Some materials from this collection have been digitized and are viewable from within this collection guide. The war ration stamps are very common and the demand for them in the collectors circle is not very high. Aided by the discovery of a large body of wartime british government intelligence reports this volume helps to further unravel the mysteries of the wartime german food industry. To meet this surging demand, the federal government took steps to conserve crucial supplies, including establishing a rationing. Ration books were used during world war ii for identification, and to control the amount of food and certain goods allowed per person.
War ration book two ration coupons on the home front, 1942. Many of the commodities we take for granted today were in short supply during world war ii, because of the needs of us soldiers fighting overseas. With the onset of world war ii, numerous challenges confronted the american people. Each book was numbered, and the stamps inside controlled peoples consumption of things like food, gasoline and even clothing. This article may feature affiliate links to amazon or other companies, and purchases made via these links may earn us a small commission at no additional. Four different series of war ration books were issued. Rationing was an attempt to keep prices low and to give everyone a chance to get scarce items. By the end of that year, sugar was the only commodity still being rationed. World war ii ephemera wwii war ration books acorn signal enemy. You see, the war caused shortages of all sorts of things. World war ii ration books, 194345 indiana historical society. 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.
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. Ration books world war ii 1943 1945 description this small collection consists of world war ii ration books and related information issued between 1943 and 1945. Plenty of other goods remained in short supply for months after the war, thanks to years of pentup demand. This meant families were only allowed a small amount each.
I think this was the first time in united states history that a rationing system was instituted hence ration book one and i was around to get one of them. Dec 01, 2011 making an exception to my pre1922 only rule, here are some high quality scans of u. Make offer world war ii 1943 ration book four wstamps pennsylvania b. World war ii ration book three stamps these are the world war ii ration stamp books of young william walton smith jr. Unfollow world war 2 ration books to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. World war ii ration book museum of american finance. It has my age, height and weight listed on the cover. 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. This new book is the followon work to the authors wellreceived rations of the german wehrmacht in world war ii. 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. This ration book belonged to luella runck of oxford, indiana. Background paper contains stylized great seal and the phrase u. 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.
Because of rations imposed during the war, those who remained on the home front were encouraged to cut back on certain things. I am writing a book on the scottish part of the second world war and i remember that the ration books had different coloured pages. Lavishly illustrated with over 600 photographs and over 200 charts, wartime advertisements and other educational aids, it represents the most accurate and detailed look at the rations provided to the german soldier in world war ii. World war ll ration book printable pdf teaching history. During world war ii, by contrast, inflation was much less of a problem, even though the federal reserve monetized turned into money 10% of the rapidly growing national debt by buying treasury bonds en masse to keep their prices up and their yields down.
The ministry of foods carefully formulated diet is generally believed to have improved the nations health. Rationing was not only one of those ways, but it was a way americans contributed to the war effort. Because of rations imposed during the war, those who remained on the home front were encouraged to cut back on certain. When i was growing up, some of my favorite things that my grandma would whip up in the kitchen were the things she remembered from her childhood the era of world war ii. A person could not buy a rationed item without also giving the grocer the right ration stamp. Each stamp in each set of letters has the number 1, 2, 5 or 8. If your war ration book one was issued to you on application by a member of your family, the number of stamps torn from the books of the family was based on the amount of sugar owned by the family, and was divided as equally as possible among all the books.
As world war ii came to a close in 1945, so did the governments rationing program. Interestingly, the ration books issued during world war two attempted to capture these items. Civilians still needed these materials for consumer goods as well. Guide to the world war ii ration coupon collection, 19421946. Cards indicating ration points required for various canned foods helped americas wartime. But it was the shortages of various types of food that affected just about everyone on a daily basis.
