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Even though food was short many people still managed to find a turkey, chicken, duck, goose or pheasant for their Christmas lunch which helped to supplement the endless mountains of carrots and potatoes. As was highlighted with the Dr Carrot advertising campaign the former were supposed to help improve people's night vision and prevent unnecessary accidents in the blackout.
It is a sad fact that many people were killed during the early days of the blackout as a result of walking in front of moving cars.
In the absence of fresh tropical fruits carrots were also used to help flavour cakes. Let out in the cold.
Hitler gets his come-uppance! Father Christmas goes to war in the Christmas Radio Times of M ince pies were always a traditional Christmas treat so housewives made do and improvised.
Share this Share on twitter Share on facebook. Penny marked it as to-read Jan 28, Caroline added it Jun 15, Many children spent Christmas away from home as evacuees. Why did it happen and did British and German soldiers really play football in no-man's land?
It was suggested that mincemeat could go that little bit further if grated or finely diced apple or apple pulp was added to the ingredients. If mincemeat was not available then spices could be added with dried fruit, dates or cooked prunes.
No one ever complained though as there was no sign of a carrot anywhere! People are urged to save, invest and help the war effort even at Christmas! If you were lucky enough to have a Christmas tree then the authorities sternly reminded you that it was inadvisable to use candles on the trees as you never knew when a German bomb might cause an electrical blackout and these candles might be needed.
As for Christmas decorations these were seen as luxury items and not available in the shops. In wartime, finding adequate numbers of postal workers to deal with the influx of extra letters and parcels at Christmas time became more of a problem as many permanent staff members were in the armed services.
There was also less space available to carry mail on the railways, which were needed for transport of troops and munitions. Martin's-in-the-Fields , , by Edmund Knapp.
This drawing shows the interior of an underground canteen under St Martin-in-the-Fields church in London. Canteens like this provided shelter and refreshments for those who had been bombed out of their own homes, or who were working as fire-watchers or on other Air Raid Precautions ARP duties.
Many GIs who were away from home on Christmas welcomed the chance to spend the day with British families. The Americans often brought lavish gifts of food to their hosts, which were gratefully received. This poster was issued by the National Savings Committee, which encouraged saving, discouraged frivolous spending and promoted public investment in the British war effort.
In the weeks before Christmas, men and officers in the Royal Navy often put their practical skills to use by making presents for their families back home. Mrs Devereux and her daughter Jean pull a Christmas cracker in front of their Christmas tree in This photograph is one in a sequence illustrating a YMCA scheme for delivering birthday and Christmas gifts to relatives of troops serving overseas.
The tree in the photograph was bought under the scheme by Trooper Devereux while serving in Italy. His photograph can be seen on the tree. Handmade toy seed drill made as a Christmas gift.
This seed drill is one of a set of farm tools made during the Second World War by an year-old boy for his sister, who had left home to join the Women's Land Army. They were all handmade from recycled materials. The BWRS was an umbrella organisation for many small charities that had sprung up across the United States to provide the British with clothes, food and other types of non-military aid. The BWRS acted as an administrative office and a central receiving depot for money and supplies, which were then distributed to organisations in the US and Britain.
Christmas on the Home Front. By Mike Brown. ISBN: Published: FREE UK Delivery on book orders dispatched by Amazon over £ Christmas on the Home Front Paperback – 1 Dec Mike Brown is an authority on the British Home Front of World War II.
The children in this photograph are creating paper chains, a popular Christmas decoration. In wartime, these would be made from scraps of old paper or painted newspapers. Very few decorations were available to buy in the shops. Monday 8 January