Rationing in Britain

An American commentator looks at the effects of rationing. This film explains what was the weekly ration for a family in wartime Britain. During the First World War Britain introduced rationing at a fairly late stage. In WW2 the government was well aware of the need to conserve food and other supplies because German submarines threatened supply ships coming from Canada and the USA. This film was probably shown in Britain and also in Canada and the USA. In North America, the aim would be to show how Britain was surviving in harsh conditions. Note that the film is realistic but positive in tone. It acknowledges that the rations were slim, but it also points out that every family was guaranteed their rations.

Channel: UK National Archives Video Length: 47s Date Found: Fri, Apr 04 2008 7:41 PM Category: History Date Produced: View Count: 136