Memories

Jam & toast anyone?

During our training in England, and because we were part of the British Army, we were served British rations.  Most of the food offered was tolerable.  However the only meat served was mutton and one soon tires of that!

Our eating utensils consisted of two 1/32" thick aluminum rectangular receptacles approximately 5 1/4" by 7" by 2 1/2", one of which was slightly smaller so that it would fit into the other. 

As we approached the serving area, the largest of the two utensils was held out into which the daily fare was dumped. i.e. mashed potatoes, mutton with gravy and some vegetable such as peas or beans.  Now, on to the dessert which was dumped in a corner of the same tin (if the presenter didn't have a grudge with you) .  Finally, if you were lucky, a slice of good old 3/4" thick English bread was placed on top.  Most of the time it fell into the gravy and syrup of the peaches or pears or whatever.

Next you moved on to the beverage and that was tea.  Tea with all the embellishments, milk and sugar whether you liked it that way or not.  Now with both tins held out before you, you had to find a table that wasn't occupied and or wet and messy from the previous occupant.

Remember there were almost one thousand of us in this camp and the mess hall (good name for it) couldn't accommodate all of us at once.  By the time you sat down, the gravy had usually congealed into a grayish paste , as unappetizing as one can imagine.  Even the dessert was contaminated and smelled like a wet dog.  On top of this the bread was usually soggy in places where it had come in contact with whatever was in your tin, so it wasn't much to enjoy either.  As for the tea, you either burned your lips on the hot metal or you drank it cold; cooled down by the wonderful heat-sink the aluminum contributed.

The very versatile aluminum mess tin served a multiple of other tasks. Like this picture of an officer and gentleman, making himself presentable despite the cold water and the trusty mess tin, for a sink. Last but not least the mess tin can is used as a lavatory if you are not able to leave your position without being shot!

Here we have the personal mess tin being put to another use, this time, depending on the meal of the day such as beef stew, mashed potatoes, perhaps some corn and finally tucked in a corner that is still slightly available, the dessert, most likely peaches or pears in syrup. A horrid mixture to say the least. In a tight spot the trusty mess tin can be used as an entrenching tool to hurriedly dig a shallow trough in which to try and hide your body when the enemy likes to welcome you at meal time with a bombardment of mortars. A most annoying trick!

Being an observant type, I soon noticed that the reinforcements usually arrived at our camp in the early evening, after a long journey from Liverpool and were immediately told to leave everything on the parade square and move into the mess hall for a hot (ugh) meal.  I knew exactly what was contained in the large wicker baskets they left on the parade square beside their personal belongings.  These baskets contained their dry rations for the trip from Liverpool to our camp.  I wonder who the idiot was who provided dry rations for troops traveling on a British train where there were no facilities for cooking and preparing this food?  Consequently, the trip was usually made without preparing or eating any food!

Having experienced this nonsense, I knew exactly what to do.  As soon as it got dark I'd make a dash for the baskets and remove tins of M&V (meat-real beef and vegetables), jam, butter, tea, sugar, powdered milk and loaves of bread, making several trips to and from my quarters.  Fortunately I was billeted next to the parade square so I had not far to go.  I made a hole in the wall by my bed in which I would drop these supplies, with a loose board at the bottom from which I could remove my supplies.  The hole at the top I covered with a picture of the King and Queen. There were 'pinups' of semi-naked beauties here and there about the quarters so one more picture wouldn't attract attention.  I took a bit of razzing because of my choice of pin-up but it was just the right size to cover my "deposit hole" so I was happy.

I soon became very popular as the guys would come to me and ask for something to eat for which I charged a fair commission.  Eventually I was able to afford a hot plate, and toast was added to the menu, for a price of course.

One day a surprise inspection of our quarters was held . "Stand by your beds" was shouted and to my horror the Sgt. Major started tearing the pictures of the scantily clad ladies off the wall. I was worried almost sick when he approached my area but to my utter amazement the Sgt. Major stopped and said in a loud voice so all the troops in the room could hear "Now here is a patriotic chap, too bad there aren't more of you like that, carry on Robson, good show!"  With that he moved on and continued his mopping up exercise.  Even the officers accompanying the Sgt. Major commented "good lad" or "jolly good show" etc., etc. I couldn't believe my luck and no one in our room gave me away!

I have since learned that some of the barracks have been torn down and my hut was one of them. I wonder what the workers thought as they came upon my food cache?

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