This First World War poster, issued in April 1917, emphasises the importance of the contribution of housewives to the war effort.
Britain was heavily dependent on imported food and supplies were threatened by the German submarine campaign. The situation reached critical proportions in the spring of 1917, when one in four merchant ships heading for Britain were sunk by U-boats, and serious doubts were expressed about the country's ability to feed its citizens and continue the war. It was only when Prime Minister David Lloyd George insisted on the introduction of the convoy system that losses diminished significantly.
The need for economy in the use of food and the avoidance of waste were impressed upon citizens with ever greater urgency as the war dragged on. Leaflets were distributed with recipes using simple ingredients and local celebrities were asked to publicise their own ways of economising. Rationing was finally introduced in 1918.
Reference: First World War posters drawer
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
convoy system, First World War, food supplies, housewives, merchant ships, posters, rationing, recipes, submarines, U-boats, women
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