A History of the Army Field Ration
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Army "Chow" and what we ate in World War II
Throughout the history of the 63rd Infantry Division I have presented information about
awards, training, combat, occupation duty, off-duty times and just about everything except
the one thing that was more important to a soldier- FOOD--well, maybe the second most
important thing.
So, with a little effort and the wonders of the Internet I have come up with a little history of
our Army rations, how they became what they were, how they were made and other great
stuff like that.
As we can all remember, one of our big complaints while in training at Camp Van Dorn
was the fact that we had to eat out of field kitches using messkits most of the time. Now,
this was OK while in the field but when we starting eating from messkits and field kitchens
in garrison that was almost too much. Little did we realize that in a few months we would
have given our "eye teeth" to have a good old "A Ration" meal from a field kitchen.
Once we arrived in France it didn't take long for us to realize that we would take meals
whenever we could and however we could. Hot meals from oujr Company or Battery
kitchens would be few and far between. So how did we sustain ourselves during the heat
of battle? How did we maintain our strength, energy and vitality when there was little time
for "chow call" and on one to prepare it for us?
Well, that is what the following articles are about. ARMY FIELD RATIONS- THE
FOOD WE LOVED TO HATE and HATED TO LOVE AT THE SAME TIME.
(Webmaster's opinion only)
WHERE DID THE "C" IN C-RATIONS COME FROM?
Have you ever wondered why C-rations are called C-rations, Ks are called K-rations and
if there are A-, B- or D-rations? Of course you have! Well not surprisingly there is a
method to the military food nomenclature madness. The letter designationss for rations
were supposed to make the military "subsistence" (Army talk for food) easier to
understand and more "rational". To understand this alphabet soup, lets first talk about
how things were going prior to WWII, describe the "new" nomenclature, and then talk a
little about some of the famous or infamous rations.
Before WWII the Army divided its subsistence requirement (for procurement purposes)
into three types of rations: The Garrison Ration, The Field Ration and the Iron Ration.
The Garrison Ration was what was sent to permanent mess halls in garrison. It was pretty
much anything you would find in any other institutional feeding facility. The Field Ration
was food appropriate for use in a field kitchen on the move. This ration consisted of
non-perishable goods- canned food and dry food mostly- that could sit in the back of a
wagon or truck for a few months without spoilage. The "Iron" Ration was the idea the US
Army borrowed from the British Army in WWI. Cans of food were issued to each
individual soldier to be kept in his pack as an emergency ration, in case he got caught
behind the lines ore couldn't get to a field kitchen (See Note 1)
Later the Army realized soldiers would dig into their iron ration anytime they couldn't get
to a field kitchen. They were using it as a "box lunch". The people in the Army
subsistence branch decided this wasn't all bad, if fact was a pretty good idea. But, there
was still a need for an emergency ration so they developed a fourth category of rations and
called it "Emergency Ration".
In the late '30s, when the US Army was reorganizing to prepare for WWII it also
reorganized its food. Under the new system, the Garrison Ration became "Field Ration
A", the Field Ration became "Field Ration B". As usual, the troops didn't use it as an
emergency ration;' they ate it as candy. The rations themselves stayed the same, only the
names changed. The change the Army made official was that
C-Rations weren't designated to be eaten for more than 3 consecutive days!!! So, the
subsistence people initially only developed 3 different menus. This is the main reason
C-rations became so hated.
THE REST OF THE ALPHABET:
When the US entered WWII there was an initial flurry of enthusiasm for special troops.
Each of these special groups wanted their own type of rations. The Paratroopers asked
for concentrated "Parachute Rations" (See Note 2)., the jungle fighters wanted a "Jungle
Ration" and when the 10th Mountain Division was being organized, they asked Army
subsistence personnel to develop a special "Mountain Ration". Each of these special
rations as well as lifeboat rations and a few others were assigned a letter "E" to "J" while
they were being developed. (See Note 3).
