Rationing At the start of the war people went round panic buying food and hoarding it at home. Some shops sold out of food in days. After the initial panic buying, people settled down into a routine and food wasn’t a problem till the end of 1916. Any area that could grow food was converted to do so – gardens were turned into allotments and chickens were kept on back gardens. Rationing was introduced into Britain at the tail end of World War One, in February 1918 to prevent food shortages.

Ration Books Sugar, meat, butter, cheese and margarine were all rationed. Ration books were issued and everyone had to register with a butcher and grocer.

Questions Can you remember which foods were rationed? What foods would you miss most if you had to live on a ration diet? Describe what food shopping is like today.

The women's land army was first created during World War One. "Fordson tractor with members of British Women's Land Army 1940s" by British Ministry of Information, from Fox Photos.

The Women’s Land Army With so many young men called up for the armed services, there were few farm workers. The government called on women to fill this gap. Women were expected to do all the jobs needed on the farm: running, threshing, ploughing, tractor driving, reclaiming land, drainage etc. The uniform of the WLA was functional. Women who worked on farms got dirty and had to work hard. They wore hats to protect them from the sun, hardwearing boots and overcoats.

Questions What jobs did the women do on the farm? What did women wear whilst they worked? Think about the difference between women's roles today and during World War One.

Entertainment for the Soldiers Concerts were performed at base camps for the soldiers. Most of the concerts mirrored the Pierrot troupes that performed in the music halls and at the end of the pier at seaside resorts. A must for all concerts were songs, especially those in which the troops had the opportunity to join in the chorus. The soldiers needed to laugh and sing as a release from the tensions of trench life. Photo courtesy of BiblioArchives/LibraryArchives @flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence - attribution

Questions What form of entertainment did the soldiers enjoy most? What entertainment do we have today? How is this different from the entertainment during World War One? Would you like to go to the theatre?

Communication Telephones Telephones allowed units on different parts of a WWI battlefield to communicate with each other. The system was reliable as long as the wires remained intact. "L1010257" by 阿德 - originally posted to Flickr as L1010257. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Communications Radio Visual Communication Visual Communication Radio was widely used in WWI. Combatant armies used mobile radio devices capable of transmitting and receiving Morse code, but they were very bulky. Radios were more widely used at sea. Visual Communication The British also used signalling flags to send information. A skilled operator could signal around 12 words a minute. The British army also adapted a paraffin lamp known as a ‘Begbie’ to send messages via Morse code, using a special lens to concentrate the light into a more powerful beam. Visual Communication All major combatant armies in WWI used carrier pigeons to transport messages.

Questions What methods of communication were used in World War One? What methods of communication do we use today? What are the differences between the methods of communication used in WWI and today?