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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Army Tea


drummer

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Strictly civvie tea this, but a recent discovery on my part...

Stew Darjeeling as long as you dare. Because it's so mild it will not become bitter, but will just get more and more flavoursome. Luvverly stuff!

Anyone else remember the Typhoo Gnu?

Adrian

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Guest Dangerfield

Brand spanking new to the board and the first topic I post to is about tea. :) I enjoy the details of the Great War though and this topic is great.

Though probably well-known, tea was often referred to as 'char' which is an East Indian derivation.

On a great and most likely well-known site called firstworldwar.com there is a section that has diaries and books posted. One of them has a collection called The Best 500 Cockney War stories (a warmly recommended read!) Here's one of the stories;

We were in support trenches near Havrincourt Wood in September 1917.

At midday it was exceptionally quiet there as a rule. Titch, our little Cockney cook, proceeded one day to make us some tea by the aid of four candles in a funk-hole. To aid this fire he added the usual bit of oily "waste," and thereby caused a thin trail of smoke to rise.

The water was just on the boil when Jerry spotted our smoke and let fly in its direction everything he had handy.

Our trench was battered flat... We threw ourselves into a couple of old communication trenches. Looking around presently for our cook we found him sitting beneath a waterproof sheet calmly enjoying his sergeant-major's tea.

"Ain't none of you blokes firsty?" was his greeting.

I know there are more references to tea amongst the stories there.

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...our little Cockney cook, proceeded one day to make us some tea by the aid of four candles

Welcome to the forum, Dangerfield. Four candles to make tea? Surely not.

Gary

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Guest Dangerfield
At midday it was exceptionally quiet there as a rule. Titch, our little Cockney cook, proceeded one day to make us some tea by the aid of four candles in a funk-hole. To aid this fire he added the usual bit of oily "waste," and thereby caused a thin trail of smoke to rise.

Four candles and the usual bit of oily "waste" not to be forgotten. :)

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Excellent thread.

But here’s the thing, which is the best make/brand of tea? <_<

Personally I believe the reason why you can’t get a decent cuppa in ‘foreign parts’ is due to their obsession with Liptons Tea.

Of course I don’t count the Irish in the above as they produce, without doubt (IMHO) the finest blends in the world, the blue mountain of teas. The problem is, it’s murder trying to buy them in England and I have to get people to send them to me.

A word of warning…. If you haven’t tried Irish teas (Barry’s Classic or Gold Blend etc) then don’t. You’ll get hooked and then won’t be able to get any.

;)

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Army Tea..my old Dad said it was full of bromide to stop young soldiers getting improper thoughts and then getting the horn.

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Army Tea..my old Dad said it was full of bromide to stop young soldiers getting improper thoughts and then getting the horn.

The story goes that three old veterns were attending the funeral of another comrade and one of them said "do any of you remember the tea we got in the trenches with the bromide in it?". The other two shook their heads in wonderment at the memories a simple question brought back. "Yes indeed" said on of them "but what on earth made you think of that now after all these years". The first old guy replied "I think the bromide's working now".

Regards,

C.T.

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I wonder if Army Tea tastes so good because

a) When you get it you are desperate for it

B) It's hot and you are usually wet and cold

c) You drink it outside (the stuff from a Mess or canteen is never as good)

d) They don't beast you while your drinking it

e) It's a small comfort in a cruel world

f) It tasted foul, but we got used to it?

g) It tasted foul, but our memories 'improve' it?

h) Or, the insane are noted for their poor sense of taste. And lets face it you need to be a little cracked

to join up in the first place.

Just a thought.

:rolleyes:

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Ah, now, I see. A flaw in the system. What am I going to do...? Can't ever use a 'b' and a ')' again.

Like a picture hung badly.

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  • 4 months later...

"Tea 'healthier' drink than water "

"Drinking three or more cups of tea a day is as good for you as drinking plenty of water and may even have extra health benefits, say researchers.

The work in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition dispels the common belief that tea dehydrates.

Tea not only rehydrates as well as water does, but it can also protect against heart disease and some cancers, UK nutritionists found.

Experts believe flavonoids are the key ingredient in tea that promote health.

Healthy cuppa

These polyphenol antioxidants are found in many foods and plants, including tea leaves, and have been shown to help prevent cell damage.

Public health nutritionist Dr Carrie Ruxton, and colleagues at Kings College London, looked at published studies on the health effects of tea consumption.

They found clear evidence that drinking three to four cups of tea a day can cut the chances of having a heart attack.

Some studies suggested tea consumption protected against cancer, although this effect was less clear-cut.

Other health benefits seen included protection against tooth plaque and potentially tooth decay, plus bone strengthening.

