‘Of One Blood?’: Gendered Propaganda and Blood Donor Behaviour in Wartime Bristol and South West England, 1939–1945

TL;DR

This paper examines how gendered propaganda influenced blood donation behavior during WWII in Bristol and South West England.

Contribution

It highlights the underexplored role of women in wartime blood donation and challenges the myth of the 'People’s War'.

Findings

Gender-targeted propaganda was used to recruit blood donors during WWII.

Actual donation rates did not match the levels of volunteer interest.

Donor behavior was shaped by personal and familial risk perceptions.

Abstract

This article explores civilian responses to the British army’s blood donor recruitment campaign in wartime Britain, revealing it to be an underexplored medium for the examination of the contribution of women to Britain’s war effort. However, despite extensive gender-targeted propaganda, it reveals evidence of a significant disparity between levels of volunteering to donate and actual donation throughout the war. Wartime donor behaviour was influenced by perceptions of personal or familial risk, with donor recruitment propaganda emphasising kinship ties to those in military service and promoting blood donation as a mutual insurance policy. Ultimately, this article argues that evidence of donor behaviour further undermines the mythologised narrative of Britain’s ‘People’s War’ and provides nuance to the understanding of blood donor motivation.

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