Demobilising troops

These Long Shadows is set between the surrenders of Germany and Japan. The British are technically still at war with the Japanese. However, that war ‘in the Far East’ (as they called the Pacific theatre) is far away from Europe, removed from daily life. The task of demobilising (standing down) many thousands of personnel needed for the war effort was daunting. It hadn’t been done particularly well after WWI, so the government was under pressure not to repeat those mistakes. The British armed forces developed a system to decide the order in which they would stand men and women down which took into account age and length of service. I relied heavily on Alan Allport’s Demobbed: Coming Home after the Second World War for details on the technical aspects of this and Julie Summers Stranger in the House for the social ones. In the end, Jonty received an early medical discharge…after everything I put him through, he deserved it.

Rationing in England after the Second World War

It seems impossible to believe, but food rationing actually got worse for the people of Britain after the war. This was because after the war, Britain had many more mouths to feed and no more loans from the US. In fact, the British had loans to repay. I don’t touch on the food rationing as much as I was planning to in this book (although I managed to work it into The Light Keeper’s Wife.) Fabric and textile rationing and repurposing was important. There are plenty of examples of underwear made from silk RAF escape maps in museums, and garments made from parachute silk in museums today. 

The ‘make do and mend’ philosophy was also very strong, even in Australia. This dress, on display at the Australian War Memorial, shows is of a wedding dress made entirely from lining material.

The Polish Air Force

I have been looking for a way to work the Polish Air Forces into a book and found it in the character of Jan Delovski. The Polish pilots of 303 Squadron were in exile, evacuated from their country when the Germans and Soviets invaded, first to France and then to Britain. They were thought inferior to British pilots and forced into extra training. In fact, they were highly skilled. They were only allowed to fly in the final stretch of the Battle of Britain. They took to the sky with fresh energy, talent and passion. Ultimately, these pilots were a deciding factor in defeating the Luftwaffe in that decisive battle. Sadly, because Poland was under Soviet control after the war (and the Soviet Union was the post-war enemy), these men were not allowed to march in any of the victory celebrations. 

Assisted passage to Australia

After the war, the Australian Government really did offer passage to Australia from England for ten pounds per adult. The idea was part of a mantra that Australia needed to ‘populate or perish’. The scheme stayed in place for decades. These migrants became (affectionately) known as Ten Pound Poms. The idea was floated towards the end of the war, but the first migrants didn’t arrive until 1947, due to disruption and delays.

Have you got any questions about the history in These Long Shadows? I love talking about the history behind the book, so feel free to reach out via the contact page and ask. 

Piccalilli (British pickle)

Ingredients

• 1kg mixed vegetables (mostly cauliflower, cucumbers, beans, spring onions), chopped
• 60g salt
• 750ml apple cider vinegar
• 2 chillies
• 1 Tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 250g caster sugar
• 3 teaspoons mustard powder
• 1.5 teaspoons turmeric
• 3 teaspoons cornflower
• ½ cup currants

Instructions

Add chopped vegetables to a large stainless steel bowl and sprinkle with salt. Leave overnight, then drain off excess water, rinse off salt and pat vegetables dry.

Add vinegar, chillies, mustard and chilli flakes to a small saucepan and bring to boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Remove whole chillies.

Combine sugar, mustard, turmeric and cornflour in a separate bowl. Mix in a little bit of the vinegar from the saucepan, then add this mixture back into the main saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Gently fold in vegetables and currants.

Pack hot pickles into dry sterilised jars. Secure lids well and stand jars on their lids to cool and seal.

Modern and Wartime Carrot Cakes

Wartime Carrot Cake Recipe

This is the kind of cake Maggie from Heart in the Clouds would be well familiar with. My recipe is adapted from Victory in the Kitchen: Wartime Recipes by the Imperial War Museum, London. The texture of the cake is similar to a scone because of the scone-making method: Rubbing the fat into the dry ingredients, then adding the wet ingredients, being careful not to over-mix everything. It makes a much smaller cake than you would expect of a modern recipe, requiring only a shallow 20cm tin (the kind used for a sponge or layer cakes). It’s delicious with butter and apricot jam or a lemon and icing sugar glaze…just don’t let Ministry of Food catch you doing that!

Ingredients

• 180g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 90g quick cook oats
• 1 ½ tablespoons caster sugar
• 90g margarine
• 100g grated carrot
• 1 tablespoons sultanas, soaked in water or juice until plump
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Water 

Instructions

1. Place flour, baking powder, oats and sugar into a small mix bowl, then add in margarine and rub  between fingers until all the margarine is distributed through the flours and the texture if like bread crumbs.
2. Add carrots and sultanas and mix through.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together egg and maple syrup.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ones with enough water to form a stiff consistency. Careful not to overmix.
5. Transfers into a greased tin, 20cm in diameter. Bake at 180°C for 45 minutes, giving extra 5 minute bursts if the cake isn’t golden and cook through when that time is up.

This piece was originally published as “A Tale of Two Carrot Cakes” on my copywriting site.

Bomber Command Breakfast