Todays Photo O' The Day 12/11/18

[Firelock76]

Anyone seen todays "Photo Of The Day, Better than K-rations?"

Yeah, one look at that picture and I can say "Hell yeah!"  Not just what those lucky GI's are chowing down on, but where they're doing the chowing.  That classy old B&O diner sure beats the typical mess hall in the ambience department!

Here's a short-cut,  http://ctr.trains.com/photo-of-the-day/2018/12/better-than-k-rations

Now I'm sure some of you are asking "Hey Firelock, just what were K-rations anyway?"  A World War Two, or possibly a Korea vet might just shudder and say  "Jeez, don't ask!"  But don't worry, here's the whole story.

https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/wwii/the-worlds-best-fed-army/

So they were, most of the time.

And here's something really amazing, they're reproducing the things for the WW2 re-enactor market!

https://reprorations.com/USA%20WW2/WW2-US.htm

I imagine they get quite a reaction out of any WW2 vets that visit those re-enactments, and not necessarily positive!

All a bit before my time in the Corps.  We DID have the old tried and true C-rations in the 1970's.  Not bad, but not great either.  Hey, they kept us going.

" C-rats, C-rats are all I eat, got an achin' back and tired feet!" 

[Deggesty]

I understand that the front-line German soldiers were better fed than those farther back, and captured Allied soldiers were fed the same as long as they were near the front. Captured Germans thought complained when they were fed K-rations.

[Firelock76]

I've read the same Johnny, possibly in Bill Maudin's  "Up Front."  German POW's  screamed when given K-rations,  thought they were being deliberately starved.

The German front-line soldiers as a rule during WW2 were very well fed and the German Army bent over backwards to make it happen, and for very good reasons.   Not only is a well-fed soldier healthier and stronger, but his morale is helped quite a bit as well.  They learned from the WW1 experience, when frequently the front-line soldiers had to go on short rations and their performance suffered accordingly. 

Wayne

[Miningman]

I suppose things went well for the Wehrmacht and other branches as long as they were winning and supplies from the homeland were kept up but 'rations' were continuously cut on the Eastern front as things got bad and Stalingrad was down to nothing. Thinking that continuous retreat from mid 1943 and then on things were getting not so nice food wise. Perhaps in Italy.

 I understand American submariners had the best of all.

A question for Wayne, .. did you still receive cigarettes in your rations into the 70's? Different WW2 smokes up here... Sweet Caps, Silk Cuts, McDonalds and Players Navy Cut. 

[Firelock76]

I should have added a "Most of the time"  qualifier to that well-fed Wehrmacht post!  Certainly there were times when the German troops went hungry, such as when they were cut off and surrounded at Stalingrad, but typically it was more the exception than the rule.

And Vince, we did get cigarettes in the C-rations up to late 1975 when they were eliminated.  They were mostly "Winstons" and "Salems" if I remember correctly although there may have been others.  It's been 43 years since my last C-rat meal that had cigarettes in the goodie pack.

I'll tell you, you should have heard the screams when the smokes were left out of the C-rats!  Even the non-smokers were PO'd.  The non-smokers would hoard the five-packs of cigarettes and use them for trading stock.

Oh yeah, some of the 'Nam vets in the group were muttering  "The LAST thing you're worried about in combat is dying of cancer!"   Maybe this was the first rumbling of political correctness and nanny-state-ism coming over the horizon.

It was all for our own good after all.     

[Penny Trains]

Hmmm.  I wonder if the ACW reenactors get hardtack and sloosh? 

[M636C]

From "Railway Herald"

"The Severn Valley Railway is one of several lines in Britain offering an Authentic 1940s experience....   ....A GBP10 000 grant has been provided to fund the constructin of an Anderson (bomb) shelter and covered seating area at its Engine House visitor and education centre"

"Pupils board an "evacuation " train at Kidderminster and are taken to Highley where they look at evacuee suitcases and 1940 toys and games...   ...and learn about wartime rationing and wartime cooking"

Peter

[Jones1945]

Another picture showing how America railroads helped win the WWII!

I am quite sure VP of B&O was happy with serving the serviceman with the best foods and cars they could offer. 

......................

[BaltACD]

Firelock76

Anyone seen todays "Photo Of The Day, Better than K-rations?"

Yeah, one look at that picture and I can say "Hell yeah!"  Not just what those lucky GI's are chowing down on, but where they're doing the chowing.  That classy old B&O diner sure beats the typical mess hall in the ambience department!

Here's a short-cut,  http://ctr.trains.com/photo-of-the-day/2018/12/better-than-k-rations

While it may be better than K-rations.  The service is not up to true B&O standards as there are no linen tablecloths or napkins.

[Jones1945]

Speaking of K-rations, it reminds me of a proposal in the post-war era by Raymond Loewy about serving passengers precooked food on PRR's dining car... the author mentioned that this idea by Loewy was inspired by K-rations. PRR arranged a test for a few months but turned down the idea. Don't want to digress but it shows how broke was Pennsy after the war. 

I miss that little key for canned food. It required some trick to make a perfect circle. 

[Deggesty]

Jones1945

Speaking of K-rations, it reminds me of a proposal in the post-war era by Raymond Loewy about servicing passengers precooked food on PRR's dinning car... the author mentioned that this idea by Loewy was inspired by K-rations. PRR arranged a test for a few months but turned down the idea. Don't want to digress but it shows how broke was Pennsy after the war. 

I miss that little key for canned food. It required some trick to make a perfect circle. 

 

Is this the next step for Amtrak's full meal service? I hope no one at Amtrak has seen or sees this.

On my next trip East I plan to take the Cardinal to Washington.

[Firelock76]

Penny Trains

Hmmm.  I wonder if the ACW reenactors get hardtack and sloosh? 

 

They sure do, at least the ones that go all the way!  I've seen 'em do it!

I'm not sure if anyone reproduces hardtack, in the Revolutionary War times it was called "sea bread,"  but it's easy and simple to make.

I used to make a version of "sloosh," or "skilligallie" as it was also called out of a C-ration meat course called "beef with spiced sauce," which was actually pretty good.  I'd crumble the C-rat crackers in the sauce to stretch out the meal a bit.

You're back Mr. Jones!  Thank goodness, I was getting worried!  And thanks for posting that Pullman ad with those fine looking Marines!  You know, there's very little difference between the Marine "Winter Class A" uniform those men are wearing and the one Marines wear today.  A WW2 Marine and one from today would have no trouble recognizing each other. 

Remember when you needed a key to open a coffee can, and that great "woosh!" when the seal was broken, and the great smell that emerged?

[Penny Trains]

[Firelock76]

God help us!  I can't imagine what they'd do if I handed them a P-38 can opener!

What's a P-38?  Well, it's a GI can opener developed in 1942 for opening C-rations, and was issued with the same until the 1980's when the MRE's appeared on the scene.

We used to call them "John Waynes" in the Marines.  I have no idea how the name got attached to it and neither doesn anyone else.  Somehow or another the name just stuck.

My father still has his from the 40's on his keychain, and I've got one from the 70's on mine.  Still works too.  Hey, you never know when you'll need one!

Here's a demonstration video.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tCY6n5Mcgk

One of the greatest inventions to some out of World War Two!