On this day in Yorkshire 1943

Vast stores of canned and dehydrated vegetables and fruit are being built up in factories here in preparation for the wider military operations that are so eagerly awaited.

I have just spent a long day inspecting the processes, which are employing thousands of workers, mainly women.

At one big factory the products of about 50 acres of peas are being canned or dried daily. The processing of this crop, now near the height of its season, is alone employing some 600 people.

Apparently five-sixths of the crop, canned in the ordinary way, are to be allocated wholly to the American Forces in the European theatre of operations.

The remaining sixth, which is dehydrated, is for British Forces.

About 150 tons of pea-vines are brought into this model factory every day during the season. Here they are stripped by machines, and the mechanically shelled peas pass through a series of elaborate sorting and washing processes before canning or dehydration.

For every ton of shelled peas obtained about four tons of waste vine must be removed for conversion into winter cattle feed.

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