Nostalgia Hit: Dig for Victory

Who Exactly Was Dr Carrot?

The "Dig for Victory" campaign, urged citizens to grow their own food in allotments, fostering self-sufficiency during rationing during WW2. It united communities and symbolized resilience during adversity, leaving a lasting mark on British history.

Schoolboys from Forden (wales) ‘dig for victory’ with their headmaster

At the outbreak of war on 1^st September 1939 Britain imported approximately 70% of her food from overseas, this equated to 20 million tonnes of shipping each year. A large proportion of Britain’s dairy supplies in particular came from Australia, Canada and New Zealand, as well as much of the supply of fresh fruit. There was a well-founded fear that the people of Britain could starve in the face of a German blockade. This harked back to the chronic food shortages of the First World War caused by U-boat attacks on merchant shipping.

Explore the Dig for Victory campaign in our full article.