The Subsistence Branch tried its best, but the requests came in faster than they could
develop rations to meet them. The last straw came when General Dwight Eisenhower
asked for a special concentrated "Assault Ration" for troops to carry with them when they
stormed the beaches of Normandy. Finally the Subsistence Branch cried "foul" and
stopped working on all special orders. They agreed to develop 1 (and only 1) new
concentrated ration that would take the place of the parachute and assault rations. This
was called "Field Ration K". This was probably the most popular field ration with US
troops in WWII- except for the British "Compo" ration.
REVERSE LEND-LEASE
Ernie Pyle wrote so much about how the troops liked British Composite Rations (Compo)
that Army Subsistence decided to come up with their own Compo ration. The compo
ration was based on feeding a group of people rather than an individual. A box of Compo
would feed and infantry section (about 8-10 men) for a day or a tank crew (around 5
men) for two days. (See Note 4). The American answer to this was the "5 in 1" ration
(feeds 5 men for 1 day) which was later changed to the "10 in 1" ration.(essentially two "5
in 1" boxes). The 10 in 1 was advertised to feed 10 men for a day, five men for two days
or 1 man for 10 days. They even developed a "Squad Cooking Set" to prepare the 10 in
1 rations. This ration got to the troops in late '44 and early "45, and they loved it.
NOTES: 1. The British originally called it "iron" ration bvecause it came in metal cans.
There are a few cans of these rations on display at the Guards Museum, Wellington
Barracks, London.
2. The original parachute ration was to be based on pemmican, an American
Indian invention consisting of dried meat (jerky) pounded into powder and mixed with
dried fruit and melted. Reports were that they smelled terrible and tasted worse. The
pemmican idea was dropped in favor or conventional crackers.
3. The letter "I" was not jused and I'm not sure ":J" was used either.
4. Compo was essentially a box of lots of cans of food. Its primary attraction
was the great variety of food it had. Rather than a set menu, the British made sure each
box had a balance of meat, vegetables, bread and condiments.
WORLD WAR II MILITARY RATIONS by B Michael Berger (Note: Click on
ration type and go to page with photo)
The C-ration was one of the three types of combat rations used during the war. It was
designed specifically for units in actual combat whre no messing facilities were available
and represented the culmination of scientific experiments begun in 1939 to provide rations
that could be carried by the individual soldier and provide three satisfying meals a day.
Cs were packed in six small cans, three contained the meat (M items) three the basics (B
items). In most instances the ration was served cold, but was designed to be palatable hot
or cold. Menu No. 1 M items included Ham, eggs and potato, Meat and beans, or
Chicken and vegetables. The B-1 unit included biscuits, premixed and compressed
cereal, coffee, cubed sugar and coated peanuts. Menu No 4 M items included Pork and
beans, Meat and spaghetti, Ham and Lima beans. The B-4 unit was the same as B-1
except that coated chocolate drops replace the coated peanuts.
The original K-Ration was developed for paratroopers because the C, with its can and
weight, was not considered appropriate. The K was created to provide a good nutritional
ration, light in weight, yet suitably packaged to withstand the rigors of combat. Ks were
placed in three units marked Breakfast, Dinner and Supper.
Breakfast consisted of compressed, premixed cereal, biscuits, egg and meat product, fruit
bar, coffee and sugar, wooden spoon, cigarettes, chewing gum, water purification tablets
and toilet paper. Dinner included biscuits, cheese product, candy bar, a lemon, orange or
grape drink powder, sugar, wooden spoon, cigarettes, matches, chewing gum and salt
tablets. Supper included biscuits, meat product, chocolate bar or caramels, bouillon,
coffee, sugar, wooden spoon, cigarettes, and chewing gum. The egg and meat product
was either chopped pork and egg yolk or chopped ham and egg. The cheese product
was processed American cheese, process American cheese with bacon, or processed
American and Swiss cheese. The meat product included in this ration was canned pork
with carrot and apple or beef and pork loaf.
The D-Bar ration was an emergency combat ration carried by all men to be used when
there was no other food. The four ounce bar was packed with 1,770 calories and all
kinds of vitamins.
There were other rations in addition to Cs, Ks and D.
Field Rations A were domestic rations, supplied for posts, camps, stations in the United
States. A maximum amount of fresh fruits, vegetables and meats was included.
Field Rations B were overseas rations. All items were non-perishable, preserved by
canning, dehydration or other methods. Menus were designed for Tropical and
Temperate areas or Frigid areas.
