Rationing for the war in the united states began in 1942 and ended in 1946. 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. To meet this surging demand, the federal government took steps to conserve crucial supplies, including establishing a rationing. What is the value of world war 2 ration books answers. Digital collection wwii war ration book 4 american centuries. Sorry the video was a bit longer, there was just so much to fit in. 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. Rationing is a vital part of your countrys war effort. Search this index of over 11210 wartime records with images. In the late 1940s the conservative party exploited and incited growing public anger at rationing, scarcity, controls, austerity and government bureaucracy. The army and navy were growing, as was the nations effort to aid its allies overseas. During world war ii, the war caused a shortage of many items that people used on a daily basis. Food rationing lasted for 14 years in britain, from 1940 until 1954.
War ration books two, three, and four contained blue stamps for processed foods and red stamps for meat, cheese, and fats. Identification of item, in the world war ii ration coupon collection, 19421946, david m. Jan 31, 20 antique world war ii ration books are not rare,antiques expert larry cox answers readers questions about world war ii ration books, blakely china and commemorative coins. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Specialized private collectors may pay a little more for unused books in mint condition. This shows how scarce food was at the time and how the government controlled and tried to improve conditions at and after the great depression. The first card, war ration card number one, became known as the sugar book, for one of the commodities americans could purchase with their ration card.
Eventually, most foods were covered by the rationing system with the exception of fruit and vegetables. Every american was issued a series of ration books during the war. World war 2 ration books the war ration was not very high. 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. Background search genealogists are always in search of new record sources when confronted with a brick wall. Civilians first received ration books war ration book number one, or the sugar book on 4 may 1942,11 through more than 100,000 schoolteachers, pta groups, and other volunteers. Note the first stamps in war ration book one will be used for the purchase of sugar. I have looked all over the internet and have found explanations of how the rationing work during the way. Distributed may 20, 1943 the coupons used for food and other commodities. During world war ii these items were hard to come by. It caused a shortage of not only food but rubber, metal, clothing and more.
Each stamp authorized a purchase of rationed goods in the quantity and time designated, and the book guaranteed each family its fair share of goods made scarce, thanks to the war. The war ration stamps are very common and the demand for them in the collectors circle is not very high. During christmas 1945 she is stationed in the netherlands, and the fighting is thick in the battle of the bulge. Each person received 64 red stamps each month, providing 28 ounces of meat and 4 ounces of cheese per week. 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. At an auction less than a week later, i found another group of ration books for a family with children. Chief among these alterations was the introduction of food rationing in 1942. Civilians first received ration bookswar ration book number one, or the sugar bookon 4 may 1942, through more than 100,000 schoolteachers, pta groups, and other volunteers 7. Any member of the family may use all the familys ration books. Curatorial has many ration booklets and stamps, but our education department is still looking for ration books. Guide to the world war ii ration coupon collection, 19421946. The ministry of foods carefully formulated diet is generally believed to have improved the nations health. War ration book one ration coupons on the home front. It began after the start of ww2 with petrol and later included other goods such as butter, sugar and bacon.
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. As a matter of fact, when a gallup poll on march 5, 1943, asked americans, do you understand how the food point rationing system works. Each page is separate so you can include what you need. I was given 6 war ration books with most of the stamps still in them. 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.
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 10, 2019 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. Ration books were given to everyone in britain who then registered in. Living off rations with ration book cooking day one. What is the value of world war 2 ration books with. Meat was the last item to be derationed and food rationing ended completely in 1954. Each stamp was illustrated with a military symbol such as a naval ship, airplane, tank, gun, horn of plenty or. A wide variety of commodities were rationed during world war ii in the united states. World war ii put a heavy burden on us supplies of basic materials like food, shoes, metal, paper, and rubber. Making an exception to my pre1922 only rule, here are some high quality scans of u.
I have wwii ration books 14 and would like to know what each stamp allowed you to buy. Monday, january 31, 2011 by sarah sundin what could be more american than hershey bars, homemade cookies, and birthday cake. I was on ebay for 15 years with a 120,000 feedbacks with 100% positive. Common world war ii donations the national wwii museum. Food rationing during world war 2 primary homework help. Civilians still needed these materials for consumer goods as well. The first two images explain how ration books were to be used. It was not until the early 1950s that most commodities came off the ration. Do you remember the items that were rationed during world. Americans also coped with rationing and coupon books by engaging in a widespread system of bartering. War ration book two ration coupons on the home front, 1942.
