WWII Rations and Mess Kits

Sgt. Henry Klein, N.Y.C., manager of new USAFIME, Cairo, Hgs Post Exchange sells T/4 Ralph Lohman his ration of American beer. Seven cans were rationed in Sept. but future deliveries were uncertain.

 

Heres a great video!! LOL

'Allies make a refrigerator from salvaged plane parts to cool… beer! Eggs too. On the island of Kwajalein."

WWII - Improvised Icebox Made on a Hot Pacific Island

 

Not to neglect the other side for Christmas .




[SIZE=-1]Men of 4(MG)Kompanie/Inf.Reg.24/21.Inf.Div, Christmas 1939[/SIZE]

 

From: Dealing with Cuts in German Rations


Background: The Nazi Party depended heavily on speakers to get its message across. Those speakers needed to be informed. The following is a translation of instructions to speakers in March 1942 on what to say about significant cuts in food rations for the population. The material was labeled "Very Confidential!," although there was not all that much secret in it.

The source: Redner-Schnellinformation, Lieferung 29, 16 March 1942.


Advice to Speakers


On the new rationing measures:
As of 6 April, new rations for meat, fat, and bread go into effect. These include cuts in various areas. Since this will affect morale, increased propaganda is necessary. Speakers should follow the following guidelines.

1. The primary line of thinking should be taken from the article by State Secretary Backe of the Reich Ministry of Food, which will appear in the 19 March issue of the "Völkischer Beobachter." In addition, an issue of the "Sonderdienst der Reichspropagandaleitung" will provide some important guidelines.

2. Speakers should stress the following points:

a) The military has increased need for food, above all bread, fat, and meat. This is necessary first, because the size of the military has increased, and second, because of the extraordinary demands of the Eastern Front, which can be met only by a corresponding increase in food. The hardest work demands the best nourishment.
b) A strong front requires that the home front be just as strong. There has also been a clear increase in heavy labor, those working long shifts, and those working at night. The men and women working in armaments factories and other facilities important for the military effort need increased food because of the extraordinary work they do for the victory of German weapons. Their number has increased significantly in recent months, which has strained existing supplies.
c) The prevailing labor shortage in the Reich has demanded the recruitment of foreign labor. Currently, about 2.5 million foreign workers are active with us. This means a clear increase in demand on the available food supplies.
d) The previous successful campaigns in all parts of Europe resulted in many millions of prisoners. These people should and must work for us, which also requires that they be fed. In this regard, speakers should note, for example, that we urgently need to use captured Bolshevists for our labor needs. Many of these prisoners are particularly important to us as agricultural laborers, given the prevailing labor shortage there. Their work will benefit our future food needs.
e) The occupied territories have a large part of the advanced industries that support our military economy. It is of great importance for us to assists in feeding the people who work there. Therefore, we have supplied food to these areas, since it is necessary for our military strength.
f) Our heroic ally Finland particularly needs our help. Even during peace time, this country depended on foreign imports to a significant degree, since neither the soil nor the climate permit harvests sufficient to support Finland. In addition, the war it lost in 1939/1940 because of the cowardly Soviet attack did serious damage. Today, its whole people stands with us in a single strong community, fighting for its freedom and its future. Nearly all men between 16 and 60 are serving in the military, defending their land in exhausting combat to free their devastated home soil from the Bolshevists. Last year's harvest was scanty and insufficient. In view of their heroism, we owe them as much help as possible. This is a matter of ancient German loyalty, which is ready to stand loyally alongside a military brother.
​

3. One must also remember that since the beginning of Germany's fateful struggle, the weather has been against us. Not only were the winters severe, but summers have also been unfriendly. The chattering of old religious fanatics that this is "divine punishment" can be answered by noting that these conditions also affect our enemies. The weather does not only affect Germany, but rather our opponents just as much. Nonetheless, the weather resulted in only average harvests for the past two years. Given the increased demand and the shortage of agricultural labor, as well as the significance appropriate distribution has for the victory of German weapons, each people's comrade must exhibit the strongest discipline.

