War Rationing: Milk

1941
Silent
1m

Forthright reminder that children's milk rations are for their wellbeing, not the whole family's.

Don't be a milk snatcher! A stern admonishment not to keep rationed milk from children is the message of this short but persuasive information film, in which young Jimmy cheekily peels back the foil from the bottle and sticks his tongue out in anticipation. Sharing limited supplies and enduring hardships together was part of the wartime spirit, and most families needed little telling to put their children's health first. The small boy's beaming, cherubic face speaks for itself.

Ration Book Britain

As if the bombs weren't enough, wartime Britons faced another fearsome foe: the ration book...

Everyday goods, from food and fuel to clothing, became luxuries - especially with supplies from Britain's Empire territories routinely intercepted by Nazi U-boats. Public information messages urged housewives to get creative with dried eggs and potato peel. Austerity was soul-sapping, and lasted long after the peace was won.

But rationing did help foster a sense of 'all in it together' and focused minds on managing scarce resources (while also creating profitable opportunities for the entrepreneurial 'spiv'). Make-do-and-mend became second nature, and wartime Brits recycled and salvaged more diligently then even today's eco-conscious citizens.