A Message from the Admiral: "We Need Supplies - Especially Food. We Know You Will Not Let Us Down"

Australian Second World War Royal Australian Navy (RAN) poster, issued by the Commonwealth Food Control. The poster depicts a photograph of the British Admiral, Sir Bruce Fraser, with a convoy of battleships in the background, encouraging food supplies and thrift during the war. Admiral Bruce Austin Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape GCB, KBE (1888-1981) was a senior Royal Navy officer. He served in the First World War, saw action during the Gallipoli Campaign and took part in the internment of the German High Seas Fleet at the end of the War. He also served in the Second World War initially as Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy and then as Second-in-Command and afterwards as Commander of the Home Fleet, leading the force that destroyed the German battleship 'Scharnhorst'. He went on to be First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff in which role he assisted in establishing NATO. General. During the Second World War, Australia's Food Production and Control was managed by Commonwealth Food Control. Australia began in 1938 to prepare for food control in the event of war, not only to safeguard her economy, in which exports occupied an important place, to protect primary producers against market collapse, but also to ensure that supplies were moved quickly to the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom took the export surpluses of most of Australia's principal foods during this time. The Establishment of the Commonwealth Food Control in May 1943 was established under the Minister for Commerce and Agriculture to develop the machinery necessary to cope with the possible invasion by Japan and to implement a thoroughgoing food policy.

This item has been digitised with funding provided by Commonwealth Government.