Ten-in-one rations were similar to Bs, but designed for troops in all areas to be used in
advance of arrival of field kitchens. Each case provided food for ten men for one day.
Items were non-perishable and could be eaten either hot or cold. Five menus were
offered, with each ration providing 4,100 calories. Each case included cigarettes, water
purification tablets, matches, salt, can openers (The famous P-38), toilet paper, toilet soap
and paper towels.
There were also Life Boat Rations and Parachute Emergency Rations designed to sustain
fliers downed at sea or forced to bail out. There was also an Air Corps Lunch full of
carbohydrates developed for fliers unable to stop performance of their dutes for regular
meal.
MORE INFORMATION ON FIELD RATIONS
The other Army rations available when the country entered WWII, Field Ration Type C,
as a ration of meat and bread components, had the prewar characteristics of the 1918
"reserve rations" but had a better balance than its predecessor, good keeping qualities, and
study packaging. Its disadvantages were that it was troublesome to carry and that its
manufature posed difficult production problems. These difficulties provided the incentive
for the improvements which produced today's individual "combat" or C ration. The
ultimate form in which the C ration emerged from the war, however, came only as
hostilities were ending and before wide distribution could be made.
A major problem of the C ration concerned its meat components. Procurement was first
of necessity confined to items which could be produced in volume and variety was of
secondary importance. Hence the early waves of criticism from the field were aimed at
the monotonous meat diet offered by the first C Ration. Soldiers not only encountered
repetitious meat and hash combinations in the C rations, but also met them when returning
to central messes where they were served duplicates of these combinations in B Rations.
It was little wonder that there was so much denunciation of the C ration. Despite constant
effort, attempts to increase the component variety and hence ration acceptance, were not
easily or quickly successful. New or substitute items could be introduced only after
productive ability had been coordinated with laboratory research. Early improvements
embraced a better selection of confection items, inclusion of cigarettes in the B unit of the
ration and modifications required by wartime advances in packaging technology.
Until early 1944, separate speficiations were used for the so-called B or bread unit of the
ration and for related components. In June of that year, the component specifications
were consolidated into on specification which abandoned the title "US Army Field Ration
C" and adopted the nomenclature "Ration Type C, Assembly, Packaging and Packing".
Under its terms the ration consisted of three cans of B units,m three cans of M or meat
units and one accessory pack. Six combinations of components or menu arrangements
were specified to provide variety to the ration. Six B units were listed, two each for
breakfast, dinner, and supper. B unit components, varied in accordance with a grouping
which would fit the meal, including biscuits, compressed and premixed cereal,
candy-coated peanuts or raisins, soluble coffee, sugar, lemon or orange juice powder,
hard candies, jam, cocoa, beverage powder, and caramels. The accessory packet
included nine "good commerical quality" cigarettes, halazone water-purification tablets,
book matches, toilet paper, chewing gum and an opener for the meat cans. The varieties
of canned meats were meat and beans; meat and vegetable stew; meat and spaghetti; ham,
egg and potatoes; meat and noodles; pork and rice; frankfurters and beans; pork and
beans; ham and lima beans; and chicken and vegetables. The unpopular meat and
vegetable hash and English-style stew, which were the first additions to the original three
were abandoned because of poor acceptance.
The final wartime version of the specification was published in April 1945 and amended in
July 1945. It contained still more improvements resulting from field tests and combat
experiences. Hard candy and candy-coated peanuts and raisins were deleted from the B
units because of their poor keeping quality, and a fudge disc and cookie sandwich were
substituted. Salt tablets to alleviate heat exhaustion were added to the accessory pack.
The ultimate revision also substituted sugar tablets for the granulated type, increased the
variety of beverage powders and added a compressed cocoa disc to the list of B
components. At the request of The Surgeon General, halazone tablets were deleted from
the accessory pack. Beef stew was a new canned meat component. The accessorey
pack was divided into two packets, first named the "long" and the "short" pack and later
the "accessory pack" and the "cigarette pack". Gum, toilet paper, can opener, granulated
salt, salt tablets and wood spoons were included in the "long" pack. The cigarette pack
consisted of three units of three or one unit of nine cigarettes and matches, (Continued on
next page)
awards, training, combat, occupation duty, off-duty times and just about everything except
the one thing that was more important to a soldier- FOOD--well, maybe the second most
important thing.
