Vintage WWII Crookes’ Halibut Oil Ad – Wartime Health Supplement Ephemera UK

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Item ID: 297238763120
eBay Seller ID: britishfareasttraders
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Category: Collectables:Advertising Collectables:Other Advertising Collectables
Condition: In decent condition. Please check our images.

Vintage WWII Crookes’ Halibut Oil Ad – Wartime Health Supplement Ephemera UK

A rare 1940s British wartime diet advert–highlighting the essential role of vitamins in maintaining civilian health during conflict.

Measurements: approx. 3 5/8 x 5 1/4 inches
Dates: n/a
Condition: In decent condition, please see images. 
Internal notes: QC passed

It is the sixth winter of war. Outside, Britain battles not just the enemy, but shortages, cold, and fatigue. Indoors, a small capsule of Crookes’ Halibut Oil becomes a household essential, delivering strength and hope to families enduring yet another rationed season. In this evocative wartime advertisement, a hand cradles two dark capsules–quiet guardians of health, containing vitamin A and ‘sunshine’ vitamin D. The message is simple but urgent: in times like these, resilience begins with nourishment.

This striking advert, issued during WWII, promotes Crookes’ Halibut Oil as “an essential of wartime diet,” emphasising its role in supporting the immune system and stamina. Available only from chemists, the oil was available in capsules or liquid form, at 8/6 and 2/– respectively. With its sharp-lined illustration and plainspoken authority, the ad captures the importance of public health campaigns during wartime, when shortages meant even basic vitamins became precious. Measuring approx. 3⅝ x 5¼ inches, it survives in decent vintage condition, an excellent example of British medical advertising during the home front effort.

This is more than just a commercial piece–it’s a powerful symbol of how healthcare adapted to adversity. For collectors of WWII health ephemera, nutrition history, or wartime domestic life, this ad offers valuable insight into how everyday Britons fought their own quiet battle for survival and wellbeing. Preserving such material means honouring the unseen war waged in kitchens and chemist counters across the nation.