rations

• by 141Dial34

  "Barrage rations" what did they consist of?What was in their normal rations?Iron rations I think are barrage rations.I love all links you put up but can't see any rations.

  Posted November 12, 2014 1:32 AM

• by HeatherC moderator

  Can you give us a link to a page where it appears so we can see it in context?

  Posted November 12, 2014 9:12 AM

• by 141Dial34

  no,sorry its long gone.The men were preparing for an attack and were told to have 'barrage rations" i presume as they might not get resupplied.Another diary I read that as men were cut off by enemy they ate their iron rations.

  Posted November 12, 2014 11:58 AM

• by ral104 moderator, scientist

  Yes, sounds like they were emergency rations that would have been carried alongside other essentials, like field dressings.

  Posted November 12, 2014 12:21 PM

• by brownfox

  Yes that's correct. I was actually at the IWM on Sunday and as part of the WW1 galleries there's a display of iron rations. Apparently it was a disciplinary offence to eat them unless ordered.

  Posted November 12, 2014 7:48 PM

• by ral104 moderator, scientist

  Thanks, @brownfox. What did you think of the WW1 galleries? I haven't managed to get to see them yet.

  Posted November 13, 2014 10:50 AM

• by brownfox

  Very good, but very crowded - probably our own fault for going on Remembrance Sunday. If anything, it was a bit much to do all at once. It might have been better to split it up somehow.

  Thanks for asking

  Posted November 13, 2014 1:01 PM

• by ral104 moderator, scientist

  No problem. That's why I haven't got to them yet - queues are commonly out the doors.

  Posted November 13, 2014 2:06 PM

• by 141Dial34

  What did the troops eat exactly?

  Posted November 13, 2014 11:13 PM

• by ral104 moderator, scientist

  Bread, meat and vegetables, although as the war drew on the ration allowance got smaller and meat was often just fat.

  Posted November 14, 2014 9:33 AM

• by David_Underdown moderator

  Quite a lot of jam too

  Posted November 14, 2014 9:59 AM

• by ral104 moderator, scientist

  Really? I suppose it was a good way to preserve fruit.

  Posted November 14, 2014 1:41 PM

• by DZM admin

  Good question about preservation... were rations ever dessicated?

  I remember having heard that dessicated rations were a thing as far back as the Civil War, but that was in a novel, so I'm not 100% sure.

  Posted November 14, 2014 8:50 PM

• by wildcatjenny moderator in response to DZM's comment.

  Hi DZM,

  I found this article about food for the British Army in WW1 http://www.express.co.uk/news/world-war-1/502452/The-Battle-to-feed-Tommy-The-diet-of-a-WW1-soldier The article mentions dried fruit OR jam as being a part of the daily allowance.

  You are correct, DZM, in the American Civil War a staple for the soldiers was "desiccated vegetables". They were put up in blocks and were supposed to be thrown into a pot of boiling water along with fresh meat to make a stew. (Then armies brought herds of cattle with them as they marched off to combat.) The soldiers found them fairly disgusting and called them "desecrated vegetables".

  Posted November 15, 2014 12:54 AM