What food did the soldiers eat in the trenches WW1?

What food did the soldiers eat in the trenches WW1?

The bulk of their diet in the trenches was bully beef (caned corned beef), bread and biscuits. By the winter of 1916 flour was in such short supply that bread was being made with dried ground turnips. The main food was now a pea-soup with a few lumps of horsemeat.

What was food in the trenches like?

At this time, the staple food of the British soldier was pea-soup with horse-meat chunks. The hard-working kitchen teams were having to source local vegetables as best they could, and when that was not an option, weeds, nettles, and leaves would be used to whip up soups and stews.

Did soldiers eat rats in WW1?

With no proper disposal system the rats would feast off food scraps. The rats grew bigger and bolder and would even steal food from a soldier’s hand. But for some soldiers the rats became their friends. They captured them and kept them as pets, bringing a brief reprisal from the horror which lay all around.

How did WW1 soldiers get food?

The mostly static nature of the war meant food supplies were generally reliable. And soldiers were able to supplement their rations with food parcels from home, with hot meals served behind the lines in canteens and kitchens, and with food obtained from local people.

What did they drink in the trenches?

Drinking water was transported to front line trenches in petrol cans. It was then purified with chemicals. To help disguise the taste, most water was drunk in the form of tea, often carried cold in soldier’s individual water bottles.

What did they eat for dinner in ww2?

meat (Mar 1940) jam (Mar 1941) biscuits ( Aug 1942),
fish tea (Jul 1940) breakfast cereals,
cheese (May 1941) eggs (June 1941) milk,
tinned tomatoes (Feb. 1942) peas (Feb. 1942) dried fruit Jan 1942
rice (Jan 1942) canned fruit, cooking fat (Jul 1940)

Why did soldiers get lice?

Fortunately for the lice population, if not for their hosts, conditions of trench warfare proved ideal for their rapid spread. Of the three types of lice – head, pubic and body – the latter was far and away the most common. Lice could only thrive in warm conditions – which was provided by body heat and clothing.

What did ww1 soldiers drink?

Soldiers were sometimes issued beer, cider, or brandy in lieu of Pinard, but it remained the most common alcoholic drink consumed at the front. On special occasions, other drinks like spiced wine or sparkling wine would be issued.

Did ww1 soldiers eat rats?

Were there toilets in the trenches?

These latrines were trench toilets. They were usually pits dug into the ground between 1.2 metres and 1.5 metres deep. Two people who were called sanitary personnel had the job of keeping the latrines in good condition for each company.

What was health like in the trenches?

But the majority of loss of life can be attributed to famine and disease – horrific conditions meant fevers, parasites and infections were rife on the frontline and ripped through the troops in the trenches. Among the diseases and viruses that were most prevalent were influenza, typhoid, trench foot and trench fever.

What did they eat in ww2 at Christmas?

At first it was just bacon, butter and sugar that were rationed but by 1942 many other foods, including meat, milk, cheese, eggs and cooking fat were also ‘on the ration’. Those with gardens were encouraged to ‘grow their own’ and many families also kept chickens.

What did they eat in the trenches WW1?

Trench Food. Soldiers in the Western Front were very critical of the quantity and the quality of food they received. The bulk of their diet in the trenches was bully beef (caned corned beef), bread and biscuits. By the winter of 1916 flour was in such short supply that bread was being made with dried ground turnips.

How much food was sent to the British soldiers in WWI?

A total of 3,240,948 tons of food was sent from Britain to the soldiers fighting in France and Belgium during the First World War. The British Army employed 300,000 field workers to cook and supply the food. At the beginning of the war British soldiers were given 10 ounces of meat and 8 ounces of vegetables a day.

Was food a luxury in WW1?

Far from being a given, food was often considered a luxury to soldiers in the trenches during World War One. It was almost impossible at times to deliver hot food from the field kitchens to the trenches on the front lines, particularly when battle was in full swing.

What did they eat in the Battle of Trafalgar?

The main food was now a pea-soup with a few lumps of horsemeat. Kitchen staff became more and more dependent on local vegetables and also had to use weeds such as nettles in soups and stews. The battalion’s kitchen staff had just two large vats, in which everything was prepared.

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