Figure 1.--These British boys are eating beside a Ministry of Food--Food Flying Squad van during the Blitz. This was a war-time effort to feed civiliands bombed out by the German Luftwaffe during the Blitz. The photo was issued by the makers of the Wayfarer Raincoat.

The Home Secretary requested the formation of the The Women's Voluntary Service (WVS) as Hitler began to the Sudeten campaign (June 1938) that would lead to the tragic Munich Conference and lay the ground work for World War II. The idea was to utilize women in the defense preparations. The War did not begin in 1938, but women begn preparing for it. The WVS was soon working in all civil defence services, helping evacuees, bombed-out civilians, and others who were made needy by the War. One of the many services were a meals-on-wheels service -- The Food Flying Squad. They distributed food which was usually more wholesome and palatable than many meals produced from rations. The WVS ladies were descriminationg about what they serves. And they often had access to American Lend Lease food for their mobile canteens. The program was run by the Ministry of Food. Providing hot meals for the bombed out and other victims of the War was an important morale booster. With the Luftwffe Blitz, the WVS ladies began a massive communal feeding programme, delivering emergency food supplies in their trailers. THe WVS meals-on-wheels was one of the most admired WVS efforts. They were ready and able to rush hot meals to anyone in Britain by disaster. The program was so successful, that it survived the War to become a permanent British fixture in disaster relief.

Created: 6:36 AM 10/4/2010
Last updated: 11:16 PM 5/27/2013