Transport - London Underground

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSMGsi9WSss

From Metropolitan to Jubillee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSMGsi9WSss

Evolution of the Underground - Geoff Marshall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pMX7EkAhoA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdZd5zYTKAw .

Upper Thames Patrol - LDV

Upper Thames Patrol - Lechlade to Teddington Locks
“Up The Pub” lot

From the very start there were units other than infantry units. Initially these were formed in an unregulated manner and mainly consisted of mounted units and waterborne units, one of the most famous of these being the Upper Thames Patrol.
http://www.home-guard.org.uk/hg/hgfaq.html#faq16

The Upper Thames Patrol guarded the navigable river Thames from Lechlade to Teddington Locks to include the riverbanks a mile and a half into the countryside and most of all to protect the bridges, locks and weirs from sabotage. In order to do this private launches and smaller vessels (with shallower draughts) were commandeered or offered by their owners for the duration. These craft were all numbered according to the area they were to patrol and were kitted out with fighting equipment. They of course had to defend themselves from the odd enemy fighter plane attack. Equally so the volunteers were trained and by the end of the war they were as qualified as any regular soldier. Some more so as they had to know how to handle their boats and operate the locks and weirs. Most of the men were in full employment on reserved occupational duties and were drawn form the farming industry and from factories such as MG and Morris. They had to do a minimum of 7 hours duty a week for which they received one shilling and sixpence (7.5 pence) barely enough to buy two pints of beer in 1940.

Crossing the Thames by bridge is essential when going North to South or vice versa. In terms of defence the protection and indeed destruction of the bridges was equally as important as when the tables turned and we were on the offensive. The Upper Thames patrol was in charge of blowing up the bridges, locks and opening the weirs as a means of defence in case of invasion. The idea being to flood the surrounding planes and therefore bog down any advancing mechanised invasion. Early in 1940 all bridges were heavily protected by cunning roadblock devices and had gun emplacements strategically positioned to counter any attack. Some of these structures are still visible today such as pillboxes and large concrete barriers.

Most Pubs near to the river were commandeered as Headquarters for the group and consequently they became known as the “Up The Pub” lot.

http://www.history-society.org/the-upper-thames-patrol/

V for Victory ~ 41-1-14

.Where does 'V for Victory' come from? - iwm > .

Winston Churchill's War - BBC doc > .

Churchill - tb >> .

Winston's Churchill's V for Victory sign is perhaps one the most iconic of the Second World War. Though it started (July '41) with a simple radio broadcast, the symbol took Europe by storm and became a rallying emblem for those under occupation. 75 years on from VE Day, V stands for far more than Victory, it stands for solidarity, resistance and never giving up.

During World War II, Victor de Laveleye was newsreader for Radio Belgique, a BBC station transmitted to occupied Belgium. In a radio broadcast on 14 January 1941, de Laveleye asked all Belgians to use the letter "V" as a rallying sign, being the first letter of victoire (victory) in French and of vrijheid (freedom) in Dutch. This was the beginning of the "V campaign" which saw "V" graffities on the walls of Belgium and later all of Europe and introduced the use of the "V sign" for victory and freedom. Winston Churchill adopted the sign soon afterwards, though he sometimes got it the wrong way around by displaying the back of his hand, a gesture that is widely used in Great Britain as a lewd and vulgar insult (it means "fυck off").

Waterglass

.Preserving Eggs in Waterglass > .

Waterglass for egg storage

Owing to the shortage of grain, millions of commercially-farmed hens were killed and sold as meat. The chicken-cull led to an egg shortage, so rationing allowed each regular person one fresh egg per week. Expectant mothers and vegetarians were allocated two eggs a week.

People responded by keeping chickens in their back yards. Unrationed eggs came with a price—those who raised chickens forfeited their egg ration. However, this was replaced with a grain ration for their chickens. Many families saved, cooked, and ground vegetable scraps in order to feed backyard chickens.

Eggs could be kept fresher for up to 5 months by immersing in a pail containing waterglass (a liquid mixture of sodium silicate). Stored with the pointy side down in a rack, waterglass sealed the pores of the eggs and prevented bacterial attack.

