Germany started to build U-Boats for the first time in WW1. Germany built these U-Boats to try and blow up Britain's cargo ships bringing food from America. This is when Britain realised that they had to introduce rations. At the start it was voluntary to sign to get a ration card and the Royal Family did it to show good example. But halfway through the war it became compulsory to ration. Football, rugby and cricket pitches were converted to grow crops as well as peoples gardens. The GAA never volunteered to convert their pitches to grow crops. You had to bring your ration card to shops and it was stamped when you bought a item. Your rationed diet consisted mainly of bread, soup, rice and alcohol. The extra food left over from rationing was immediately sent to the soldiers fighting on the front line. This was an area in which the British Government targeted women as women were usually the people cooking and looking after the food in WW1.
Did you know that at one point Britain only had enough food for 6 weeks.