WWII Chow Memories

Hello, my name is Kent Whitaker and I am working on my new book, Im a cookbook author, that combines WWII era recipes from military sources and civilians with memories from WWII veterans about their best food... or worst food eaten in the military.

I would love to include more memories, brief in nature - a paragraph to a few paragraphs, from veterans from Allied countries. I have only a few from British veterans, a few from Canada, several from Australia, and of course I have many from the USA where I live and can interview people.

I would also love to hear from cooks, or even relatives sharing a story from a loved one in their honor. Any help would be appreciated. My wife and I hope to increase our giving to our local VA clinic and hopefully one day help out with scholarships to our sons college where he is a cadet.

My wife and I are both from military families, our child serves as do our nephews. We thank you in advance for any help, and of course your service.

Please email me any questions to
thedeckchef@hotmail.com

Thanks again - Kent Whitaker

 

Hello Kent,

I'm not sure if this is your sort of thing but I have a 1945 copy of the War Office 'Manual of Army Catering Services, Part 1-General'. This covers the admin structure of army catering units, the duties of officers, training establishments, various training courses, nutrition, methods of cooking rations, and diets in hospitals. It includes suggested recipes for various foods using basic rations and supplies. I'm happy to photo and put up parts of this manual that might interest you.

If anybody out there has a copy of part 2 I would be very interested....

CS

 

The bark-bread springs to mind. When I was growing up I could never whine about not liking a dish without my nan going "the four Yorkshire men" on me and then tell about the bark-bread they had during the war.

With grain beeing taken by the germans, and grains of oats likewise everything was in short supply.

Apparently they made a sourdough and mixed whatever flour they had with bark.

I remember my oldest son got to make some during the VE day last year.

 

Hello Kent,

I'm not sure if this is your sort of thing but I have a 1945 copy of the War Office 'Manual of Army Catering Services, Part 1-General'. This covers the admin structure of army catering units, the duties of officers, training establishments, various training courses, nutrition, methods of cooking rations, and diets in hospitals. It includes suggested recipes for various foods using basic rations and supplies. I'm happy to photo and put up parts of this manual that might interest you.

If anybody out there has a copy of part 2 I would be very interested....

CS
Hey Capt. Thanks for the reply. Look through it and pick two or three things that you find interesting and pass them on to me if you dont mind. I would need the complete manual name and date as well. Your choice! Any help would be appreciated. Either a safety tip, cooking method, recipes are always good, pull quote etc. Shoot me an email at thedeckchef@hotmail.com if you have any questions. Thanks - Kent

 

Kent,

Hello and welcome to the forum.
If you have not already seen these links, they look interesting.

http://www.wardetectives.info/scotlands%20war/files/pdf/pr/recipes.pdf

Frugal Recipes From Wartime Britain

Recipes of Wartime Europe

Regards
Tom

 

connie onnie butty..still eat em today..and woolton pie..

 

Hey Capt. Thanks for the reply. Look through it and pick two or three things that you find interesting and pass them on to me if you dont mind. I would need the complete manual name and date as well. Your choice! Any help would be appreciated. Either a safety tip, cooking method, recipes are always good, pull quote etc. Shoot me an email at thedeckchef@hotmail.com if you have any questions. Thanks - Kent

No problem, Kent. Give me a day or two and I'll get it scanned.

CS

 

No problem, Kent. Give me a day or two and I'll get it scanned.

CS

Mods...I have scanned it and saved it as a pdf but it comes out at 14 megs even when zipped - any ideas?

H

 

Can you break it in half if it is multi page? I can take 10 meg files via email.

 

Kent,

Hello and welcome to the forum.
If you have not already seen these links, they look interesting.

http://www.wardetectives.info/scotlands%20war/files/pdf/pr/recipes.pdf

Frugal Recipes From Wartime Britain

Recipes of Wartime Europe

Regards
Tom
Hey Tom, thanks for the reply. Those links were wonderful to check out. Tons of reading. I love information like that. But I do need some individual memories from veterans and even people who have WWII home front "Chow" related memories. I can't use stuff straight from the boards - or web- because of legal stuff. So individual contact is a necessity if the person cares to share some info for my work. I have had a few responses from this post. 1 from a WWII veteran, and 2 sent in honor of the deceased father. Thanks much!

 

Can you break it in half if it is multi page? I can take 10 meg files via email.

Yes, I expect so but I will need the assistance of a young person in the office on Monday, very little technology here at home.WIP.

H

 

My mother -and many people in Holland- ate soup made of suger beets or tulip bulbs during the "Hongerwinter" (Winter of Starvation 44-45) cooked on a small stove which burned on anything flammable that could be obtained, because there was no gas or power.
Like the recipe?

Levien.

 

Doesnt yahoo mail allow big file attachments now?

 

I remember my oldest son got to make some during the VE day last year


I notice you don't mention him getting to EAT any!

 

I don't know if this is what you are looking but attached are the contents of P.O.W. Red Cross parcels.

 

Doesnt yahoo mail allow big file attachments now?

For files up to 100 Mb I use YouSendIt - Send large files - transfer delivery - FTP Replacement , Urqh.

 

I notice you don't mention him getting to EAT any!

We all tried it, and it was as expected emergency chow.

 

And as your son made it ...you were the good little daddy..yum yum..give us the recipe son..we ll have that again eh mum.??

 

My lad is 11 years old and his oversized evil brain has found all the right buttons.

"... I thought you were a hardcore Jaeger dad? Have you become a POG since you took control of the COY?"

I'm sending him to the Mech infantry in the Armoured bn. let's see how he likes it there. (well I am sending all three of my sons there...Serve them right for keeping me awake all those nights...)