29 replies to this topic

[NigelP]

there are digitised versions of the Defence of the Realm Manual 1918 online at http://www.archive.o...earich_djvu.txt and the Food Supply Manual 1918 http://www.archive.o...earich_djvu.txt

[Scalyback]

Currently on Yesderday channel is "Edwardian supersize me". Slightly pre-war but upper middle class and upper class would by the looks of it eat a lot.

So coming back to DORA. Is the control of eating out seen to be "clamping down"? With my reference to rabbits earlier. I think Socio-economic groups in town and country would be diffrent at the time? Low paid farm worker would be able to obtain meat(be it rabbit, duck or other) compared to a inner city worker?

Out of intrest, what did officers have sent to them in hampers from Fortnum and Mason?

[centurion]

Scalyback, on 21 December 2011 - 09:37 PM, said:

Currently on Yesderday channel is "Edwardian supersize me". Slightly pre-war but upper middle class and upper class would by the looks of it eat a lot.

So coming back to DORA. Is the control of eating out seen to be "clamping down"? With my reference to rabbits earlier. I think Socio-economic groups in town and country would be diffrent at the time? Low paid farm worker would be able to obtain meat(be it rabbit, duck or other) compared to a inner city worker?

Out of intrest, what did officers have sent to them in hampers from Fortnum and Mason?

Some had a special box of Cocaine, Heroin and Opium (and a hypodermic) in a Fortnum and Mason's gift wrapping (I kid you not) - this was legal then (but made illegal mid war)

[Scalyback]

Aware of the extra help, as such. Cpl Jones you can not have a beer in the trench. However 2nd Lt Jones-Griffiths can have a nice line in hard drugs..........


Any sources for officer dining out of the line in the regimental mess and how the cooks obtained the said food? Fortnum and Mason(other brands of hamper availble) say "While the usual quantity of tuck found its way to the trenches, where we soon learned that only metal tins were any use against the ever-present gourmet rats."

How can you have a supply line one way without restrictions, yet at home say limit what you can eat? Just found this food and socio-economic thing intresting!

[Magnumbellum]

One source of extra-to-official-rations food in the field generally, not just the trenches, was from local farms, sometimes literally stolen (livestock or vegetables), sometimes bartered in one way or another.

On informal rationing at home, I had a first-hand account from a child in WW1: the word went out that the local grocer had a supply of jam. Customers were required to bring their own jar, into which the jam was ladled from a vat - one jar full per customer, so large families would send several childrem each with a jar.