What’s the difference between emergency rations to iron rations?

[Eran Tearosh]

 

What’s the difference between Emergency Rations to Iron rations?

 

In the British H.O., in the chapter describing the preparations before Megiddo, I found the following (p. 457-458): “On the day of the attack the troops of the corps were to be furnished with that day’s ration, two days’ emergency rations, and the iron ration, all on the mobile scale, carried on the horse and in the limbered wagons…”.

 

What is the difference between Emergency Rations to Iron Rations?

 

What does it mean, “on the mobile scale”?  

 

Thanks, Eran

[ss002d6252]

Iron Rations were the emergency rations carried by the men, to be used where no found was available.

I wonder if the additional 'emergency rations' was just an amount above and beyond what the battalion would require normally, so 3 days worth of food rather than 1 day etc.

Craig

[Guest]

Mate,

 

Yes I can give you a modern answer for my time, but what was there is harder to confirm.

 

I found a refer to a LH soldier being charge for eating the meat from his emergency ration, so I am inclined to say that emergency rations were an additional issue of Bully Beef, and only used in emergency, and returned if not used.

 

Iron ration was an enriched chocolate bar, and was likewise not to be eaten unless ordered to.

 

These if not used were to be returned after the operation.

 

That's the best I know of

 

S.B

[Eran Tearosh]

Craig & Steve

 

Thanks! Still a bit of a mystery, but it's a bit clearer now.

 

Eran

[Guest]

Mate,

 

I did find this on the net;

 

The so-called 'Iron Ration' comprised an emergency ration of preserved meat, cheese, biscuit, tea, sugar and salt carried by all British soldiers in the field for use in the event of their being cut off from regular food supplies.

 

Haythornthwaite, Philip J, The World War One Sourcebook, Arms and Armour Press, A Cassell Imprint, 1992, pps 380-81.

 

British Iron Ration, carried in the field:

1 lb. preserved meat; 12 oz. biscuit; 5/8 oz. tea; 2 oz. sugar; 1/2 oz. salt; 3 oz. cheese; 1 oz. meat extract (2 cubes.)

 

or this by Gordon;

 

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

 

Clearly my idea of a Chocolate bar, must be post war, as I was issued one on operations years ago, but had to return it, in-tack after that operation.

 

So what could be an emergency ration?

 

As stated, I have a LH soldier who was charged for eating the meat from his emergency ration (without permission)?

 

This does sound like the same as 'Iron Ration' comprised an emergency ration, as stated above?

 

But that's the best I can find from my records.

 

Sorry

 

S.B

Edited 5 July , 2017 by stevebecker

[David Filsell]

I've always assumed the term Iron Ration was used because of the strength of the biscuit - teeth for the attempting to eat with .

[Guest]

Mate,

 

One of these examples is shown in the AIF Service file of this Light Horse soldier;

 

National Archives of Australia - webb site - WWI records

 

POWELL Ernest 1197
 

see page 5

 

B 103 (Casualty form Active Service) out lines his service in the AIF

 

Losing by neglect beef from Iron ration, given 1 days FP No 2

 

There are others (soldiers) recorded eating the meat from an Iron ration, so it appears the above was not a one off.

 

Cheer

 

S.B

 

 

[Eran Tearosh]

Hi Steve,

 

Thanks! Every bit of info is helping, though the strange usage in the British HO of “On the day of the attack the troops of the corps were to be furnished with that day’s ration, two days’ emergency rations, and the iron ration, all on the mobile scale, carried on the horse and in the limbered wagons…” still remains a mystery.

 

Eran

 

 

[Guest]

Mate,

 

Most comments by LH soldiers refer to just an issue of Bully Beef as an emergency ration or Iron ration.

 

This issue appears without all the extras given above, of cause weight was a problem on a horse and if given extra rations one has to concider the weight the horse has to carry over large distances, as well as the water needed to keep man and animal on operations.

 

Two days extra seams a lot for either a LH soldier or an Infantryman who has to carry the extra on him with ammo and such.

 

In my days, the Iron ration was an enriched chocalate bar in a small tin box, which was issue extra to your emergency ration (which was an extra one day ration pack)?

 

Both were only to be opened on order by an officer.

 

I can find no mention in LH records for this in WWI, sorry.

 

S.B

 

 

[Eran Tearosh]

Hi Steve,

 

Note "...all on the mobile scale, carried on the horse and in the limbered wagons..." - in other words, Cavalry/LH carried that extra on the horse, while infantry had it carried for them. Due to the daring deep penetration of the mounted forces during Megiddo, it makes sense that they carried it, as no one thought it possible that the supplies could follow that fast. There was a thought that they might need to "live on the country..." for a while. 

 

Thanks for everything,

 

Eran

 

[Stuart24]

Hello,

 

A bit late perhaps, but I just came across this in "Narrative of Operations of Third Light Horse Brigade from 27 October 1917 - 11 July 1919", by Brig Gen L C Wilson:

 

"Ration Scales:

 

Ordinary - When in standing camps

Mobile - When on march

Special Emergency - Carried on march when on operations, not consumed unless mobile ration not to hand

Iron - Always carried - but only used on special orders to that effect and when all other sources of supply fail"

 

There's then a lengthy list of 'ordinary ration scale', before:

 

                                         Mobile        Sp/Em      Iron

Preserved Meats:          12oz           9oz            12oz

Biscuits:                          12oz           13oz          16oz

Jam:                                4oz             3oz             -

Tea:                                 1/2oz          1/2oz        1/2oz

Sugar:                              3oz             3oz            2oz

Milk:                                 1oz             -                   - 

Cheese:                            3oz            -                    -

 

Cheers

Stuart

Edited 27 November , 2017 by Stuart24
Missed a bit out.

[RFA Gunner]

That's fascinating Stuart, I love seeing details that provide hints on the soldier's life in the field. Interesting to see on special emergency rations they have to have their tea black. Now that's an emergency!

[Ron Clifton]

I once came across a report of an exercise on Salisbury Plain to test a planned new version of the daily ration. A platoon of volunteers under the command of an officer, with a medical officer attached, undertook a route march lasting (IIRC) two weeks.

 

The report says: "The fact that the exercise was known in Southern Command offices as 'the hunger march' suggests that the planned scale of rations was not considered excessive."

 

This was not in a note written privately: it was in a formal report, presumably prepared by a civil servant, and laid before Parliament. It can be found in the "Blue Books" of Parliamentary papers. 

 

Ron

[Stuart24]

19 minutes ago, RFA Gunner said:

That's fascinating Stuart, I love seeing details that provide hints on the soldier's life in the field. Interesting to see on special emergency rations they have to have their tea black. Now that's an emergency!

Yes - I notice no emergency is so severe they'd have to got without tea at all!

 

(Not a purely British/EEF phenomenon of course:  "To drink tea in the desert is good, because the water if the desert is salted and smells.  One must always boil it.  But when the water is boiled there is no taste."  Lt. Tewfik Effeni, Ottoman Engineers) 

[Guest]

Mate,

 

Do you have any more details on Lt Tewfik?

 

Did his qquote come from a book?

 

Cheers

S.B

[Stuart24]

Hi Steve,

 

The quote came from a transcription of a diary captured after Romani - as far as I recall, there was nothing to say whether it was recovered from a body or a PoW.  

It is held at the Imperial War Museum, in the Private Papers of Maj Gen Guy Dawnay (IWM10403) - in Box 2, a folder labelled 'Egypt and Sinai 1916: Action at Romani'.

 

Cheers

Stuart