Dr Ruxton said: "Drinking tea is actually better for you than drinking water. Water is essentially replacing fluid. Tea replaces fluids and contains antioxidants so its got two things going for it."

Rehydrating

She said it was an urban myth that tea is dehydrating.

"Studies on caffeine have found very high doses dehydrate and everyone assumes that caffeine-containing beverages dehydrate. But even if you had a really, really strong cup of tea or coffee, which is quite hard to make, you would still have a net gain of fluid.

"Also, a cup of tea contains fluoride, which is good for the teeth," she added.

There was no evidence that tea consumption was harmful to health. However,

research suggests that tea can impair the body's ability to absorb iron from food, meaning people at risk of anaemia should avoid drinking tea around mealtimes.

Dr Ruxton's team found average tea consumption was just under three cups per day.

She said the increasing popularity of soft drinks meant many people were not drinking as much tea as before.

"Tea drinking is most common in older people, the 40 plus age range. In older people, tea sometimes made up about 70% of fluid intake so it is a really important contributor," she said.

Claire Williamson of the British Nutrition Foundation said: "Studies in the laboratory have shown potential health benefits.

"The evidence in humans is not as strong and more studies need to be done. But there are definite potential health benefits from the polyphenols in terms of reducing the risk of diseases such as heart disease and cancers.

"In terms of fluid intake, we recommend 1.5-2 litres per day and that can include tea. Tea is not dehydrating. It's a healthy drink."

The Tea Council provided funding for the work. Dr Ruxton stressed that the work was independent. "

Cut n'paste from

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/5281046.stm

Published: 2006/08/24 09:51:47 GMT

© BBC MMVI

regards

Richard

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Well, I'll go to the bottom of our stairs!! I cannot believe that I've just ploughed through pages and pages on WW1 tea and found that everyone has missed the point :o

Water can be from a petrol can or a corpse-filled shell hole according to taste. It may be heated using a tommy-cooker or four candle stubs. Milk? What's milk? (Rum now, that's a different matter!)

Now for the secret ingredient - the one that everyone has forgotten!! Tea always came up ready mixed with sugar and tied in a corner of a sandbag. So, if you wish to taste authentic WW1 char, add half a teaspoon of shredded jute and a tablespoon of Passchendaele mud.

Stir well, and enjoy. :D

Ian

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You forgot the bit about adding the condensed milk if and when available.

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AAAAH are we are still musing on the nectar of the Gods-ingrediants aside which I know are important we need the correct ambiance:-Rain, mud and idealy you should be immersed up to you breast pocket in a slit trench with a tactical fag glowing!

Truely this is bliss

Rob

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Do not on any account forget the Bromide. :D

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Also, earlier in this thread, someone expressed the opinion that condensed milk would run off the bread. Not so! Thousands of Liverpool kids were brought up on 'Connyonny butties' sprinkled with sugar.

Ian

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Ian I remember getting condensed milk in tooth paste type tubes in ration packs and that was flowing no where!

Rob

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Also, earlier in this thread, someone expressed the opinion that condensed milk would run off the bread.

They must have been thinking of evap(orated) or steri(lised) milk - both of which, coincidentally, were also Liverpool staples.

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Rob B: do you remember getting supplies of toothpaste in milk bottles? If so, I may have some disturbing news for you. :lol:

Siege: making a butty by pouring sterry on bread! :lol::lol:

Ian

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Ian,

I meant that they must be confusing condensed milk with evap. Personally, I still buy a can of condensed every now and again and have a crusts, condensed and sugar butty just to remind myself what it was like.

Evap, by the way, is good in real coffee, and steri, if you can still get it, was great on porridge.

Time for me cocoa, I think ...

Mick

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I must say I preferred the savory option myself - bread and drippin with enough salt to make today's health freaks swoon.

Evap, as you say, was good in coffee (though we did not aspire to real coffee) and on top of tinned fruit salad (after the fight to see who was going to get the cherry).

Sterry (however you spell it!) was something we never had though I remember it came in rather tall thin bottles sealed with a crown cap.

Ian

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  • 2 weeks later...

Very depressing news.

Sainsbury's have stopped selling their China and Darjeeling tea.

Do I have the last packet left?

regards

Richard

post-1376-1157733528.jpg

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  • 13 years later...
On 20/04/2006 at 17:16, brindlerp said:

For those interested, Tesco's sell:

Nestle Carnation Sweetened Condensed milk in a 170g tube for £0.74p.

Regards

Richard

post-1376-1145549708.jpg


There’s a reminder of the first compo ration I was issued! In 1978, I think.  Do they do a companion tube of jam??

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