"Food during WW2" Topic

Interesting…

link

Amicalement
Armand

I'm glad to see that they say it was quite popular during the war. It wasn't after the war. Many had a better diet with rationing than before the war as it meant you could get sufficient.

x42

I have read somewhere that that belief is a remnant of wartime propaganda. Something the British government excelled at. The proof being so many outright lies are believed to this day!

The 30s of course had seen the great depression ravage poorer communities across the UK and the world. But if you were poor you could still not afford to buy the full ration even when it was available [and it often was not].

I have even read the Germans ate the best of all combatant nations during WW2 up until mid-late 1944 when they lost France and it's abundance of food supplies.

I can't remember where I read these things and I'm interested if anybody has any that confirm or refute these points.

Skarper That is certainly not as I remember it. Of course I was young and lived on a farm so would not have seen the worst of things but no one I knew ever mentioned not having the money to buy their ration worth of food. Shortage of non ration stuff was complained about but there was essentially full employment so the extreme poverty of the 30s was past.

x42

Interesting point. I would like to get to the bottom of this issue.

My father who was a schoolboy in the war years did remember some problems with money. They sometimes sold their clothing coupons to have money to buy food.

His father was a WW1 invalid and unable to work in many well-paid jobs. His older brothers were in the Army or merchant marine and though I imagine they contributed in the normal working class manner it was probably not consistent. Miraculously none were killed.

There were shortages of off the ration goods and also of rationed goods though this did lessen as the war went on. I'm guessing worst in 1940-43.

Many women were conscripted to undertake war work and lived in 'hostels' with cooking done on a large scale which is less wasteful than individual households.

I'm really looking for statistics and firm data rather than anecdotal evidence, though it's good to hear recollections too.

I suspect you could be on to something, Skarper.

I recall reading that Adolf Galland made a flight somewhere (Cherbourg I think), and flew back to base in his fighter, stuffed with lobsters and champagne. To the victors go the spoils, so I imagine the German Army did eat very well after taking France.

Yep, in the USA there was rationing, and many were quite poor still, after the long, "great depression". Lots of limits on various, common food items.

My mom said they had to turn in aluminum toothpaste tubes in order to get more, things were so tight. Citizens were also encouraged to turn in pots and pans to aid the war effort, since demand for metals was very high.

An uncle came back from Germany after the war, with German, and/or Nazi flags. They cut those up to make clothing, since fabric was rather scarce and expensive too.

Dear Skarper…by memory … about an interesting book that explained what and how much Germany "imported" from their occupied countries … I clearly remember that France had a high level of calorie income and very good food … even in its Restaurants (My relatives there have confirmed it to me) … in Germany … they lived very well talking about food until the end of 1944 … NOT IN THE RUSSIAN FRONT … where the merchandise did not arrive in the same way … last months of war were bad (not inside the country … only in the big capitals) … and France was always hitting well …There are several testimonies of GI that were so surprised by how well fed the French civilian population looks like … also in Holland and Belgium …

Amicalement
Armand

The situation in Belgium became ludicrous. The Belgian fishing fleet was given a ration of petrol to sail and catch fish. After three years of war the seas were so full of fish they were holding up white flags to be carried out of the water and taken to Belgium.

The influx of herring became a most welcome addition to the menu in the first few weeks, then months. People tried everything to make it taste differently, but at some point people were starting to give away their due ration of herring.

Some of the wartime generation refused to eat herring ever again, disgusted till the day they died, include some family friends and relatives.

Interesting… thanks!.

Amicalement
Armand

Yes country folks in the south grew most of what they could eat. My great grand parents even grew sugar cane along the creek. The one thing my father hated cutting. Dresses and play shirts were made from flour sacks which even began to be printed with flowers and designs. Raising their own chickens and pigs allowed for a lot of meat. Canning veggies and preserves also increased their food supply.
Rationing mainly affected gas and tobacco.

Many do not know … that incredibly much more hunger was suffered in Spain (that "officially" did not participate in ww2) than in occupied countries such as France, Czechoslovakia or Romania …

No problem there with tobacco….

Amicalement
Armand

My dad said in the US during long distant train travel servicemen were served in the dinning car while civilians only got box meals at their seats.