What did iron rations consist of?

[jcebell]

Hi all,

What made up a man's iron rations? Did he always have these on his person?

The Bells

[gord97138]

Tommy's WW1 Iron Ration

This is the standard ration as issued during World War 1, with additional components. It contains:

1 Tin of Tinned Beef (but better known as 'Bully Beef') in the classic Fray Bentos brand tapered tin with side-key opening.

2 Packs (3 ounces each) of plain biscuits contained in an inner cello-like bag and wrapped in the appropriately labeled outer paper wrap)

1 Ounce of Meat Extract--These may either be the Bovril Style Brown paper wraps or OXO cubes (sorry, no choice)

1 Pack (5/8 ounce) Tea Ration. This is the small cardboard box containing a cello bag of brew-up tea. Properly labeled. Some are waxed, some lacquered to keep water-resistant (sorry, no choice)

1 Pack (1/2 ounce) of Salt, in the proper "British Salt" box

gordon

[Joe Sweeney]

The Bells,

The Iron Ration from 1914 up to 29 October 1915 consisted of:

12 ozs Biscuit

1lb (nominal) Preseved Meat

5/8oz. Tea

2ozs Sugar.

1/2 oz salt

3 oz Cheese

2 Meat extract Cubes

Tea, Sugar, and Salt were packed in a Tin which was open at one end.

This was slightly reduced after 29 October 1915. This new scale remained in effect till the end of the war:

1lb Biscuit

1lb (nominal) Preseved Meat

5/8oz. Tea

2ozs Sugar.

The Tea and Sugar (and Salt) were known as the grocery portion and were packed in an tin with one end open. This resembled a WWI German mug. In 1918 a new version was introduced with a hinged lid.

When the iron ration was issued the Tea and Sugar would be packed in the tin. The soldier was instructed to keep the tin until unservicable. When the tea and sugaer were expended it was to be replaced regimentally.

The iron ration was considered as an emergency ration. He would carry this ration as needed that is not 100% of the time but when having a back-up food supply was deemed necessary.

Joe Sweeney

[marc leroux]

Was this different for CEF troops? I know they sometimes got Pork & Beans, but was the rest the same?

marc

[Joe Sweeney]

The ration scales specifically include Dominion troops.

The iron ration was only a small part of a series of rations a soldier could recieve depending on duties performed.

Joe Sweeney

[Julian Dawson]

And why were they called 'iron'? Or is that a stupid question?

[Guest Bohdan]

A good thing to carry would be flower. You can use this to make a bread/cake by adding water and kneeding it togeather. You can also add nuts or anything you could of found. I have tryed making this bread/cake and it was very filling.

[uncle bill]

Hello, I thought you might like to see a 1916-dated iron rations crate. 

[seaJane]

@Julian DawsonI don't know why "iron", but according to the OED it is a direct translation from the German: first record in English printed in 1867 (referring 1865) -

Army Med. Dept.: Statist., Sanitary & Med. Rep. 1865 VII. 340 in Parl. Papers XLIII. 1    The so-called ‘iron ration’ (eiserne Portion) is particularly described. It is the dry ration, consisting of bread or biscuit, rice, groats or barley, salt, and bacon fat, which a man carries when food for three days is served out to him.

 

At the head of the definition is:  In sense 1 after German eiserne Portion (apparently 1867 or earlier; compare quot. 1867, which is taken from a description of the food of the Prussian army). Compare also eiserner Bestand (1796 or earlier). 

 

So now we need someone with access to a German dictionary on historical principles

 

sJ

 

Edited 3 November , 2016 by seaJane

[RaySearching]

Is that a shamrock on the wooden iron ration case ?

 

Regards Ray

[PhilC]

On 03/11/2016 at 22:28, seaJane said:

@Julian DawsonI don't know why "iron", but according to the OED it is a direct translation from the German: first record in English printed in 1867 (referring 1865) -

Army Med. Dept.: Statist., Sanitary & Med. Rep. 1865 VII. 340 in Parl. Papers XLIII. 1    The so-called ‘iron ration’ (eiserne Portion) is particularly described. It is the dry ration, consisting of bread or biscuit, rice, groats or barley, salt, and bacon fat, which a man carries when food for three days is served out to him.

 

At the head of the definition is:  In sense 1 after German eiserne Portion (apparently 1867 or earlier; compare quot. 1867, which is taken from a description of the food of the Prussian army). Compare also eiserner Bestand (1796 or earlier). 

 

So now we need someone with access to a German dictionary on historical principles

 

sJ

 

 

I know this is a bit late but I happened to be looking at the development of 'iron rations' for a post on another forum. Eisern can also mean reserve or emergency.

https://de.langenscheidt.com/deutsch-englisch/eisern

So it looks as though the Germans used the term for an emergency ration and whoever translated it into English gave the word eiserne its usual meaning of iron in error.

 

And we've been stuck with it ever since.

 

Phil

 

Edited 3 September , 2023 by PhilC

[FROGSMILE]

On 03/11/2016 at 22:44, RaySearching said:

Is that a shamrock on the wooden iron ration case ?

 

Regards Ray

Yes it is.  That was the symbol used for rations (less those for animals) within the supply chain.

Edited 3 September , 2023 by FROGSMILE