So, with a little effort and the wonders of the Internet I have come up with a little history of
our Army rations, how they became what they were, how they were made and other great
stuff like that.
As we can all remember, one of our big complaints while in training at Camp Van Dorn
was the fact that we had to eat out of field kitches using messkits most of the time. Now,
this was OK while in the field but when we starting eating from messkits and field kitchens
in garrison that was almost too much. Little did we realize that in a few months we would
have given our "eye teeth" to have a good old "A Ration" meal from a field kitchen.
Once we arrived in France it didn't take long for us to realize that we would take meals
whenever we could and however we could. Hot meals from oujr Company or Battery
kitchens would be few and far between. So how did we sustain ourselves during the heat
of battle? How did we maintain our strength, energy and vitality when there was little time
for "chow call" and on one to prepare it for us?
Well, that is what the following articles are about. ARMY FIELD RATIONS- THE
FOOD WE LOVED TO HATE and HATED TO LOVE AT THE SAME TIME.
(Webmaster's opinion only)
WHERE DID THE "C" IN C-RATIONS COME FROM?
Have you ever wondered why C-rations are called C-rations, Ks are called K-rations and
if there are A-, B- or D-rations? Of course you have! Well not surprisingly there is a
method to the military food nomenclature madness. The letter designationss for rations
were supposed to make the military "subsistence" (Army talk for food) easier to
understand and more "rational". To understand this alphabet soup, lets first talk about
how things were going prior to WWII, describe the "new" nomenclature, and then talk a
little about some of the famous or infamous rations.
Before WWII the Army divided its subsistence requirement (for procurement purposes)
into three types of rations: The Garrison Ration, The Field Ration and the Iron Ration.
The Garrison Ration was what was sent to permanent mess halls in garrison. It was pretty
much anything you would find in any other institutional feeding facility. The Field Ration
was food appropriate for use in a field kitchen on the move. This ration consisted of
non-perishable goods- canned food and dry food mostly- that could sit in the back of a
wagon or truck for a few months without spoilage. The "Iron" Ration was the idea the US
Army borrowed from the British Army in WWI. Cans of food were issued to each
individual soldier to be kept in his pack as an emergency ration, in case he got caught
behind the lines ore couldn't get to a field kitchen (See Note 1)
Later the Army realized soldiers would dig into their iron ration anytime they couldn't get
to a field kitchen. They were using it as a "box lunch". The people in the Army
subsistence branch decided this wasn't all bad, if fact was a pretty good idea. But, there
was still a need for an emergency ration so they developed a fourth category of rations and
called it "Emergency Ration".
In the late '30s, when the US Army was reorganizing to prepare for WWII it also
reorganized its food. Under the new system, the Garrison Ration became "Field Ration
A", the Field Ration became "Field Ration B". As usual, the troops didn't use it as an
emergency ration;' they ate it as candy. The rations themselves stayed the same, only the
names changed. The change the Army made official was that
C-Rations weren't designated to be eaten for more than 3 consecutive days!!! So, the
subsistence people initially only developed 3 different menus. This is the main reason
C-rations became so hated.
THE REST OF THE ALPHABET:
When the US entered WWII there was an initial flurry of enthusiasm for special troops.
Each of these special groups wanted their own type of rations. The Paratroopers asked
for concentrated "Parachute Rations" (See Note 2)., the jungle fighters wanted a "Jungle
Ration" and when the 10th Mountain Division was being organized, they asked Army
subsistence personnel to develop a special "Mountain Ration". Each of these special
rations as well as lifeboat rations and a few others were assigned a letter "E" to "J" while
they were being developed. (See Note 3).
The Subsistence Branch tried its best, but the requests came in faster than they could
develop rations to meet them. The last straw came when General Dwight Eisenhower
asked for a special concentrated "Assault Ration" for troops to carry with them when they
stormed the beaches of Normandy. Finally the Subsistence Branch cried "foul" and
stopped working on all special orders. They agreed to develop 1 (and only 1) new
concentrated ration that would take the place of the parachute and assault rations. This
was called "Field Ration K". This was probably the most popular field ration with US
troops in WWII- except for the British "Compo" ration.
