The Truth Behind Bleak Midwinter:
Munitions Work
Governments recognized that in a war of the scale of the Second World War, the role of the civilian worker was as crucial to the war effort as that of the front line soldier. More and more factories were ordered to convert to war production - making essentials for the front such as ammunition and weapons.
With so many men enlisted, the government desperately needed to increase the work force available for this manufacturing. In December 1941 the government passed the National Service Act (No 2), which made provision for the conscription of women. At first only childless widows and single women aged 20 to 30 years old were called up, but later the age limit was expanded to 19 to 43. By the end of 1942, when this episode begins, one in three factory workers in Great Britain was a woman. Bleak Midwinter takes Foyle into the world of female munitions workers - the forgotten army.
The men and women, like Grace, Hilda and Phyllis in this episode, who worked in munitions factories, faced injury and death every day. Working with extremely dangerous explosives, the risks were high and many of the materials they regularly worked with were toxic often causing respiratory illnesses and skin complaints. Add this to the pressure of knowing that one mistake could result in your death - a state of constant stress was unsurprising.
But there was an element of pride in the women who worked in these factories. Women often wrote notes of solidarity and support in chalk on the shell casings for the soldiers who would eventually use them to read. Not only were female munitions workers doing their bit for the war effort (as one character in the episode notes she was making the shells that her husband would use on the front line) but they were, often for the first time, earning their own money and being well paid for their efforts.
However, they were not being as well paid as their male co-workers and this caused great resentment (as mentioned in this episode). In 1942, unions were forced to recognise that women workers were making up an increasingly large proportion of the work force and had earned the right to have their voices represented and heard. Women were allowed to join unions for the first time.
The Black Market
As a result of a raid on a local restaurant, Foyle finds a turkey that has been bought on the black market. Confiscating it as evidence, it appears at the police station where Sam, who hasn't seen a turkey in two years, cannot believe her eyes - or ears when Foyle says that the turkey is evidence and cannot be eaten.
The lack of poultry available during the war had led the Ministry of Food to regulate the sale of live poultry through the issue of Poultry Orders. These certificates bore the signatures of the buyer and confirmed that the purchase was for breeding purposes only. Not only did many live birds end up on dining room tables but the signatures that were often found on the Poultry Orders were often counterfeit. It was not uncommon for the names of famous people - e.g. Neville Chamberlain or, as in this episode, Winston Churchill - to appear as the buyer's signature on these records of purchase.
Munitions Work
Governments recognized that in a war of the scale of the Second World War, the role of the civilian worker was as crucial to the war effort as that of the front line soldier. More and more factories were ordered to convert to war production - making essentials for the front such as ammunition and weapons.
With so many men enlisted, the government desperately needed to increase the work force available for this manufacturing. In December 1941 the government passed the National Service Act (No 2), which made provision for the conscription of women. At first only childless widows and single women aged 20 to 30 years old were called up, but later the age limit was expanded to 19 to 43. By the end of 1942, when this episode begins, one in three factory workers in Great Britain was a woman. Bleak Midwinter takes Foyle into the world of female munitions workers - the forgotten army.
The men and women, like Grace, Hilda and Phyllis in this episode, who worked in munitions factories, faced injury and death every day. Working with extremely dangerous explosives, the risks were high and many of the materials they regularly worked with were toxic often causing respiratory illnesses and skin complaints. Add this to the pressure of knowing that one mistake could result in your death - a state of constant stress was unsurprising.
But there was an element of pride in the women who worked in these factories. Women often wrote notes of solidarity and support in chalk on the shell casings for the soldiers who would eventually use them to read. Not only were female munitions workers doing their bit for the war effort (as one character in the episode notes she was making the shells that her husband would use on the front line) but they were, often for the first time, earning their own money and being well paid for their efforts.
However, they were not being as well paid as their male co-workers and this caused great resentment (as mentioned in this episode). In 1942, unions were forced to recognise that women workers were making up an increasingly large proportion of the work force and had earned the right to have their voices represented and heard. Women were allowed to join unions for the first time.
The Black Market
As a result of a raid on a local restaurant, Foyle finds a turkey that has been bought on the black market. Confiscating it as evidence, it appears at the police station where Sam, who hasn't seen a turkey in two years, cannot believe her eyes - or ears when Foyle says that the turkey is evidence and cannot be eaten.
The lack of poultry available during the war had led the Ministry of Food to regulate the sale of live poultry through the issue of Poultry Orders. These certificates bore the signatures of the buyer and confirmed that the purchase was for breeding purposes only. Not only did many live birds end up on dining room tables but the signatures that were often found on the Poultry Orders were often counterfeit. It was not uncommon for the names of famous people - e.g. Neville Chamberlain or, as in this episode, Winston Churchill - to appear as the buyer's signature on these records of purchase.