The Years of Rationing
The Years of Rationing
The years of rationing lasted from 1939 to 1954. Faced with the risk of food shortages, rationing was one of the first priorities of the government at the start of World War Two. Over the next few months, more and more foodstuffs were rationed, until 1948 when foods were gradually taken off the ration list.
| 29 September 1939: | The government sest up National Registers and issues identity cards |
|---|---|
| 8 January 1940: | Food rationing begins. Butter, sugar, bacon and ham are the first foods to be rationed. |
| March 1940: | Meat is rationed |
| April 1940: | Lord Woolton becomes Minister of Food. |
| July 1940: | Cheese, cooking fats, margarine and tea are rationed. |
| June 1941: | The distribution of fresh eggs is restricted. |
| August 1941: | Manual workers are given extra cheese rations |
| November 1941: | The government restricts the distribution of milk |
| December 1941: | A vitamin welfare scheme and national milk allowance is introduced. |
| July 1942: | Sweets are rationed. |
| December 1944: | Pensioners are given an additional tea allowance |
| January 1945: | Snoek and whale meat can be bought |
| July 1946: | Bread is rationed |
From 1948 rationing was gradually lifted for some foods. Bread was brought off the ration in July 1948, followed by jam in December of that year. Finally, in June 1954, the rationing of meat was stopped.
See also: National Wheatmeal Loaf
MLA Citation/Reference
"The Years of Rationing". HistoryLearning.com. 2024. Web.