4. No predictions about the future of the German food supply are to be made. The theme of "exploiting new territories in the East," primarily the Ukraine, should also be avoided if at all possible. When discussions in the area make it necessary to deal with the question, it should be pointed out that:

a) The land was harmed by Bolshevist mismanagement, such that rapid and noticeable assistance from these areas cannot be expected,
b) The only possibility in the coming year is that the harvest, in for example the Ukraine, would go to the military, which could bring some relief to the homeland.
​

Therefore, we must be firmly determined and sufficiently disciplined to rely on that which we can produce ourselves. The unavoidable shortages that will result should be used by speakers to point out the necessity of a victorious conclusion to our fateful battle.
Our present shortage of land determines our situation. The primary goal of our struggle is finally to overcome Germany's eternal poverty and misery. Each people has the right to existence. A people of such high racial and ethnic value as the Germans, a people whose creative strengths benefit the whole world, must above all fight so that it can live.
We can be secure in the future only if we overcome the current unjust distribution of the world's goods. A few peoples are blessed with all the riches of this earth, which are in the hands of a small upper class, whereas other more capable, highly advanced peoples are crammed into insufficient territories.

5. Language guidelines on the theme:
It is absolutely forbidden to discuss the health consequences of the new rations, whether in a positive or negative sense. Rather, make it absolutely clear to all people's comrades that we absolutely refuse to make reduced rations a matter of victory or loss. Even after the new rations take effect, food supplies will be better than they were during the last year of the World War. And a defeat would led us into entirely different problems, which would have to be borne without hope. Millions of German men, women, and children would die. Therefore, everything we now have to tolerate is insignificant.

II. No black marketeering
A few days after the propaganda campaign on the new rations for some foodstuffs begins, Reich Minister Dr. Goebbels will publish an article in the "VB" against black marketeering. Speakers should wait for this article, then use it in their meetings in connection with the situation. At the same time, appropriate examples should be given as good models. The next issue of the "Sonderdienst der Reichspropagandaleitung" will provide examples for speakers.

 

Pic of Sunderland flying boat crew at meal time on patrol...

 

Russian Ration Info

Quantities sound odd but this was supposed to be in grams

 

The Treatment of Soviet POWs: Starvation, Disease, and Shootings, June 1941- January 1942

Being sub-humans, I suppose they would have no reason to complain.

 

Looking at some of the ration stories from other country's POWs the German's feeding of certain POWs was not a priority or concern.

 

Back to the Christmas theme

 

UK POWs

 

Christmas on a British Battleship

 

[SIZE=-1]Christmas dinner overseas, December 25, 1943:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Turkey![/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Me - the handsome waiter![/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Our Xmas cake, Sausa & Lahey (Italian P.W. in background)[/SIZE]

 

In North Africa

 

Christmas in World War II
(from Business with Pleasure by Carrie Leonard)

