World War II Rationing (WWII, greatest, Britain, 60's)

[El Rhino]

Rationing on the US Homefront during WW II

Stumbled across this page that has some pretty cool info and pics about the rationing system used in the US during the war. An interesting read, I figured someone might be into it. I've always wondered what the rationing was like.

[texdav]

PBS had a series in whcih they had people live like in the past. they actaully had one on a family of four living during WWII. They had a house of that era;ahd to build a bobmb shlter in the backyard. Ration tickets and a typical sotre of the era;had to make blackout curtains. A woman that live druing thsoe time advised them on ho0w to get the most from the food by saving fat grease;using the brtoh form vegatable;growing a garden. hey even had air raid ins[pections of the blasck out. It was very tough and even thou the family wanted to exp[erience it ;they agreed that the typical person was better on welfare now has far as eating.

[El Rhino]

Originally Posted by texdav

;they agreed that the typical person was better on welfare now has far as eating.

There used to be an old lady I would deal with through work who lived in England during WWII and she would always tell me stories about how scarce things were and the things they would have to do in order to make due with what little they had. I've also heard people who lived in Germany during the war talk about how towards the end they pretty much lived off of raw potatoes and paste made from flour and water. If it was tough on Americans I can only imagine what Europe was going through.

[Rob Allen]

My mother still has her family's ration books from the war. She was 10 years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked.

[Trotter67]

Originally Posted by El Rhino

Rationing on the US Homefront during WW II

Stumbled across this page that has some pretty cool info and pics about the rationing system used in the US during the war. An interesting read, I figured someone might be into it. I've always wondered what the rationing was like.

My grandparents told me that during the war they lived on Bread and Dripping.

[texdav]

Yes if you read accounts of the difference between the UK at its worse and the Us there is no comparison.Even after the war it was very tough in the UK still.But of course it was betrter than much of europe. basically europe was bankrupt and actaully even the UK had been for much of the war.Thus lend/lease whcih FDR came up with when wrned by Churchill that they were about broke as a goveranmnt.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by El Rhino

Rationing on the US Homefront during WW II

Stumbled across this page that has some pretty cool info and pics about the rationing system used in the US during the war. An interesting read, I figured someone might be into it. I've always wondered what the rationing was like.

One of the somewhat grimy little secrets of the 'Greatest Generation', to my understanding, is the widespread degree of ration cheating. Evidently it was rampant, though just as evidently not rampant enough to negate the value of the rationing to begin with.

[texdav]

Well look at the world today;and the same cheating charities and even fraudd to get hurricane relief when not effected.There is no lack of cheats in any time in history. But I'd say when your hungary its more understandable.

[TravisW]

It was obviously a lot worse in the European countries fighting against Germany than in the USA...or even the occupied countries for that matter.
My grandpa talked about people selling black market farm machinery during WWII. I remember him talking about buying some illegal tires during the war because everything on the farm was patched and re-patched.

My mom's cousins in Norway worked under a good degree of duress during the war, but they weren't exactly starving. Even so, my mother-in-law remembers being very little and casing eggs in tin cans filled with lard to send to Norway (the lard sealed and kept them edible).

[texdav]

I remember my uncle who was station even after the war in britain talking about the difference in what thier ratio0n were and the comon family.They actually suppied many itewms that the familes could get that they were billeted with. He also spent time in germany which he said was alot worse.Actaully many of the rations for soldier had alot of lard fat put in. These C ration were used into the 60's and i will never forget opening a can of Lima beans with a inch of lard at the top of the can.MRE's are very good in comparison to C rations.