Wiring for radios and planes, casings for bullets and bombs to stop them from fouling – all of these were made of copper. War was a glutton for metal resulting in scarcity of some metals. Leather was redirected for soldiers’ footwear and rubber was needed for the war effort, so bicycle tyres were scarce. The organisers had to advertise to guests not to turn up for weddings.Įvery type of home need like firewood, paper, soap, kerosene and sugar was in short supply. The government categorised weddings as a major usage of food and restricted wedding invitation lists to 30 people. Rava idli and wheat dosas were invented during this period. Free cooking demonstrations of wheat dishes were given at street corners. But the food tastes of people were not very easy to change. Wheat was being imported as well as being moved in from the north. Idlis – the staple dish for many – became scarce with strong rumours that the government would ban the food item. Idlis and dosas were being taken off the menus of most hotels. With Burma under attack and shipping lines targeted by Japanese torpedoes, rice – the staple food of the Madras Presidency – became scarce. Thrifty ladies invented several recipes to make use of leftover food. If there were a good thing people learned during that time, it was to be economical. Purchases were limited to Rs 5 per person. Food and textile prices went up both were issued to civilians by a quota on ration cards. Poem – Air Raid Precaution Vizagapatam by Collector, Christopher Mastermanīy the summer of 1942, there was a scarcity of food and other essentials. He penned a light-hearted poem on the war readiness of Vizag before there was an actual air raid by the Japanese. The Collector of that time (1939 – 1942) was Christopher Masterman who led the Civil Defence preparations for the town. The port employees fled, the labour at the Scindia shipyard fled, as did the coolies employed on the construction of the aerodrome.’ All local shops were closed and practically everyone fled the town. It was reported that: ‘The railways were practically paralyzed and all the subordinate staff and labour fled from the place…every jatka and goodu bundi was employed by Vizag’s population in a long road train inland to Waltair and Vizianagram. In the midst of all this, the city resorted to a well-practised pastime of rumour-mongering. To hide the town of Vizag from Japanese bombers and an impending air raid seemed the primary motive. The lights on the roads were fully extinguished. Sea-facing Pillbox gun emplacements were constructed public buildings were vacated for the shelter of people to hide after air raid warnings were given. Defence of India Act made the Beach Road a prohibited area between the lighting-up time and sunrise and anyone found there after sunset, which ironically included fishermen, was fined. Vizag was scared that an invasion force could land on its beaches. Tokyo Rose was the feminine voice of propaganda English broadcasts from Japan warning of an invasion. Most of the nuns and girls of St Joseph’s and boys at St Aloysius were relocated to Jeypore whereas final year High School boys and girls stayed at St Aloysius.Ĭensorship of any public announcements didn’t last long as refugees from Burma who had trekked to Assam had started to arrive, and came with stories of the Japanese invasion. The university was moved to Guntur for the duration of the war. The war in Burma and the Malay peninsular was anticipated to result in heavy casualties and injured soldiers were to be repatriated to makeshift military hospitals at Andhra University and St Joseph’s Convent in Waltair. Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft Carrier INS RyujoĬivil Defence Headquarters was established at Hawa Mahal on Beach Road and the Collector led the planning for the town’s war readiness. Censorship, rumours, blackouts, rationing, air raid precautions, military recruitment, gun emplacements, troop movements, and military aircraft became the norm. The reality of Civil Defence was upon Vizag and people learnt to cope with a different way of life.
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