A Soldier's Menu in the UK

[clive_hughes]

In my past research I found a newspaper advertisement (in Welsh) from October 1915 which was aimed at attracting recruits for the reserve 3/6th RWF (then at Park Hall, near Oswestry) by detailing the menu for a typical week in camp!  I have tried to find an English equivalent for the same advert, but failed.  So I reproduce it here in case it may be of interest to someone.

 

SUNDAY:  Daybreak - Nil.   Breakfast - Porridge, Tea, Bread & butter, Fried steak, onions.  Dinner - Roast meat, Potatoes, Carrots, Jam Roll.  Tea - Tea, Bread & butter, Tinned pears, Custard.

                 Supper -    Pea soup.

 

MONDAY:  Daybreak - Cocoa & biscuits.   Breakfast - Porridge, Tea, Bread & butter, Bacon.  Dinner - Meat pastie, plum pudding.  Tea - Tea, Bread & butter & Jam, Cake [?or jam & cake].

                 Supper -    Soup, Tomatoes & chips [they might mean Tomato soup & chips?].

 

 

TUESDAY:  Daybreak - Tea & biscuits.   Breakfast - Porridge, Tea, Bread & butter, Sausages.  Dinner - Meat, Roast potatoes, Bread pudding.  Tea - Tea, Bread & butter, Herrings and

                   tomatoes.  Supper -  Bean soup.

 

 

WEDNESDAY:  Daybreak - Coffee & biscuits.   Breakfast - Porridge, Tea, Bread & butter, Bacon.  Dinner - Lobscouse and dumplings.  Tea - Tea, Bread & butter, Beef roll.  Supper -  Soup.

 

THURSDAY:  Daybreak - Cocoa & biscuits.   Breakfast - Tea, Bread & butter, Fresh herrings.  Dinner - Meat pastie, Currant roll.  Tea - Tea, Bread & butter, Jam cake [?see Monday].  Supper -  Pea

                      soup.

 

FRIDAY:   Daybreak - Tea & biscuits.   Breakfast - Porridge, Tea, Bread & butter, Liver & bacon.  Dinner - Potato soup, Peas, Fig pudding.  Tea - Tea, Bread & butter, Bloaters.  Supper -  Tomatoes &

                 chips.

 

SATURDAY:  Daybreak - Coffee & biscuits.   Breakfast - Tea, Bread & butter, Beef rissoles.  Dinner -  Roast meat, Potatoes, Cauliflower, Bread pudding.   Tea - Tea, Bread &

                     butter, Salad.  Supper -  Pea soup.  

 

Enjoy!

Clive

Edited 15 December , 2018 by clive_hughes

[Acknown]

I wonder if the actuality measured up to the advert. But I learned a new word; Lobscouse. I see the Hairy Bikers have a recipe:  https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/lobscousecasserole_91838.

Acknown

[Phil Evans]

How does the menu at Romsey Remount Depot compare?

 

Phil

 

 

[Fattyowls]

Where do I sign?

 

Pete.

[clive_hughes]

My Mum used to make lobscouse for us - I didn't appreciate it much back then!  It's been around for a long time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnl-jOnoYgg

 

Interesting that in the Winter 1917 sheets there are maybe more elements such as dripping, grease, margarine, and no butter?  Result of submarine warfare?  They also seem to be taking turns by squadron to have sausages!?    

 

[Scalyback]

1 minute ago, clive_hughes said:

My Mum used to make lobscouse for us - I didn't appreciate it much back then!  It's been around for a long time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnl-jOnoYgg

 

Interesting that in the Winter 1917 sheets there are maybe more elements such as dripping, grease, margarine, and no butter?  Result of submarine warfare?  They also seem to be taking turns by squadron to have sausages!?    

 

 

Oi ONE sausage only. Has always been the cry of army cooks it appears. 

 

Easier to mass cater without butter or use less of it?  Nutrition science as It was at the time did advance during the war, so I wonder if the change could be a result of that rather than a lack of actual butter? Any civilian restriction of butter? 

[seaJane]

Or, more demand for milk so less milk to spare for butter?

[Acknown]

I believe that butter and margarine were both rationed on the Home Front in 1918; 4 ozs per adult or child.

I'm still searching for a reason why butter was rationed, although it appears that milk was not. Of interest, one academic study notes falls in vitamins B12 and D consumption later in the war, 'both are likely to be related to the substitution of margarine for butter and falls in the consumption of other dairy products.' https://academic.oup.com/ereh/article/17/1/71/492698

Acknown

Addition: cost may be a reason. The price of milk increased from 1d to 6d between the early 1900s and 1918.

Edited 16 December , 2018 by Acknown
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