Ministry of Food South Wales Division Divisional Food Officer Edmund Hill-Snook.

£2,250 · Offered by Maggs Bros Ltd

This large map provides valuable insight into one of the under-reported crises of the home-front in World War Two. Britain was a net food importer and this lack of self-sufficiency was placed under enormous stress by Germany’s submarine fleet which targeted both military and civilian shipping from as far away as Canada. Concerns over feeding a population of 50 million were such that in 1940 Whitehall revived the Ministry of Food Control (1916-21) - abbreviating it to Ministry of Food. - under the direction of businessman, Frederick James Marquis, 1st Earl of Woolton (1883-1964). Writing in the year that this map was produced, J.J. MacGregor gives an overview of the operations of the Ministry of Food: it “is in touch with everyone, and its role of applying restrictions and controls is bound to be unpopular and made difficult from time to time. Naturally, the Ministry of Food was concerned with imported as well as home-grown food and it has among its functions the responsibility for food imports, the efficiency of distribution, rationing, and the interests of the consuming public” (MacGregor). Woolton proved more than capable overseeing a bureaucracy of over 50,000, the Ministry set up over 1,000 food distribution centres, and ensured that supplies were protected from enemy action (i.e. bombing) and spoilage, while seeing that the food was well distributed and always available in all parts of the country. His “biggest triumph was getting people to accept rationing as not only n

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