Raising a glass to The War In The Air

[Guest Gary Davidson]

It is April 1918. You have just been invited into the officer’s mess of the 94th Aero Squadron (or substitute any other Allied aviation unit you like). What are you likely to find being served at the bar?

Cheers,

Gary

[Dolphin]

Gary

I'm not sure about the availability of liquor in a US unit, but for the RFC, RNAS, RAF and AFC I think that you'd be pretty likely to be able to get a bottle of beer and/or either whiskey or whisky, ie Irish or Scotch. Wine, both still and sparkling, would have been available as well. I've read accounts of brandy/cognac being drunk, but I think it fell well behind the whiskies when it came to the spirit of choice.

There would probably be a greater chance of gin being served in an RNAS or, after 1 April 1918, ex-RNAS unit.

Cheers

Gareth

[J T Gray]

The source utterly escapes me now, but years ago I read that Cherry Brandy (a sort of highly alcoholic cough mixture!) was reputed to nullify the effects of sitting behind a rotary engine inhaling vaporised castor oil. For the uninitiated, about the same effect as taking a large dose of the stuff.

Or am I imagining reading it?

Adrian

[MikeW]

Pink Gin (Gin with a splash of Bitters) was the RNAS "stereotypical" drink, I suspect that's what a visiting RFC officer might have been given whether he wanted it or not!

The Naval squadrons kept as many of their traditions as possible after April 1st 1918, and I don't suppose they let their drinking habits change.

I assume that the ratings got the usual issue of a tot of rum every day - not the namby pamby stuff you can buy today, but really evil stuff that had to be watered down.

Mike

[Guest Biplane pilot]

"Alcohol fuels all wars." WW II Martin B-26 pilot.

That ancient wisdom is less true today, but I know for certain that some clear hooch has made its way to Mesopotamia in bottles labled "rubbing alcohol." Among my friends it's colloqually known as "foot medicine."