An Army Marches On Its Stomach

Today marks the one hundred year anniversary of the end of World War I and we give thanks and remember all those who gave their lives. Those who have died in conflicts since then are also honoured and remembered.

A hundred years ago those soldiers would have eaten rations provided by Maconochie consisting of tinned sliced vegetables (mostly turnips and carrots) with a thin soup/gravy. Bully beef (like corned beef) and hard biscuits would also be served.

By WW2 they would still have had the tinned meat and biscuits but also packets of mints and some chocolate for morale. Matches and tin openers were provided, doubling up as spoons.

Nowadays our forces are given food for breakfast, lunch and dinner with extra snacks and a calorie count of at least 4,000 calories a day, high in carbohydrates for a slow and constant energy release.

A couple of years ago I saw a photographic exhibition by David Bailey. He had served in the infantry during WW2 and done National Service in 1956/57 in Singapore, where he bought his first camera. The photographs were fabulous but I was struck by some of his personal effects on show. His sick report had a handwritten note dated 1957 which read:-

"This airman is a vegetarian and should not be forced to eat meat."

These days we would assume that all diets are taken into consideration and that our forces are fed a nutritious diet, whatever their preference.