By July of 1942, powdered eggs were shipped from the United States. The allowance was one tin—equal to 12 fresh eggs—or packet, of dried eggs every two months. Powdered eggs had a long shelf life, and could be rehydrated on a one to two basis: one tablespoon of egg to two tablespoons of water.

modified from: http://thewartimekitchen.com/?p=242
http://thewartimekitchen.com/

Storing Eggs in Waterglass (Na2(SiO2)nO)
https://youtu.be/AwXFnwe2UQc?t=19m00s

Sodium silicate was also used as an egg preservation agent through the early 20th century with large success. When fresh eggs are immersed in it, bacteria which cause the eggs to spoil are kept out and water is kept in. Eggs can be kept fresh using this method for up to five months. When boiling eggs preserved this way, it is well advised to pin-prick the egg to allow steam to escape because the shell is no longer porous.

Boil the water and let it cool before you add the waterglass. Then pour the mixed solution into the crock. Remember not to fill the crock or container too full of the solution because you will be adding eggs so no more than a third full. Add the eggs.
..............
The Ministry of Food leaflet No. 11
This dried egg mixture is pure fresh egg with no additions, and nothing but the moisture taken away. It is pure egg, spray dried. Eggs are a very highly concentrated form of food. They contain first-class body-building material. They also help us to resist colds and other infection because of their high protective properties.

Eggs are easily digested, and for this reason are especially good for children and invalids.

Dried eggs are just as good as fresh eggs, and should be used in the same way. They are very useful for main dishes. Here are some recipes for a variety of appetising dishes in place of meat, fish or cheese and which are particularly suitable for dried egg.

HOW TO RECONSTITUTE DRIED EGG
1 level tablespoonful egg powder + 2 level tablespoonful water equals 1 egg

Mix the egg and water and allow to stand for about five minutes until the powder has absorbed the moisture. Then work out any lumps with a wooden spoon, finally beating with a fork or a whisk.

TREAT LIKE FRESH EGGS
After reconstituting the egg use at once. Do not reconstitute more egg than necessary for immediate use.

METHOD OF COOKING
Use in recipes exactly as fresh eggs, beating as usual before adding to other ingredients.

STORAGE
Keep the egg powder in a tin with a tight fitting lid, and store in a cool place. Do not keep dried egg in a refrigerator.

Welfare State ⇦ WW2

.How WW2 Created a Welfare State - WW2 Homefront > .

In predicament due to the extreme situation of war, people are in dire need for a working system of social security. Therefore, Beveridge is instructed by the British government to draw up a report on the state of the country´s insurance schemes. But in his opinion, a war is no time for patching up a collapsing system – and he is ready to make some waves.

The Beveridge Report, officially entitled Social Insurance and Allied Services (Cmd. 6404), is a government report, published in November 1942, influential in the founding of the welfare state in the United Kingdom. It was drafted by the Liberal economist William Beveridge, who proposed widespread reforms to the system of social welfare to address what he identified as "five giants on the road of reconstruction": "Want… Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness". Published in the midst of World War II, the report promised rewards for everyone's sacrifices. Overwhelmingly popular with the public, it formed the basis for the post-war reforms known as the Welfare State, which include the expansion of National Insurance and the creation of the National Health Service.

The Report offered three guiding principles to its recommendations:

1. Proposals for the future should not be limited by "sectional interests". A "revolutionary moment in the world's history is a time for revolutions, not for patching".
2. Social insurance is only one part of a "comprehensive policy of social progress". The five giants on the road to reconstruction were Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness.
3. Policies of social security "must be achieved by co-operation between the State and the individual", with the state securing the service and contributions. The state "should not stifle incentive, opportunity, responsibility; in establishing a national minimum, it should leave room and encouragement for voluntary action by each individual to provide more than that minimum for himself and his family".

Beveridge was opposed to "means-tested" benefits. His proposal was for a flat rate universal contribution in exchange for a flat rate universal benefit. Means-testing was intended to play a tiny part because it created high marginal tax rates for the poor (the "poverty trap").

The Labour Party eventually also adopted the Beveridge proposals, and after their victory in the 1945 general election, they proceeded to implement many social policies, which became known as the Welfare State. These included the Family Allowances Act 1945, National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Acts 1946 and 1948, National Insurance Acts 1946 and 1949, National Health Service Act 1946, Pensions (Increase) Act 1947, Landlord and Tenant (Rent Control) Act 1949.