Ministry of Food ANILFOODS Armband - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

londonclanger · #1 29-12-23, 11:27 AM

Does anyone know what ANILFOODS relates to?

On a red Ministry of Food armband on eBay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266567785412

Home Guard · #2 29-12-23, 06:13 PM

Interesting armband, but not one I am familiar with. I may be wrong, but it doesn't seem to show any age for being WW2 period??? Also, the screen printing on he A looks a bit wonky on the left side. Again, just my first blush observation, and can't say anything one way or the other. Not in any of my references.

Terry

leigh kitchen · #3 29-12-23, 06:19 PM

Anil Foods is an Indian Company - could the armband relate to that company rather than be a British one?

londonclanger · #4 29-12-23, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leigh kitchen

Anil Foods is an Indian Company - could the armband relate to that company rather than be a British one?

According to their website, the "Anil Foods" company in India only started in 1984.

leigh kitchen · #5 29-12-23, 07:27 PM

Yes, I'm wondering if the armband is connected to that company and an Indian Ministry of Food.

mike_vee · #6 30-12-23, 08:17 AM

There is also a blue "M of F - FOOD" armband :

https://www.historylinksarchive.org....ms/military/35

My problem with both of them is that they do no not use the official "Ministry of Food" logo that is found on documents and other items ?

The Ministry of Food was established in 1939 and was eventually merged into the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food in late 1954.

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ARPCDHG · #7 30-12-23, 03:49 PM

It's 100% kosher - see here:

https://www.ww2civildefence.co.uk/armbands.html

It's rare but the price is taking the wotsit.

From memory, it's something to do with food testing and analysis after gas attacks.

mike_vee · #8 31-12-23, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ARPCDHG

It's 100% kosher - see here:

https://www.ww2civildefence.co.uk/armbands.html

It's rare but the price is taking the wotsit.

From memory, it's something to do with food testing and analysis after gas attacks.

Thanks !

Will keep digging to see if there are any photos of either armband being worn as I still find it odd that "official" armbands would not have the correct (kings crown) logo on them.

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ARPCDHG · #9 31-12-23, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike_vee

Thanks !

Will keep digging to see if there are any photos of either armband being worn as I still find it odd that "official" armbands would not have the correct (kings crown) logo on them.

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Not really odd - as per Jon's book on the WVS, the final WVS armlet of 1944 drew complaints as the crown was 'not quite correct'.

Postwarden · #10 31-12-23, 03:11 PM

Evidence that the armband is wartime and from 1942.

I bought my example some 50 years ago and all the others I have seen have been mint and unworn.

I have always assumed that they were designed to identify MoF staff working with animal foodstuffs as opposed to human food.

Jon

mike_vee · #11 01-01-24, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Postwarden

Evidence that the armband is wartime and from 1942.

I bought my example some 50 years ago and all the others I have seen have been mint and unworn.

I have always assumed that they were designed to identify MoF staff working with animal foodstuffs as opposed to human food.

Jon

That sounds plausible :

Quote:

Agriculture saw a radical change during the Second World War. For many farmers, the focus became production. Even animal food was rationed to ensure that animals produced the best quality meat, milk, or eggs without being overfed.

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mike_vee · #12 01-01-24, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Postwarden

Evidence that the armband is wartime and from 1942.

I bought my example some 50 years ago and all the others I have seen have been mint and unworn.

I have always assumed that they were designed to identify MoF staff working with animal foodstuffs as opposed to human food.

Jon

In 1942 there appears to have been disagreement about which departments should be responsible for different areas . The Ministry of Agriculture was responsible for "production" and the Ministry of Food for "supply/rationing".

From a debate involving the Minister of Food (on Tuesday 3 March 1942) :

Quote:

What I should like would be that he should direct the Minister of Agriculture what that Ministry should have produced in this country—so much wheat, so much milk, so much potatoes and so on, going through the whole list, and say to them, "That is my list, and that I must have, otherwise my rationing will go wrong, and I shall not be able to feed the people in the way I want." Thereupon the Minister of Agriculture would direct his war agricultural committees what each county should produce, and they in turn would work in close collaboration with the farmers and see that those goods were produced.

Will not the Ministry of Food take control now in 1942, so that they may know what will be raised in the spring of 1942 and will have it available in the grim winter of 1942? Why wait until 1943 before these directions come into force?

Was there actually a plan for the M of F to "take control" and the armbands made in anticipation of it happening ?

Or did the M of A remain in charge and the armbands were never issued/used ?

Note : At that time the Ministry of Agriculture was responsible for the "quality" of milk being sold , they tested and graded the supply as "Market , Salvage or Rejected".
"Salvage" indicated that milk could be used for "certain manufacturing purposes" but the price the M of F would pay for it would be lower.

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