Cover of The Caravan Magazine, December 1940 issue

Wartime Greetings from The Caravan Magazine

08 December 2025

During the Second World War, The Caravan Magazine kept Britain’s caravanning community connected and brought a touch of Christmas cheer even in the hardest of times.

Between 1939 and 1945, as war reshaped everyday life across Britain, The Caravan Magazine became an important thread connecting the rapidly growing caravanning community. The magazine supported government departments, guided families using caravans as emergency homes, and helped maintain continuity within The Caravan Club at a time when rallies and meetings were suspended.

Paper rationing threatened publication, shrinking each issue and forcing editor W. Whiteman to prioritise circulation over length to ensure newcomers, many of whom had taken up caravanning because of evacuation or housing shortages, could still access information and advice. Yet even under these pressures, The Caravan reached far beyond Britain’s borders: copies travelled to officers’ quarters across Europe, and families regularly posted issues to loved ones serving on the front. In this context, the magazine offered an important platform for Club members and subscribers to share advice and sustain a sense of community, particularly in the Christmas issues.

Kingston Caravan Co. Advert for Blitz Free Xmas

Each December, festive greetings filled the pages, offering warmth in contrast to the realities of wartime Britain. The editors encouraged members to use the magazine as a “seasonable link between readers, thus reducing paper consumption and Christmas demands on labour and transport.” Manufacturers, who had largely ceased leisure production, still took out seasonal advertisements, keen to maintain their connection with readers. While some, like London Caravan Co. Ltd. and CARA-CARS Ltd., shared greetings, others acknowledged the times, with Kingston Caravan Co. wishing its customers a “Blitz-Free Xmas.”

These messages blended cheer with resolve. Jubilee Caravans looked “forward to supplying you with the ideal caravan for the brighter days soon to arrive,” expressing optimism when materials, labour, and travel were all restricted.

Simple notices, like “THE EDITOR hopes you enjoy a Happy Christmas” and “Christmas Wishes to all those we have met or hope to meet” by The Caravan Club Secretary, reminded readers that although scattered, the caravanning community remained, supported one another and “carried on.”

Visit the Caravan and Motorhome Club Collection’s exhibition Pitch Up and Carry On at the National Motor Museum to explore the often overlooked stories of The Caravan Club, its members, and the role caravans played during the Second World War.