Christmas 1941 was once more almost upon us, and in honour of the age-old festival, the men did an act that will always endear them to me. They contacted the Matron of the local orphanage, and as there were a couple of hundred of the men, they asked for a corresponding number of the children’s names and promised to make toys for them. The names went into a hat back at the camp, and each man drew a name. I saw the toys when they were ready to be sent away and never before have I seen such original ideas. One in particular impressed me, both by reason of the time and care that had been taken with it and the beauty of the craftsmanship. It was a model of a pleasure yacht, and the decks were all inlaid with small plates of glass so that it was possible to see below the upper deck into the cocktail bar below. Here, everything was complete to the tiniest detail. There were tiny bar counters, a minute cabinet, and even the tiny scarlet painted stools had not been forgotten. All the toys gave great pleasure, as can be imagined, but I would have willingly changed places with the little fat, curly headed boy who received the yacht, so I might have kept it for my own. The maker of the yacht found himself in great demand after that, and he was prevailed upon to draw the design for a Christmas card for the whole Battery. It was beautifully done and I still have mine as a souvenir of those grand and thoughtful men.
Unfortunately there is usually a ‘fly in the ointment’ and in this unit it was in the form of a Sergeant, who was what is known in the army as ‘stripe happy’. He was thoroughly disliked by all the fellows, and at Christmas, when most things are put down to high spirits, they seized their chance to get their revenge. One night, they sneaked into his quarters and took his tunic, which they knew he would be wearing during Christmas. They then turned it inside out, stuck flypapers down the whole length of the sleeves and turned it back the right way again. Then they returned the tunic to its original place and waited for results. They didn’t have long to wait, for the Sergeant decided to dress up that night as he was going down to the village. The lads waited outside, hidden behind the next hut, and in a few minutes they were rewarded with the knowledge that they had done their work thoroughly. The air turned blue with the stream of threats and their awful language which the ‘unfortunate’ Sergeant poured forth, and the culprits hugged themselves with delight as they fled away to where they could release their bottled up laughter without fear of the result.
In this camp, the time-honoured Army Customs were faithfully carried out. For instance, the cheekiest gunner in the camp was elected to be Orderly Officer, and he strutted around the camp rather like a Bantam Cock, all dressed up in the Captain’s uniform. The officers and sergeants had to do all the fatigues that were normally done by the other ranks, and the perky little gunner put them all on duty in the cookhouse, and on guard at the gate, and rated them soundly when he thought that their work was not up to standard. The Crowning Joy of course was at the long awaited Christmas Dinner, for the officers and sergeants had to wait on the men, clear the tables, and do the washing up. Many and loud were the complaints about the water. Cheeky remarks were flying about, and many of the officers must have felt uneasy as they heard the home truths coming out.
The meal over, the next item on the Agenda was the “Stage Coach”. This peculiar contraption was piled high with men, and off they tore down the middle of the road. There was quite a rough house, and one of the riders, a Sergeant, was flung off the coach into the road. The merry throng on board bowled on their way and didn’t even take the trouble to stop for him. There he lay, in the middle of the road, and as chance would have it, a car was coming along the road at the same time. It was only the quick thinking of the driver of the car, and the swift action of pulling hard on his brakes, which averted what might have been a nasty accident. Still, all’s well that ends well, and if the Sergeant entertained any hard feelings, they were soon forgotten in the general merry making that soon followed.

The People Along the Sand

 

Christmas turkeys New Guinea 1944-45

 

German POWs in the UK Rations.

Another strange aspect of life in a British prison camp was the fact that prisoners received the same amount of daily rations as British servicemen, which turned out to be more than the civilian population received. So in effect the German POWs were better fed than the civilian population of Britain! The German working prisoner recieved weekly: 42ozs of meat, 8ozs of bacon, 5½ lbs of bread, 10½ ozs of margarine as well as vegetables, cheese, cake, jam and tea. These amounts were increased slightly in June 1945. A typical daily menu (this one came from camp 197) consisted of the following:
Breakfast: A quarter of bread, margarine and tea.
Dinner: Pork with potatoes
Supper: Milk, Soup and a fifth of bread.

Prisoners of War

 

U.S. War Department Technical Manual, TM-E 30-451: Handbook on German Military Forces published in March 1945.

