Figure 1.--Here younger primry school children are participating in a gardening lesson. It looks like the teachers have gotten than interested. Not only did many schools set up gardens, but the interested sozarked probably encouraged parents to set up home gardens. The photograph was taken during the Battle of Britain (Augusy 1940). We do not know where the school was, but the childre may have witnessed aerial combat during theuir garden lessons. .

Schools played an imprtant role on the British home front. Several different areas were involved. And one of those was food, a major concern for British officials. The primary purpose of the German effort was to starve Britain out. Britain was so dependentb of imprted food, that cutting off its Atlantic life line to America and Canada would have foorced Brtain out of the War. The older children at school were a potential labor force which could be mobilizxed at imortabnt times, especially harvest times. And gh evacuatiin of school children to the countryside mean that nmanhy were where the labor was needed. Another important food role was education. Many schools had gardening programs. This not only produced a little needed food, but meant that the children could help more in home gardening projecs and even encourage mom and dad to get with the program and create a home garden. Schools also played a role in ensuring good nutrition. They were a way of ensuting the yiunger children got the food that they needed. And schools began offering lunches, which the British called dinners. The general assessment is that they were not all that appealing, but they were nutritional. Schools lunches cintuinued to expand in the austrity period after the War. They were welcomed by many mums because they were off ration food, like British Restaurants, canteens and other restaurants.

Food Production

England was one of the most heavily indutrialized countries in he world. As it industrialized, it lost the ability to feed itself. England had a healthy agricultural sector, but no way large enough to supply the enormousquantity of food needed by the county's growing population. England needed to nimpprt the food it needed to survive. In normal times, thiswas not a problem. Many other countries produced the agriculturl products England needed. Britain was aading nation and had the world's largest merchant marine that carried goods to and from England. But in two terribnle world wars this was a weakness. Both times, the Germans attempted to cut Britain's maritime lifelines to force England out of the war. England did everything posible to maintain and even increase food production. Young women volunteered to be land girls, replacing farm laborers drafted for militay service. Special provisions were made to provide farmers the equipment, supplies, petrol, and other needed imports. But even with all the needed support, England needed food imports in huge quantities. This had to comefrom Americand Canada. Imprting food from other countrues would have rquired far greater shipping.

Battle of the Atlantic

The United States was the one indispebsable country in World War II. The American arsenal of democracy provide the weaponry and munitions needed to fight the War, both for the American forces and for America's allies. Unless he Allies won the Battle of the Atlantic, America's enormous industral might could not be brouht to bear on the Germans. Britain had the largest merchant marine in the world, but it was inadequate to both bring in militry supplies to Britain as well as to meet the needs of Britih forces in the Middle East and Far East. hipping would prove to be the primary constraint on Allied operations during te War. America and Canada also had a huge agriculural sector that could provide England the food it needed as long as the sea lanes were kept open. The Battle of the Atlantic would be the longest and most crucial campaign of the War. It was the Ostheer that tore the heart out of the Deutsche Wehrmacht, but the Soviets were only a slightly smaller treat to the Western democracies. The German Navy had planned to use surface shipping to cut England's life lines. That expectation had to be reevaluated as the Royal Navy began inking the surface raiders and ended with the sinking of Bismarck (March 1941). It would be the U-boats that would be the primary threat.

Schools

Schools had an important part to play in Britain's war effort. The evacuation effort was organized around the schools. One of the most important roles the schools played was in the area of food. Schools were instrumental in promoting food awareness among the children and helping them adapt to the challenges posed by World War II. The government provided school meals to ensure children received nutrition meals despite food shortages. Meals were often based on rationed items and emphasizing the use of locally sourced and seasonal produce. Schools were used to increase food production. Schools participated in community gardening projects. Of course the quantities involved were limited, but every little bit helped, reducing the shipping tonnage that had to be imported through U-boat infested waters. There were three ideas here. First, schools could actually produce food. Boarding schools could produce much of the food the school needed. City schools with less land had more limited capabilities. Second, by training children at school,they could help support home gardening. The older children at school were a potential labor force which could be mobilized at important times, especially harvest times. And the evacuation of school children to the countryside mean that many where where the labor was needed. Third, Another important food role was education. Many schools had gardening programs. This not only produced a little needed food, but meant that the children could help in the more important home gardening projects and even encourage mum and dad to get with the program and create a home garden. Fourth, the schools could also impart nutritious eating habits and basic cooking skills meaning that families could make better use of what food was available. Children learned to appreciate the value of food and the importance of minimizing waste.

Eating Habits

Teachers could help promote Government advertising campaigns like Potato Pete and Dr. Carrot--both major campaign aimed at British kids. We are not all that sure how much that helped, but surely it did not hurt. We suspect that older kids who knew what candy was were not impressed. Given that war and rationing were in effect for a decade, the younger children were not fully aware of what they were missing. The kids and adults did not have a lot of options. Ice cream and sweets were virtually unavailable and very rare treats for British kids during the War and even after the War. Sugar was strictly rationed. This was because sugar was for the most part imported from Brazil and the Caribbean. At shipping was at first desperately needed to counter the NAZI threat. The whole purpose of the U-boat offensive was to starve Britain and force it out of the War. Thus the British cut back on non-essential imports. And one of those was sugar. Even after the U-boat threat was defeated, shipping was the single most serious constraint to the Allied war effort. The British never went hungry, but their diet became rather boring. And a major reason for this was the lack of sugar. Sugar provides calories, but little in terms of nutritional value. For 6 years of the War, the kids were out of luck for what was very important to any kid--their sweet tooth. Unfortunately for British kiddies, sweets didn't finally go off ration until well after the War (1949). When this finally happened, there was of course long queues outside candy stores as kids rushed with their pennies to buy candy. Ironically, German kids got access to candy before British kids and way after French and Italian kids. The reason was the Labour Party's rush to turn Britain into a Socialist utopia. We see images of British kids chowing down on carrots and other foods instead of sweets. Younger children had not real idea of just what candy was, but very quickly learned.

Nutrition

Schools also played a role in ensuring good nutrition. They were a way of ensuting the younger children got the food that they needed., especially milk. And schools began offering lunches, which the British called dinners. The general assessment is that they were not all tha appeakling, but they were nutritional. Schools lunches continued to expand in the austrity period after the War. They were welciomed by many mums because they were off ration food, like British Restaurants, canteens and other restaurants. While meals were on the dull side. Actually in terms of nutrition, British diets were more healthy than before and after the War. During the Blitz, began developing radar technology to shoot down German bombers at night. To keep the secret we were told that RAF pilots had sharp eyes becaue they were fed exrtra rations of carrots. We doubt if the Luftweaffe was fooled, but it does seem to have impressed manyschool children.

Created: 7:46 PM 4/25/2023
Last updated: 2:29 AM 6/19/2025