• Reports

Wartime Social Survey

Here you will find a near complete set of the Wartime Social Surveys, from 1941 to 1947. A short guide to the history of the files and using them can be found here.

• RG 23/1 - Investigation into Retailers' Difficulties, 1941

• RG 23/2 - Ministry of Information Films and the Public, 1941

• RG 23/3 - The Kitchen Front Broadcast Programme: A Survey amongst Housewives conducted for the Ministry of Food, November 1941

• RG 23/4 - Feeding of Young Workers 14-18 Years of Age in Factories, Shops, Offices, January 1942

• RG 23/5 - A.T.S.: An Investigation of the Attitudes of Women, the General Public, and A.T.S. Personnel to the Auxillary Territorial Service, October 1941

• RG 23/6 - Foundation Garments: A Survey of Eight Occupation Groups for the Board of Trade, December 1941

• RG 23/7 - Food Problems: A Survey of Consumers' Habits and Attitudes made for the Ministry of Food, February 1942

• RG 23/8 - Sanitary Towels: A Survey of Housewives' Habits for the Board of Trade, March 1942

• RG 23/9A - Food During the War: a Summary of Studies on the subject of Food made by the Wartime Social Survey between February 1942 and October 1943

• RG 23/9B - Salvage: An Inquiry into the Salvage Habits of 3078 Housewives in March 1942

• RG 23/10 - Heating of Dwellings Enquiry: A Survey of 5,268 Working Class Households, made in March 1942 for the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research

• RG 23/11 - Heating of Dwellings Enquiry: Tables

• RG 23/12 - Clothing Needs in Fifteen Occupational Groups: An Enquiry into Clothing Needs of 4,700 workers in 15 Occupational Groups, made in March and April 1942 for the Board of Trade

• RG 23/13 - Women's Registration and Call-Up: An Enquiry among 2,798 women for the Ministry of Labour and National Service, carried out between March 19 and April 25, 1942

• RG 23/15 - Food: An Inquiry into a typical day's meals and attitudes to wartime food in selected groups of the English Working Population, 1942

• RG 23/16 - Workers and the War: A series of Short Studies dealing with the Domestic Problems of Working Women, Housewives' Auxillary Occupation, Jobs done at home by Working Men, Shopping and Transport Difficulties, Health and the Use of Canteens, 1942

• RG 23/17 - Retail Services and Shortages: A collection of reports on enquiries into the impact of shortages and the adequacy of repair and other services, 1943

• RG 23/18 - Food: A collection of short reports on inquiries made into the attitudes of the public towards the various wartime measures and types of publicity adopted by the Ministry of Food, and into the impact of shortages upon housewives, 1943

• RG 23/19 - Publicity Media: Three short inquiries carried out in 1942 and 1943 for the Ministry of Information into public attitudes towards news presentation, Government instruction and the M.O.I. film Desert Victory, 1943.

• RG 23/20A - Fuel Rationing: A Survey of Public Attitudes made in May 1942.

• RG 23/21 - Pottery, Holloware and Gaslighter Inquiry: A Survey made for the Consumer Needs Department of the Board of Trade based on a sample of 2087 households, June 1942.

• RG 23/22 - Credit Buying: An Investigation based on interviews in 3076 households in July, 1942 carried out for the Board of Trade.

• RG 23/23 - Diphtheria Immunisation Enquiry: A Survey of 2,026 parents made in July-August 1942 for the Ministry of Health.

• RG 23/24 - Public Attitudes to Health and the Autumn Health Campaign: An enquiry based on interviews with 1795 persons selected at random made for the Ministry of Health in July and August 1942.

• RG 23/26 - "Dig for Victory": An Inquiry into the Effects of the "Dig for Victory" Campaign made for the Ministry of Agriculture in August and September 1942.

• RG 23/27 - The 'Battle for Fuel': A report on three Inquiries carried out either directly or indirectly for the Ministry of Fuel and Power and involving interviews with 11,131 Housewives between September 1942 & February 1943

• RG 23/28 - Lighting of Dwellings: An inquiry carried out for the Committee on the Lighting of Buildings of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research

• RG 23/29 - Manufactured Foods Investigation: Breakfast Cereals; Prepared Desserts; Baking Mixtures; Jam & Marmalade; Cakes & Biscuits. 1943.

• RG 23/30 - Investigation into Household Cooking Habits for Certain Vegetables, 1942.

• RG 23/31 - Manufactured Food Inquiry Part 2, 1943.

• RG 23/32 - Brushes: A Survey made for the Consumer Needs Department of the Board of Trade based on interviews with a sample of 2,858 non-working housewives from December 31st, 1942 to January 12th, 1943.

• RG 23/33 - Consumption of Milk, February 1943

• RG 23/34 - Getting to Work: An inquiry into the methods of travelling to work and their opinions on the subject of 4158 working peope made for the Ministry of War Transport, June 1943.

• RG 23/35 - Food: An Inquiry into (I) a day's meals, and (II) attitudes to wartime food in selected groups of British Workers, June 1943.

• RG 23/36 - Vegetables: An Inquiry carried out for the Ministry of Food, 1st March to 13th March 1943.

• RG 23/37 - Oatmeal and Potato Inquiry, March 1943.

