Initially used to ration sugar, coupons were later designated for other products. What is the value of war ration book four with stamps inside. The book contains pages of coupons for clothing, tea, sugar and food. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Sep 18, 2011 here is the once lost color version of how to use your ration coupons. Here is the once lost color version of how to use your ration coupons. Rationing was enforced by the use of coupons and was limited to clothing, tea, sugar, butter, and meat. However, the situation deteriorated when over 100,000 ration books were stolen from the ministry of food offices in romford. Other meat value of 1 shilling and 2 pence equivalent to 2 chops cooking fat 4 oz. Living off rations with ration book cooking day one. Some extra account was taken of the needs of growing children, so there was an institutional ration as well as a family ration. Our ww2 ration packages are sold empty and ready for your choice of food. War ration book one ration coupons on the home front. During times of uncertainty and disruption, frugal, storable ingredients to make simple, nutritional recipes come into their own.
They had to register and buy their food from their chosen shops. Tip top bread war ration book cover and ration books 1940s. 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. By using undercover inspectors the government gradually got romford market under control. 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. To conserve food during wwii, rationing regulations were gazetted in may 1942 and food rationing began in june. The government feared that rationing would result in a deterioration in health on the home front but, in fact, the outcome was positive. But food rationing in australia was not so severe as in britain, though some fared better than others.
During the second world war, each country had its own version of a field ration. Rationing regulations for food and clothing were gazetted on 14 may 1942. Here is the weekly ration allowance for one adult in the 1940srationed food was the food you were guaranteed to be able to get. Ration books were exceedingly valuable to american consumers during the war, and people even carried them in special holders to keep them safe. The stamps were printed with a number for point value and a letter to specify the rationing period.
Ration books notice the dates these ration books were issued to doris and montague corri. Tea was the first commodity to be rationed, the allowance being 12 lb 226g per adult per five weeks. The public went to their local designated ministry of food offices to collect their ration books. Shortages of foodstuffs, clothing and other products were part of life on the homefront during world war ii. A responsible person in the household could pick up and sign for the ration booklets for everyone in the household. To assist with rationing, ration books were introduced on 15 july 1918 for.
On inside cover is printed instruction on how to use your ration book. Families were given a ration book and they could only buy their ration from certain, local shops. Guide to the world war ii ration coupon collection, 1942. Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, services, or an artificial.
A ration book was issued to each person and each child. Rationing began on 8th january 1940 when bacon, butter and sugar were rationed. Ww2 id cards and post war ration books family collection of books sequential. Apr 19, 2012 rationing regulations for food and clothing were gazetted on 14 may 1942. Of the 180,000,000 printed, 123,000,000 were issued. By 1942 many other foodstuffs, including meat, milk, cheese, eggs and cooking fat were also on the ration. Australian food rationing in world war ii sure sounds familiar. At auction, the two sets of ration books did not generate a lot of bids. A long ration queue for bread in post world war ii britain c. Ever wondered how much food a person was entitled to during world war two. Dec 31, 2017 how cheaply could a person live on ww2 food rationing. Fourteen years of food rationing in britain ended at midnight on 4 july 1954, when restrictions on the sale and purchase of meat and bacon were lifted.
To deal with food shortages during the war, the ministry of food began a system of rationing. Petrol rationing was introduced in australia in late 1940 and early 1941, but was not strictly enforced until 1942. These ration books contained coupons for meat, butter, tea and. In the us they got food from their own victory gardens, farmers, ranches, orchards and grocery stores. The government rationed food so we could feed our soldiers. 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. Once a persons ration stamps were used up for a month, she couldnt buy any more of that type of food. Each person received 64 red stamps each month, providing 28 ounces of meat and 4 ounces of cheese per week. These books also offered personal information about the family, and a genealogy site on the web suggested that they were a good source for familyhistory research. Food rationing childrens british history encyclopedia. Rationing is often done to keep price below the equilibrium market clearing. Im reposting this article as i feel that during our current times of unreliable supplies and economic uncertainty due to the global coronavirus covid19 pandemic, most of us will be having to really pull in our belts and ration our food, certainly try and make it stretch further. Jan 25, 2012 these books also offered personal information about the family, and a genealogy site on the web suggested that they were a good source for familyhistory research. Food rationing appeared in poland after the first world war, and ration.
Rationing of food lasted for 14 years and ended on july 4, 1954. Each stamp was worth 1 lb of sugar and was given a designed two week period during. 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. The site genealogy today offered a database to search for ration books. At the time of world war ii, most of them drank tea, not coffee.
The ministry of foods carefully formulated diet is generally believed to have improved the nations health. My grandmother recently died peacefully at 95, and while my sisters and i were. Ration card for clothing, consisting of a single peachcoloured card with coupons to be cut off. Ration books were given to adults, containing coupons for different. Rationing during world war ii in australia was a fact of life for all civilians. How much are food ration stamp books worth answers. Rationing of food and clothing during the second world war, australian war. Ration card clothing, commonwealth of australia, circa. I was given 6 war ration books with most of the stamps still in them. Ration card clothing, commonwealth of australia, circa 1945.
Rationing in world war 2 australia deborah burrows. 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. Make it do meat and cheese rationing in world war ii. This meant planning meals carefully, being creative with menus, and not wasting food. The main annual distribution of civilian food ration books and clothing cards is.