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. 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. Canadian war ration books food rationing in canada 19421947. A common ration book fraud was the ration books of the dead being kept and used by the living. Ration books were exceedingly valuable to american consumers during the war, and people even. Home front coupons, rare book, manuscript, and special collections library, duke university.
A world war 2 ration book template containing 12 pages and a front and back cover. Find out more about what this space is all about here. This book still has 3 full pages of stamps, one page has 2 stamps used,gone and it. Guide to the world war ii ration coupon collection, 1942. World war ll ration book printable pdf teaching history. 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.
They usually contain patriotic messages about their part in the war effort. Each family member was issued a ration book and the family pooled all the stamps to purchase the items they needed, or could get, that particular week with the stamps. The small coins introduced in 1944 were used by retailers to give change back for food bought with ration stamps. Lot of wwii war ration books coupons and military book united states pa duran.
Shortly after the commencement of world war two, rationing was introduced in canada on january 24, 1942, to limit the use of imported food and to free up supplies for the military and their allies. Coupons and rationing during world war ii dealhack. Americans received their first ration cards in may 1942. The opas main responsibility was to place a ceiling on prices of most goods, and to limit consumption by rationing. War ration books were produced by the united states office of price administration in 1942 when united states officially entered the second world war. 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. 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. Jun 10, 2011 even though the war officially came to an end in 1945, rationing continued in canada late in the 1940s due in part to the fact that canada was shipping a lot of food and other goods to help out in post war europe, with the last ration book being issued in september 1946. Rationing was an attempt to keep prices low and to give everyone a chance to get scarce items.
War ration books and tokens were issued to each american family, dictating how much gasoline, tires, sugar. Coffee by november 29, 1942, stamps 1928 in book one were designated as coffee stamps. Ration stamps became a kind of currency with each family being issued a war ration book. Many of the processed or canned foods were sent to the military and transportation of fresh more. 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. May 22, 2015 going grocery shopping and cooking may be a chore, but not like it was during world war ii. The paper stubs, or stamps, in each ration book purchased rationed consumer goods and foods. 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.
In where treetops glisten, my main character, meredith, is a nurse on the war front. Bread, which was never rationed during wartime, was put on the ration in july 1946. This book is your governments guarantee of your fair share of goods made scarce by war, to which the stamps herein will be assigned as the need arises. Bakeries, ice cream makers, and other commercial users received rations of about 70% of normal usage. Records from war ration books for genealogy world war two. 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 most common war ration book material is cotton. War ration book two ration coupons on the home front. Food rationing and canning in world war ii national. Ration book four was printed in red, blue and green.
Canadian war ration books food rationing in canada 1942. Print or photocopy onto coloured card and staple together. Jan 25, 2012 a familys ration books from world war ii. Please do not be deceived by my low feedback score. Each stamp was worth 1 lb of sugar and was given a. The ration books contained removable stamps good for certain rationed items, like sugar. The events on december 7, 1941 catapulted the united states into world war ii.
We are seeking ration book covers manufactured by private companies such as banks and others. Rationing experience from one of the visitors to our website. New listing world war ii ration books, fuel ration cards, stamps. Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, or services, or an artificial restriction of demand. Did you scroll all this way to get facts about war ration book. Initially used to ration sugar, coupons were later designated for other products. Ration book four also introduced red and blue cardboard tokens, each valued at onepoint, to be used as change for ration coupon purchases. Unfollow world war 2 ration books to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. The countrys entrance into the war meant many changes on the home front.
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. Background paper contains stylized great seal and the phrase u. Certificate of book holder i, the undersigned, do hereby certify that 1 have observed all the con. Rationing in the us was introduced in stages during world war ii. War ration stamps were a common item, and they are not in high demand as a collectible item, making their value fairly low.
This meant families were only allowed a small amount each. Sugar and sweets were so limited mom and her siblings used to chew on candle wax and other inedible things. Rationing ended when supplies were sufficient to meet demand. 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.
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