The most fundamental need of any society is a reliable food supply. During WW2, every combatant nation introduced some form of rationing - but that was only the start of the business of keeping the population fed. From substitute ingredients and ersatz recipes to digging-up golf courses and football pitches to increase agricultural output – we see the memories of those who queued, scrounged and dug for victory.

Total war extends the battlefields – in the Second World War, for the first time, civilian casualties far outnumbered those of military personnel. And a significant proportion of those casualties were victims of the bombing campaigns waged by both sides. What was the effect of living through “the Blitz”, what precautions were taken, what forms of shelter were constructed? We hear and see stories of the evacuation of children and the organization of home defense.