CHAPTER VIII. EQUIPMENT
Section VII. FIELD RANGES AND COOKING EQUIPMENT
1. General Various types of field ranges and other cooking equipment are issued to units of the German Army. The most important of these include: rolling field kitchens, field ranges, fireless cookers, and cooking outfit, 15.
2. Rolling Field Kitchens
a. GENERAL. Horse-drawn rolling field kitchens are issued to non-mechanized units. The large rolling field kitchen will serve 125 to 225 men; the small rolling field kitchen, 50 to 125 men. Smaller units do not receive field kitchens but get either fireless cookers or cooking outfits, 15.
b. LIMBER AND TRAILER. The rolling field kitchen consists of two parts: the detachable limber and the trailer, on which the field range is mounted. It is drawn either by two or four horses. The limber, on which the driver and cook may ride only during rapid marches, is used to transport most of the supplies, including the extra iron rations which are carried for emergency use only. After the kitchen has been set up, the limber may be used alone to get additional supplies. Under some circumstances the rolling field kitchen without the limber is issued to motorized units, and additional supplies are carried in the light truck used to move the kitchen.
c. COOKING UTENSILS. (1) Range. The range itself, mounted on the trailer, can burn either coal, coke, briquettes, or wood. The following is considered the normal issue of fuel:
Large
Field Kitchen Small
Field Kitchen Briquettes . . . . . 187 pounds 66 pounds or Wood . . . . . 82 pounds 29 pounds or Briquettes . . . . . 77 pounds 33 pounds and Wood . . . . . 48 pounds 13 pounds
The range normally is used as a fireless cooker, especially when underway. Fires are built in the fire boxes, but as soon as steam starts to escape from the safety valve the fire is banked and allowed to go out. This practice both saves fuel and prevents revealing the unit's position by the smoke.
(2) Stew kettle. The main part of the range is a large stew kettle, a kind of double boiler which has a second slightly larger shell around the food kettle. A special liquid between the inner and outer kettles keeps the heat evenly distributed and prevents burning. The double shell cover is provided with a safety valve. The actual capacity of the kettle of the large range is 200 liters (53 gallons), and its cooking capacity is 175 liters (46 gallons). The small range holds 125 liters (33 gallons) and can cook about 110 liters (29 gallons) of soup, stew, boiled meat, or vegetables at one time.
(3) Coffee kettle. The coffee kettle has a single shell but a double cover with a safety valve. Ninety liters (24 gallons) of coffee can be prepared at one time in the large range, and 60 liters (16 gallons) in the small one. There is a faucet to draw off the coffee. There is also a broiler in some of the ranges. All have a separate fire box, but use the same chimney.
(4) Food containers. After the food has been prepared, it may be transported forward in insulated food containers, six of which are provided with each large rolling field kitchen, four with each small one. These containers hold 12 liters (about 12 1/2 quarts) and weigh about 18 pounds. They consist of an inner and an outer container with air space between them to act as insulation. Special carrying harnesses may be attached to the rings at the four corners of the back.
3. Field Ranges
Field ranges are provided for motorized units. These consist of the same type ranges as used with the rolling field kitchen mounted on a stand in the back of a truck. The supplies which accompany the range are packed in a special chest.
4. Fireless Cookers
Either large or small fireless cookers may be provided for units of less than 60 men. The large fireless cooker outfit, which weighs 77 pounds, has an insert kettle of 25 liters capacity, while the small one, weighing 53 pounds, has a pot of 15 liters capacity. A cooking fork, butcher's knife, and ladle, as well as a coffee sieve complete the outfit.
5. Cooking Outfit, 15
This 29-pound cooking outfit is issued to groups smaller than those using the fireless cooker. It consists of three nesting pots of 9, 10, and 12 liters (2 to 2 1/2 gallons) capacity, with a ladle, 10 plates, and 10 combination fork-spoons.
6. Bakery Equipment
a. BAKE OVEN TRAILER. The German field bake oven consists of a trailer with draw-hearth type ovens, heated by the steam-pipe principle. Seven trailers are issued per bakery company. b. DOUGH MIXER. The German dough mixer, mounted on a single axle trailer, is operated by a gasoline engine. Two are authorized per bakery company.

 

"As Christmas loomed, Otto, a company executive officer, says he wanted to get something special together for the guys under his command. "My guys didn’t have enough of anything, shoes, clothes, etc.," he says.
"We had a medical guy," he continues. "Every morning he would run from a house we were in to a small barn, where there was a goat. "He would milk the goat into his helmet and then run back to the house. The Germans would shoot at him, but they never hit him. Our radio man was a baker and knew where to find some flour. Another fellow found some apples. I said I’d get the sugar. At the time, we were getting C rations. So, when the rations were being broken down at company headquarters, I took all the sugar from the rations. The guys squawked, but I blamed it all on battalion headquarters.
"The baker got everything together and made apple pies. When they were ready, we took them out to all the strong points, to the machine gun crews, that sort of thing. It was their Christmas present. It worked real nice. I told them, ‘Here’s the damned sugar you were bitching about!’"

America in WWII magazine: Christmas, Hanukkah, Chikaskia, 82nd Airborne, Battle of the Bulge