To assist with rationing, ration books were introduced on 15 july 1918 for butter, margarine, lard, meat and sugar. Although the 1940sexperiment is based on wartime rationing in the uk i will be incorporating occasional recipes from canadausaustralia etc too. Jan 31, 20 the small coins introduced in 1944 were used by retailers to give change back for food bought with ration stamps. Four different series of war ration books were issued. To obtain ration tickets applicants had to complete and present an application for ration tickets every time tickets were required. The shop keeper cut a coupon out of the book every time they bought a rationed food. The war ration stamps are very common and the demand for them in the collectors circle is not very high.
At an auction less than a week later, i found another group of ration books for a family with children. Rationing experience from one of the visitors to our website. 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. How to use your ration coupons color version youtube. Still, the country went onto wartime food footing, including rationing, in order to create surpluses to feed the people of the united kingdom, and to feed american troops in the pacific.
War ration book one ration coupons on the home front, 1942. Rationing of food and clothing during the second world war the. Make offer world war ii ephemera wwii war ration books acorn signal enemy equipment form. War ration books two, three, and four contained blue stamps for processed foods and red stamps for meat, cheese, and fats. Shortages caused by the long war, including action in southeast asia and the pacific, meant supplies had to be controlled to curb consumption and limit inflation. This meant families were only allowed a small amount each. Clothing and food rationing feature article australian bureau of. A wartime edition of the american womans cook book contained revised recipes and gave advice on dealing with food shortages. A shopkeeper cancels the coupons in a british housewifes ration book. Ration book for sale in uk 67 secondhand ration books. Food and nutrition australia international encyclopedia. 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. What is the value of world war 2 ration books with all the unused stamps intact.
Food rationing during world war 2 primary homework help. Floriade victory gardens, we look at a ww2 adult food ration book. 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. Oct 11, 2017 food grown and produced in australia during world war i was used to provision the nations troops in training and on ships to the theatres of war, and to supply imperial needs on the battlefront, though transport difficulties reduced britains reliance on australian produce from 1916. Coupons and rationing during world war ii dealhack. Food grown and produced in australia during world war i was used to provision the nations troops in training and on ships to the theatres of war, and to supply imperial needs on the battlefront, though transport difficulties reduced britains reliance on australian produce from 1916. Even though i was born in oct of 1941 i had one and what was not used i still have. Pritchards bakery at 108 kings road, chelsea, london, england, uk. The government found it necessary to ration food, gas, and even clothing during that time. The first ration tickets had a currency of six months.
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. More than 8,000 ration boards across the country administered the program. Rationing of food and clothing during the second world war. The small coins introduced in 1944 were used by retailers to give change back for food bought with ration stamps. World war ll ration book printable pdf teaching history. In 1942, five months after december 8, 1941 the united states entered the second world war, book one series were issued. Australians were never as short of food nor rationed as heavily as civilians in the united kingdom. With the onset of world war ii, numerous challenges confronted the american people. When the japanese attacked pearl harbor the question whether america will enter the second world war was over. Americans also coped with rationing and coupon books by engaging in a widespread system of bartering. The overall condition of the booklet as well as the stamps have the biggest impact on the resale value, with a large number of these available on the market. No matter the country, the contents of ww2 rations were similar, including some kind of crackers or biscuits, sweets or chocolates, and cigarettes. May 05, 2011 during world war ii, new zealand had more than enough food to feed itself.
Guide to the world war ii ration coupon collection, 19421946. 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. Unfollow world war 2 ration books to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Everyone had to apply for ration books, which contained a number of coupons. The supply to the united kingdom and the australian and allied services of maximum quantities of foodstuffs necessitated the rationing of sugar. Rationing in australia during world war ii in australia rationing regulations for food and clothing were strictly introduced in mid1942 to manage shortages and control civilian consumption. They were then not allowed to buy any more of it until the following week. 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. Going grocery shopping and cooking may be a chore, but not like it was during world war ii. From time to time, eggs and milk were also rationed under a system of priority for vulnerable groups during periods of shortage. Food rationing appeared in poland after the first world war, and ration stamps were in use until the end of the polishsoviet war.
Ration books, stamps, and tokens an anti hoarding, prorationing poster from the united states in world war ii. With not a single person unaffected by the war, rationing meant sacrifices for all. War ration stamps were a common item, and they are not in high demand as a collectible item, making their value fairly low. The first rationed item was clothing, gazetted on 12 june 1942. Extra goods or luxury items were sold above market price in illegal transactions as a. What is the value of world war 2 ration books with.
Food rationing in britainration booksbuffcoloured ration books were for adultsgreen ration books were for pregnant women and children under five years of agethey were also allowed double egg ration and one pint of milk per dayoranges, when available, were for them alsoblue ration booksthese were for children between five and 16 years of agethey were. 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. How cheaply could a person live on ww2 food rationing. During the war, average calories intake decreased only three percent, but protein intake six percent. It also aimed to curb inflation by reducing consumer spending, hopefully leading to a higher level of savings by the population and greater investment in. Prior to the war most australians ate large quantities of fried food and meat, drank strong tea and enjoyed sweet foods such as cake and biscuits. In 1944 and 1945 different coloured ration books were issued for children 59 years and under 5 years to allow for differential rationing, eg, children under 9 receive no tea ration and only half the adult meat ration, while children under 5 participated in the egg priority scheme.
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