REVERSE LEND-LEASE
Ernie Pyle wrote so much about how the troops liked British Composite Rations (Compo)
that Army Subsistence decided to come up with their own Compo ration. The compo
ration was based on feeding a group of people rather than an individual. A box of Compo
would feed and infantry section (about 8-10 men) for a day or a tank crew (around 5
men) for two days. (See Note 4). The American answer to this was the "5 in 1" ration
(feeds 5 men for 1 day) which was later changed to the "10 in 1" ration.(essentially two "5
in 1" boxes). The 10 in 1 was advertised to feed 10 men for a day, five men for two days
or 1 man for 10 days. They even developed a "Squad Cooking Set" to prepare the 10 in
1 rations. This ration got to the troops in late '44 and early "45, and they loved it.
NOTES: 1. The British originally called it "iron" ration bvecause it came in metal cans.
There are a few cans of these rations on display at the Guards Museum, Wellington
Barracks, London.
2. The original parachute ration was to be based on pemmican, an American
Indian invention consisting of dried meat (jerky) pounded into powder and mixed with
dried fruit and melted. Reports were that they smelled terrible and tasted worse. The
pemmican idea was dropped in favor or conventional crackers.
3. The letter "I" was not jused and I'm not sure ":J" was used either.
4. Compo was essentially a box of lots of cans of food. Its primary attraction
was the great variety of food it had. Rather than a set menu, the British made sure each
box had a balance of meat, vegetables, bread and condiments.
WORLD WAR II MILITARY RATIONS by B Michael Berger (Note: Click on
ration type and go to page with photo)
The C-ration was one of the three types of combat rations used during the war. It was
designed specifically for units in actual combat whre no messing facilities were available
and represented the culmination of scientific experiments begun in 1939 to provide rations
that could be carried by the individual soldier and provide three satisfying meals a day.
Cs were packed in six small cans, three contained the meat (M items) three the basics (B
items). In most instances the ration was served cold, but was designed to be palatable hot
or cold. Menu No. 1 M items included Ham, eggs and potato, Meat and beans, or
Chicken and vegetables. The B-1 unit included biscuits, premixed and compressed
cereal, coffee, cubed sugar and coated peanuts. Menu No 4 M items included Pork and
beans, Meat and spaghetti, Ham and Lima beans. The B-4 unit was the same as B-1
except that coated chocolate drops replace the coated peanuts.
The original K-Ration was developed for paratroopers because the C, with its can and
weight, was not considered appropriate. The K was created to provide a good nutritional
ration, light in weight, yet suitably packaged to withstand the rigors of combat. Ks were
placed in three units marked Breakfast, Dinner and Supper.
Breakfast consisted of compressed, premixed cereal, biscuits, egg and meat product, fruit
bar, coffee and sugar, wooden spoon, cigarettes, chewing gum, water purification tablets
and toilet paper. Dinner included biscuits, cheese product, candy bar, a lemon, orange or
grape drink powder, sugar, wooden spoon, cigarettes, matches, chewing gum and salt
tablets. Supper included biscuits, meat product, chocolate bar or caramels, bouillon,
coffee, sugar, wooden spoon, cigarettes, and chewing gum. The egg and meat product
was either chopped pork and egg yolk or chopped ham and egg. The cheese product
was processed American cheese, process American cheese with bacon, or processed
American and Swiss cheese. The meat product included in this ration was canned pork
with carrot and apple or beef and pork loaf.
The D-Bar ration was an emergency combat ration carried by all men to be used when
there was no other food. The four ounce bar was packed with 1,770 calories and all
kinds of vitamins.
There were other rations in addition to Cs, Ks and D.
Field Rations A were domestic rations, supplied for posts, camps, stations in the United
States. A maximum amount of fresh fruits, vegetables and meats was included.
Field Rations B were overseas rations. All items were non-perishable, preserved by
canning, dehydration or other methods. Menus were designed for Tropical and
Temperate areas or Frigid areas.