• RG 23/38 - The Campaign against Venereal Disease: An Inquiry made by the Wartime Social Survey for the Campaigns Division of the Ministry of Information, 18th March to 17th April 1943.

• RG 23/39 - Wartime Shortages of Consumer Goods: A report on a series of inquiries made by The Social Survey for the Board of Trade, April 1943 - January 1945

• RG 23/40 - The Location of Dwellings in Scottish Towns: An enquiry into some of the factors relevant to the planning of new urban communities made for the Department of Health for Scotland, September 1943.

• RG 23/41 - Salvage, August 1943

• RG 23/42 - Ministry of Information Publications: A Study of Public Attitudes towards Six Ministry of Information Books, June-July 1943.

• RG 23/43 - Newspapers and the Public: An Inquiry into Newspaper Reading amongst the Civilian Population carried out by the Wartime Social Survey for Campaigns Division of the Ministry of Information, June-July 1943.

• RG 23/44 - The Cinema Audience: An inquiry carried out for the Ministry of Information, June-July 1943.

• RG 23/45 - The Attitudes of Women towards Nursing, July 1943

• RG 23/46 - "Eat more potatoes": An inquiry into the effect of a publicity campaign, July 1943

• RG 23/47 - School Meals in Scotland, August 1943.

• RG 23/48 - Agricultural Information and the Farmer: An Inquiry made for The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, May 1944.

• RG 23/50 - Women at Work: the attitudes of working women toward Post-War Employment and some related Problems. An inquiry made for the Office of the Minister of Reconstruction, June 1944.

• RG 23/51 - Getting to Work: A Study of the Methods of Transport used by Workers and their Travelling Difficulties and Expenses, made for the Ministry of War Transport, September-October 1943.

• RG 23/52 - Recruitment to Nursing: An inquiry into the Attitudes of Student Nurses to their Profession with special reference to the present Recruiting Campaign, October 1943.

• RG 23/53 - Sound in Dwellings: An Inquiry carried out for the Building Research Station of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, November 1943

• RG 23/54 - Cakes - Buying and Baking, November-December 1943.

• RG 23/56 - The Campaign against Venereal Diseases, January 1944

• RG 23/57 - Windows: An inquiry into the extent and use of window space in dwellings, February 1944.

• RG 23/58 - A Dietary Survey of Stoke and Salford School Children, July 1945.

• RG 23/59 - Food Supplements: An enquiry for the Ministry of Food into the use of Fruit Juices and Cod Liver Oil, April 1944.

• RG 23/60 - A study of the supply and consumption of National Milk Cocoa (NAMCO) and of the attitudes of adolescents towards it, April 1944.

• RG 23/61 - National Wheatmeal Bread, April 1944.

• RG 23/62 - Bicycles, April 1944.

• RG 23/69 - Domestic Food Production, May 1945

• RG 23/70 - Vegetable Consumption in Four Selected Towns: A survey made for the Ministry of Food, October 1945.

• RG 23/71 - Education and the People: A study of public attitudes towards Education and the Education Act made for the Ministry of Education, 1945.

• RG 23/72 - Scottish Mining Communities, Autumn 1946.

• RG 23/73 - Furniture: An inquiry made for the Board of Trade, May 1945.

• RG 23/75 - The Employment of Older Persons: An Inquiry carried out in mid 1945 for the Industrial Health Research Board of the Medical Research Council, January 1947.

• RG 23/76 - Attitude to Road Accidents and the Highway code: A Survey made in July, 1945, for the Road Safety Committee, of the Ministry of War Transport.

• RG 23/77 - Diphtheria Immunisation: A survey for the Ministry of Health, October 1945.

• RG 23/78 - Food Facts: An assessment of the effects of the Ministry of Food's Advertising, 1945.

• RG 23/79 - Demobilisation Coupons: An enquiry made for the Board of Trade, December 1945.

• RG 23/80 - Cot Bedding: An Inquiry made for the Board of Trade, December-January 1946.

• RG 23/82 - The Road Safety Campaign: An Inquiry made for the Ministry of Transport, May 1946.

• RG 23/83 - Shopping Hours: A Survey for a Departmental Committee of the Home Office on Shop Closing Hours, June 1947.

• RG 23/84 - The Employment of Men with Pneumoconiosis, February 1946

• RG 23/85 - The Recruitment of Boys to the Mining Industry, An inquiry carried out in Six Coalfields for the Directorate of Recruitment, Ministry of Fuel and Power, and the National Coal Board, August-October 1946, April 1947.

• RG 23/86 - The Cinema and the Public: An Inquiry into Cinema Going Habits and Expenditure made in 1946.

• RG 23/87 - The Defence Medal, May 1946.

• RG 23/88 - Carpets: An enquiry into the present use of an future demand for carpets in working class households made for the Carpets Working Party of the Board of Trade, October 1946.

• RG 23/89 - Recruitment to the Civil Service, May to July 1946.

• RG 23/90 - Final Report on the Demand for Holidays in 1946 and 1947.

• RG 23/91 - "Fill the Ships": An inquiry into Public Attitudes towards Export and the Export Campaign, 1947.

• RG 23/118 - Willesden and the New Towns: An Inquiry for the Ministry of Town and Country Planning in the winter of 1946-1947

• RG 23/525 - Working Clothes, 1947.