Lambs to the Slaughter

[alantwo]

The embarkation returns have turned up an interesting entry that I haven't seen before. The HT Commodore left Alexandria on 20th May 1915 with various Australian and New Zealand units, the latter bring on another page. In the columns usually reserved for horses, mules and dogs, it indicates 507 sheep are on board, presumably heading for a field butchery unit.

Alan

For reference my photograph of the embarkation file at Kew.

[butler]

It may be a coincidence but the return shows 508 personnel. The column heading 'sheep' and '507' are in a different hand, possibly the officer superintending the embarkation. Does it mean the OC troops on board and his 507 'sheep' 

[TullochArd]

Fascinating insight alantwo. 

Here's one from the AWM entitled "Indian soldier minding sheep supplied for rations, Gallipoli, August 1915 (Australian War Memorial C01614). 

Seems unlikely that any of the May 1915 draft you clocked will be amongst this crowd in August 1915!

[stevenbecker]

We forget that certain units eat differently then us

Having been attached to both a Pakistanie and Turkish Bn overseas, the standard English breakfast is not served.

S.B

[TullochArd]

7 hours ago, stevenbecker said:

We forget that certain units eat differently then us

Having been attached to both a Pakistanie and Turkish Bn overseas, the standard English breakfast is not served.

S.B

...... and the dreaded chicken sausage always proved a poor substitute for the good old pork sausage and couple of rashers of bacon it replaced.  Back in Gallipoli I suppose a tin of bully beef proved an equally contentious item to others.

Edited 2 May , 2023 by TullochArd

[593jones]

9 hours ago, TullochArd said:

...... and the dreaded chicken sausage always proved a poor substitute for the good old pork sausage and couple of rashers of bacon it replaced.  Back in Gallipoli I suppose a tin of bully beef proved an equally contentious item to others.

John Masters mentioned a Gurkha battalion on the Western Front was sent a consignment of corned beef.  The CO called for the senior Gurkha officer and indicated the tins, which had a picture of a cow on the label.  The Gurkha officer said 'We are here to kill Germans, sahib, we cannot do that if we do not eat.  Remove the labels and tell the men it is corned goat.'  Problem solved!