Home 1940: The master bedroom
Historian IWM Terry Charman takes us on a tour of the house 1940 The house is a replica of the house where the Hymers family lived for manufacturing 1940, the series of Channel 4 House 2001 replica house was exposed to IWM London until 2011.
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In the living room we see how families spent their free time listening to the radio and phonograph shows that the family also used this piece to sew and knit, having to make do and mend, after the rationing of clothing was introduced in June 1941.
The difference between a modern kitchen and war are highlighted here, particularly the storage of food without a refrigerator and washing machine without washing machine food and also fuel rationing activity affected the Bacon cooking, ham, butter and sugar were the first foods to be rationed in January 1940, with meat goes ration in March 1940.
In this 1945 photograph two women discuss food rationing Behind them we can see a stall of fruits and vegetables fruits and vegetables have never been rationed, but they could be in short supply very little could be imported from abroad and therefore the Britain depended on Home- grown seasonal crops Some food rationing continued in Britain until June1954 in Joyce Henderson audio clip describes how food rationing affected his marriage in March 1944, and how she faces a rationing of clothes.
The Squanderbug first appearance in print ads, but quickly developed a life of its own after use in several models of posters urging people to save for the war effort rather than helping Hitler by squandering their money on goods consumption members of the public have made their own effigies from materials such as paper mache, using them for target practice and in the city's parades led to the symbolic hanging of the creature.
Although fresh fish has never been rationed, he was often rare and expensive fish queues were always long and even air raids could not disperse the supplies were limited as the Royal Navy requisitioned a much of the fishing fleet and the German navy and the air Force restricts the activity of the remaining fleets in the North sea in this Lily Phillips audio clip explains how her mother the black market to supplement their rations, and excitement and inevitable queues when they heard about new products.
The emphasis in this room is the food rationing and Terry Charman takes us through a typical rationed food and how to use a ration book In this room we can also see how the family prepared for air raids, with tape Splinternet on windows and an Anderson shelter in the garden.
The Ministry of Information drawing shows a view several Shelter Morrison It was available from 1941, and has provided a solution for families without garden, which could not build an ARP Wardens Shelter Anderson kept a list of houses that had a Morrison shelter, the rescuer knew they would dig to release the family under the rubble in this audio clip Ron Morrison describes shelter freezing of his family.
In the room boys we discover toys that boys played with toys have become more difficult to obtain than the war continues and companies like Meccano produced weapons instead We also see books with a theme of war that boys read the historian Terry Charman IWM continues explain how nearly two million children were evacuated major cities and towns in September 1939.
In this photo from 1942, a four year old girl is modeling underwear utility His 18s sleeping suit cost in pale blue wool 9d and four clothing ration coupons was introduced in June 1941 the same year utility clothing was introduced to save on labor and materials Council meeting Clothing trade standards were marked with CC41 insignia indicating civilian clothes 41 and is surrounded by toys, including a doll in bed and soft toys 1942 toys were very difficult to buy new and many were handmade.
The toys were in short supply during World War II and many were handmade This pull along toy dog was made by German prisoners of war to the children of the Duke family This was the inspiration for Michael Morpurgo Little Manfred in this audio clip Pamela Leopard described how her father made her a wooden doll pram for Christmas and the difficulty his mother had to get her a doll.
The evacuation of children from towns and cities began on 1 September 1939, but due to the inaction of the Phoney war many returned home quickly enough In June 1940, the government expects the Nazis from invading the Great UK this led to the evacuation of coastal towns such as Southend children in other towns were evacuated once when the Blitz began in September 1940 in this audio clip Derek Milton explains that his mother decided not the evacuate, despite living in Kennington, London.
In the master bedroom, we see a room that was exceptionally twin beds instead of a double Terry Charman explains how menswear clothing rationing affected In 1942, the utility furniture regime UFS was presented and here we see a result of emphasis room service was on the good quality and economic use of materials There were 22 items of essential furniture made in three models and two qualities.
The photograph shows Marcelle Lestrange watching his license furniture utility in March 1943 These permits were introduced in 1942 for newly married couples setting up home and for people who had been bombed second -hand furniture does not need a permit and property were also given for distribution to needy people through voluntary service of women in this audio clip Betty Brown explains how Wrighton Aircraft Factory, where she worked, also made utility furniture.
The 1940 house had both an indoor toilet and bathroom which were still quite unusual at that time many families relied on a tin bath in the kitchen for their weekly bath and the toilet was in the yard rear toiletries such as soap and shampoo were rationed from 1942 was notified every family to have a first aid kit in the bathroom to treat minor injuries from the bombing.
In order to save coal, essential to the war effort, a line of five inches was drawn into the bath This shows the amount of water you've been invited to use the British government has asked people to ration their use warm water to conserve fuel Even the bathroom Buckingham Palace had lines drawn on them in this audio clip Paula Harris explains how people obeyed the instruction to limit the bath water they used, despite being there no way to enforce it, she confesses at once using water warmer than it was allowed.
House 1940 Imperial War Museum, 1940, the house this audio clip.