Ten-in-one rations were similar to Bs, but designed for troops in all areas to be used in
advance of arrival of field kitchens. Each case provided food for ten men for one day.
Items were non-perishable and could be eaten either hot or cold. Five menus were
offered, with each ration providing 4,100 calories. Each case included cigarettes, water
purification tablets, matches, salt, can openers (The famous P-38), toilet paper, toilet soap
and paper towels.
There were also Life Boat Rations and Parachute Emergency Rations designed to sustain
fliers downed at sea or forced to bail out. There was also an Air Corps Lunch full of
carbohydrates developed for fliers unable to stop performance of their dutes for regular
meal.
MORE INFORMATION ON FIELD RATIONS
The other Army rations available when the country entered WWII, Field Ration Type C,
as a ration of meat and bread components, had the prewar characteristics of the 1918
"reserve rations" but had a better balance than its predecessor, good keeping qualities, and
study packaging. Its disadvantages were that it was troublesome to carry and that its
manufature posed difficult production problems. These difficulties provided the incentive
for the improvements which produced today's individual "combat" or C ration. The
ultimate form in which the C ration emerged from the war, however, came only as
hostilities were ending and before wide distribution could be made.
A major problem of the C ration concerned its meat components. Procurement was first
of necessity confined to items which could be produced in volume and variety was of
secondary importance. Hence the early waves of criticism from the field were aimed at
the monotonous meat diet offered by the first C Ration. Soldiers not only encountered
repetitious meat and hash combinations in the C rations, but also met them when returning
to central messes where they were served duplicates of these combinations in B Rations.
It was little wonder that there was so much denunciation of the C ration. Despite constant
effort, attempts to increase the component variety and hence ration acceptance, were not
easily or quickly successful. New or substitute items could be introduced only after
productive ability had been coordinated with laboratory research. Early improvements
embraced a better selection of confection items, inclusion of cigarettes in the B unit of the
ration and modifications required by wartime advances in packaging technology.
Until early 1944, separate speficiations were used for the so-called B or bread unit of the
ration and for related components. In June of that year, the component specifications
were consolidated into on specification which abandoned the title "US Army Field Ration
C" and adopted the nomenclature "Ration Type C, Assembly, Packaging and Packing".
Under its terms the ration consisted of three cans of B units,m three cans of M or meat
units and one accessory pack. Six combinations of components or menu arrangements
were specified to provide variety to the ration. Six B units were listed, two each for
breakfast, dinner, and supper. B unit components, varied in accordance with a grouping
which would fit the meal, including biscuits, compressed and premixed cereal,
candy-coated peanuts or raisins, soluble coffee, sugar, lemon or orange juice powder,
hard candies, jam, cocoa, beverage powder, and caramels. The accessory packet
included nine "good commerical quality" cigarettes, halazone water-purification tablets,
book matches, toilet paper, chewing gum and an opener for the meat cans. The varieties
of canned meats were meat and beans; meat and vegetable stew; meat and spaghetti; ham,
egg and potatoes; meat and noodles; pork and rice; frankfurters and beans; pork and
beans; ham and lima beans; and chicken and vegetables. The unpopular meat and
vegetable hash and English-style stew, which were the first additions to the original three
were abandoned because of poor acceptance.
The final wartime version of the specification was published in April 1945 and amended in
July 1945. It contained still more improvements resulting from field tests and combat
experiences. Hard candy and candy-coated peanuts and raisins were deleted from the B
units because of their poor keeping quality, and a fudge disc and cookie sandwich were
substituted. Salt tablets to alleviate heat exhaustion were added to the accessory pack.
The ultimate revision also substituted sugar tablets for the granulated type, increased the
variety of beverage powders and added a compressed cocoa disc to the list of B
components. At the request of The Surgeon General, halazone tablets were deleted from
the accessory pack. Beef stew was a new canned meat component. The accessorey
pack was divided into two packets, first named the "long" and the "short" pack and later
the "accessory pack" and the "cigarette pack". Gum, toilet paper, can opener, granulated
salt, salt tablets and wood spoons were included in the "long" pack. The cigarette pack
consisted of three units of three or one unit of nine cigarettes and matches, (Continued on
next page)