Making an exception to my pre1922 only rule, here are some high quality scans of u. The government found it necessary to ration food, gas, and even clothing during that time. Civilians first received ration bookswar ration book number one, or the sugar book on 4 may 1942, through more than 100,000 schoolteachers, pta groups, and other volunteers 7. This new ration book, replacement for present books when their stamps are used up, will be distributed during the early summer. Records from war ration books for genealogy world war two. My world war ii ration book i think this was the first. A bas relief panel on the world war ii memorial in washington, d. Ration stamps of world war ii eastern illinois university. Make offer world war ii ephemera wwii war ration books acorn signal enemy equipment form. Here at home during world war ii, americans were required to ration some items to ensure that troops on the front lines would have everything they needed to win the war. Parents are responsible for the safekeeping and use of their childrens war ration book. War ration book two ration coupons on the home front. This is an original world war ii united states ration book, printed in 1943. During world war ii rationing was designed primarily to distribute scarce goods reasonably equitably.
In order to conserve strategic war materials, rationing of commonplace items was instituted in 1942. 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. During the second world war, americans were asked to make sacrifices in many ways. In the united states, nationwide food rationing was instituted in the spring of 1942, and each member of the family was issued ration books by the office of price administration opa. The office of price administration opa was in charge of rationing consumer goods such as sugar, coffee, shoes, household appliances, and other goods during world war ii. Oct 06, 2018 here at home during world war ii, americans were required to ration some items to ensure that troops on the front lines would have everything they needed to win the war. 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. Records from war ration books for genealogy world war.
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. Rationing is a vital part of your countrys war effort. Every american was issued a series of ration books during the war. World war 2 ration books the war ration was not very high. Rationing was regulated by the office of price administration and ration books holding stamps used for purchasing goods were distributed to all citizens. 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. The ration books contained removable stamps good for certain rationed items, like sugar, meat, cooking oil, and canned goods. War ration book of diana mujica, an elevenyearold puerto rican girl, ca. World war ii ration books bridgeport history center. 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.
What is the value of world war 2 ration books answers. World war ii put a heavy burden on us supplies of basic materials like food, shoes, metal, paper, and rubber. Canadian war ration books food rationing in canada 19421947. A person reaches for a can of orange juice from a grocery shelf during world war ii, february 1943.
Canadian war ration books food rationing in canada 1942. Get the best deals on war ration book when you shop the largest online selection at. The army and navy were growing, as was the nations effort to aid its allies overseas. During the revolution, the civil war and world war i, inflation ran well into double and at times even triple digits. Guide to the world war ii ration coupon collection, 1942. With not a single person unaffected by the war, rationing meant sacrifices for all. I have a world war ii ration book and wonder if you could help me find out what the stamps were to be used for.
I dont remember anything connected with rationing, but i do remember helping my mom prepare tin cans for recycling for the war effort. Jul 28, 2010 this book is the definitive reference on the topic. Booklets were consolidated from diverse donations in the past. World war ii ration book three stamps history activities. The value of a war ration book 3 is usually somewhere. In where treetops glisten, my main character, meredith, is a nurse on. This book is the definitive reference on the topic. Could you tell me what each colour represented and also the actual daily limits of the actual product e. The war ration stamps are very common and the demand for them in the collectors circle is. This book is the property of the united states government. What is the value of world war 2 ration books with. These little 6x4inch books were printed with tiny stamps representing points, and were a kind of currency with an expiration date. It contains four pages of point stamps, similar to the point stamps in war ration book 2, though slightly different in design and printed in. Ask anyone who remembers life on the home front during world war ii about their strongest memories and chances are they will tell you about rationing.
There are pages of stamps about the size of postage stamps. Ration books of world war ii arizona historical society. So, citizens back home were given a series of ration books. There is no date but my age at the time was 18 september 1943september 1944. 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. I do not know anything else about this young man, or what became of him. May 22, 2015 going grocery shopping and cooking may be a chore, but not like it was during world war ii. 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.
Examples of books 1 through 4 are represented with many different names associated with the booklets. During the second world war, you couldnt just walk into a shop and buy as much sugar or butter or meat as you wanted, nor could you fill up your car with gasoline whenever you liked. On august 15, 1945, world war ii gas rationing was ended on the west coast of the united states. The mechanics of the rationing programs changed over time but remained replete with red tape, including coupons, certificates, stamps, stickers, and a changing point system. 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. Lavishly illustrated with over 600 photographs and over 200 charts, wartime advertisements and other educational aids, it represents the most accurate and detailed look at the rations provided to. Going grocery shopping and cooking may be a chore, but not like it was during world war ii.
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