This is Remembrance Day in Canada, Veterans Day in The U.S., and Armistice Day in the UK. All these observances mark the end of the First World War, and honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty. Let’s not forget what they ate in the line of duty…
Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast: With a side of Scrambled Eggs,
no doubt made from a powdered dried concentrate.
In fact, Remembrance or Armistice Day is celebrated across the British Commonwealth and in other countries as well. All have their own culinary traditions and all commemorate the day in their own way. One element that unites all of the Remembrance services, though, is the observance of one or two minutes of silence at the moment the Armistice was signed to end the First World War: 11 minutes past 11 o’clock on November 11.
Thereafter – here in Canada at least – folks generally remove the commemorative paper Poppy from the lapels of their winter coats and lay it on the step of the Cenotaph where they have come to remember. Here in Ottawa, we gather at the National War Memorial for the main ceremony, and leave our Poppies at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in front of the Monument. Then, we go for lunch.
We have things pretty good, these days
We eat like Kings these days, compared to what our fighting forces subsisted on during their time on the battlefields, before the great minds at HQ came up with Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) and other mess line upgrades that form the backbone of the diet today’s soldiers enjoy…
Tear open a can of SPAM or Argentinian Salt Beef today and slice it up for Sandwiches to get a taste of how the fighting men of two World Wars sustained themselves on deployment, often spooning it straight out of the can.
Cook up a pot of Chipped Beef and serve it on Toast, the way the mess sergeants of the past all-too-often presented it to their ‘customers’.
Open a can of Peaches in Syrup and recall what a treat they were for the men in the field – when their Composite Rations Boxes yielded up such treats.
Boil up a pot of Carrots and understand why so many soldiers came home from the Wars with a pronounced weariness over the vegetable – one of the few ‘regular’ Veggies they got regularly overseas.
Likewise, learn to appreciate why many veterans of my Dad’s generation so thoroughly deplored watery Mashed Potatoes, made from a powdery or flaky dried concentrate.
Treasure a simple bar of Milk Chocolate – a rare treat occasionally produced from the ration kits and one much savoured by its recipients.
Imagine what it was like to receive some canned Cheese-like food. You’d be surprised how similar it seems to today’s American (Processed) Cheese. Actually, Processed Cheese was developed expressly for the Army, to have a long shelf life.
And… You could spoon out your canned Cheese onto a slice of Canned Bread, also included in some ration packs. It’s hard to find today, but you can improvise.
You’ll be glad you did!
Share the memories
Sampling what they ate is just one way to share memories with those old soldiers who still survive to observe Remembrance Day. It will make an impression on you that you’ll never forget…
~ Maggie J.