Munitions and Salvaging

Urgent Demand for Increased Effort in Salvage, page 1
Urgent Demand for Increased Effort in Salvage, page 1
Great Britain Ministry of Information: Daily Press Notices and Bulletins, No. 15: August 12, 1943
Urgent Demand for Increased Effort in Salvage, page 2
Urgent Demand for Increased Effort in Salvage, page 2
Great Britain Ministry of Information: Daily Press Notices and Bulletins, No. 15: August 12, 1943
More Paper Being Wasted
More Paper Being Wasted
Great Britain Ministry of Information: Daily Press Notices and Bulletins, No. 20: October 5, 1942
“See How Your Salvage Helps a Bomber”
“See How Your Salvage Helps a Bomber”
Uses of salvage for a British bomber.
“Up Housewives and at ‘Em!”
“Up Housewives and at ‘Em!”
Housewives were asked to increase the saving of their household scrap which could be recycled to make armaments.
“Make Do and Mend”
“Make Do and Mend”
Make Do and Mend was a pamphlet that became an essential guide meant to provide housewives with useful tips and advice on how to deal with clothes rationing.

The production of new, technologically advanced weapons and equipment was obviously paramount in fighting World War II. Aircraft, ships, tanks, and other munitions needed to be produced as quickly as possible. The output of these munitions was a common theme throughout the MOI’s propaganda machine by emphasizing the strength of the British Armed Forces and their ability to counter the weapons being produced by Germany.

Unfortunately, the majority of the materials needed to build and fuel the British Military were imported overseas, enabling German submarines and aircraft to destroy supplies, thus weakening the supply chain. The government felt that self-sufficiency would be the key. In response, the MOI created a campaign urging the populace to salvage any and all material including metal, cloth, bone, and wood, giving the civilian people a role to play in the defense of the country.