I love studying for a history test with my son. I like it more than he does! Recently, we were studying for a test on World War II, and he had a question about rationing. It was the perfect time to show him a prized piece of our family history. Before my Granddaddy died, he gave me his World War II Ration Book. What a treasure to show my son! It aided his learning in a special way, and he got a great grade on the test.
Afterward, I did some more in-depth studying for myself on the subject. During the war, food and other items were limited due to several reasons, including the physical needs of our soldiers, supply and demand challenges, and the economy. In particular, the demand for materials, such as tin cans, skyrocketed. Tin cans were needed to package food for our military. The ingredients for this food also put a huge demand on many common items, such as meat, chocolate, and coffee. I’m glad that our soldiers still got some chocolate!
Moreover, supply disruptions created more problems. Sugar, cooking oil, and coffee were all in limited quantities as civilian cargo vessels used to ship these items became military transport vessels and as shipments from other countries were curtailed by enemy submarine attacks. Japan also cut the US off from key supply locations as they captured new areas, such as the Philippines, which completely deprived the US of its main sugar supplier.
To further complicate the issue, farmers and agricultural workers were drafted into the army. Many also moved from the farms to industrial centers to work. All these things combined greatly threatened America’s food supply.
One solution was rationing. The Office of Price Administration monitored the country’s supply, demand, and economy to determine which items to ration, to set ceiling prices on items, and to allocate available supply. Volunteer rationing boards managed the process at the local level.
Rationing books were distributed, and individuals had to produce the correct ration stamps or coupons plus the cost of the item, which was capped at a ceiling price, to purchase an item. The ration books were also date-based to discourage hoarding and overspending. To add more confusion, foods were rationed on the point system as supply and demand constantly shifted. As a result, items in high demand but low availability needed more points than items that were more available and in less demand. Point changes were publicized in newspapers and on radio. Coffee and sugar had their own specific coupons as their ration amounts were stable. Think you’ve figured it out?
Sugar was the first and last item to be rationed. At the beginning of the war, each person was allotted 26 pounds of sugar per year, which was about 8 oz. per week. At the end of the war in 1945, the per person ration fell to 4.5 oz. per week. To manage, many turned to alternatives to sweeten their foods, such as maple syrup, corn syrup, and fruits.
Coffee was another popular rationed food, but it wasn’t rationed nearly as long as sugar. Individuals could purchase one pound of coffee every five weeks, which was reduced to one pound every six weeks. To extend their coffee, many brewed the same coffee multiple times and reheated leftover coffee.
Processed foods that were canned, frozen, dried, or pre-packaged were heavily rationed. Over 300 items were rationed to save scarce metals that were needed for tin cans and preserve food for the military. The blue stamps in ration books two through four were used for processed foods. Each person was given 48 blue points per month.
Other processed foods included cheese, canned milk, fats, and meat. Red stamps were used for these. Each person was allotted 64 red stamps each month. Beef had some of the highest point values, and Americans quickly learned new recipes and ways to stretch meat ration points in soups, stews, and casseroles. Poultry and eggs were not rationed.
Throughout the war, five ration books were printed, but the war ended before the fifth was distributed. The ration book I have of my grandfather’s is the fourth one. This book has four color stamps: red stamps for meat, blue and green stamps for a variety of processed foods, and black spare stamps for future changes. He used a good many green and red stamps, but still had lots of stamps available when the war ended. What a privilege to hold a piece of history from a person so special to me!
If you want to learn even more about war-time rationing and watch some instructional and now humorous videos, visit the National Park Service’s website at https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/food-rationing-on-the-world-war-ii-home-front.htm.
"To begin her meeting she had called for a rations swap, which all of the women eagerly engaged in. Myrtle smiled down at her extra meat rations as Victoria silenced the chattering group."
Songbird, Chapter 16
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