. Restaurants at the time were not allowed to serve fish and meat in the same meal.
March 11th 1940- Meat is rationed
3rd April 1940- Lord Woolton becomes Minister of Food
10th May 1940- Winston Churchill is now Prime Minister
27th May 1940- Rations on butter are reduced
11th July 1940- There was a public appeal for aluminium that was to be collected by the 'Woman's Voluntary Service'
20th July 1940-
People were banned for buying and selling new cars
9th November 1940- The first looting (breaking in and stealing goods) were tried at the Old Bailey Court in London
3rd December 1940- Heavier rations for tea and sugar were introduced for Christmas
7th March 1941- Jam, marmalade, treacle and syrup were rationed.
5th May 1941- Cheese is rationed
1st June 1941- Items of clothing are rationed and egg distribution was being controlled.
4th July 1941- Coal is now being rationed
November 1941- Milk supply is controlled
December 1941- National Dried Milk was introduced and a new points system for food was constructed
January 1942- Rice and dried fruit were now being rationed. They discarded the tea ration for children under five.
9th February 1942- Soap was being rationed along with tinned tomatoes and peas.
17th February- Its now not just coal thats rationed, all fuels used in homes are rationed.
1st June 1942- The American dried egg powder goes on sale
26th July 1942- Sweets and chocolate become rationed
August 1942- Biscuits now go on ration aswell.
29th July 1943- Jobs in the womens service are postponed because more women are needed for making aircrafts. By September there was serious worry over Britains manpower.
1st February 1944- There are no more limitations on clothing
27th April 1944- Nobody is allowed to travel to foreign countries
6th September 1944- The blackout is less strict, being replaced by the 'Dim-out'
20th November 1944- The street lights in London were switched on.
24th April 1945- The Dim-out was mostly removed through the country apart from a few coastal areas
7th/8th May 1945- Germany surrenders and victory shreaks through Europe.
17th August 1945- There was a big focus on the National Health Service
21st July 1946- Bread and flour are rationed
8th November 1947- Potatoes are now rationed.
25th July- Bread, flour and potatoes are no longer being rationed.
December 1948- No more jam rations
15th March 1949- End of clothes rations
September 1950- No more soap rationing
May 1950- This brought the end of rationing of canned/dried fruit, chocolate biscuits, treacle. syrup. jelly, mincemeat and also petrol.
3rd October 1950- End of tea rationing
February-April 1953
- End of sweets, eggs and cream rations
September 1953-End of sugar rationing.
May 1954- No more butter, cheese margarine or cooking fat rations
4th July 1954- End of all rationing and meat becomes freely available in shops.
Rationing
During the war there were shortages of almost everything for the people of Britain. The shortages ranged from food, clothes, coal for the fires in peoples home and also furniture. The government introduced rationing at the beginning of 1940 to ensure poorer people didnt go without during the shortages whilst rich people bought what they wanted.
Everybody was given a ration book containing food coupons. The books were beige for adults, blue for children at school and for baby and toddlers the book was pink. People had to register with local shops like the butchers and grocers. These ration books made sure that everyone recieved their fair share regardless of how much they earned.
At this time people would queue outside shops without any certainty of what they would recieve at the front. This was because ration amounts were dependent on how much of an item the shops had, which would differ month to month.
Air Raid Shelters
During World War 2, there were evidently bombings at all hours of the day and night. For safety people retreated to shelters that were either built in peoples gardens or in a convient place for several peope in one road, for example. These shelters were half built underground and made of strong materials like steel and iron therefore they were safer during a bombing than a house.
Air raid shelters, also known as anderson shelters were free for people who didnt earn much money. If a man earned more than five pound a week, he could by an air raid shelter for seven pound.
People didn't enjoy going into their shelters at any point of the day but especially not at night time. The shelters were damp, cold and smelly. They didnt block out the noise of the bombings so it was hard to sleep.
After some time the government realised that the air raid shelters built it peoples gardens werent the safest retreat. On 21st September 1940, the government allowed people to take shelter in the London Underground. Many people took the offer with the busiest night holding 177,000 people.
People knew when to retreat to the airt raid shelters as a signal was projected across the cities. When this sound was heard, civilians were to immediately stop whatever they were doing and make their way to the shelters. The sound signalled that there were enemy planes, for example, over the city and an attack was evident. The siren sound was nickanmed 'moaning minnie'.