HISTORY: How the U.S. and NRA Assisted the Allied Effort in WWII. “The task before the War Production Board was epic. Not only did it have to re-arm and re-equip the 338,000 rescued soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force, it was now committed to uniforming and arming a million and a half volunteers. At first, armbands and a few privately owned shotguns were all the country had to face the anticipated German onslaught. British firearm regulations in 1920 and 1937 had effectively disarmed the average citizen in the United Kingdom and left the nation dangerously ill-equipped and ill-prepared for the daunting task that lay ahead: basic survival.”