This latest model by Brian Young of the Guild of Model Wheelwrights is of a First World War British army field kitchen. Armies may ‘march on their stomachs’, but in the heat of battle it was impossible to have fixed meal times for soldiers in combat. However, when there was a break in the fighting hot meals could be delivered from field kitchens to the front lines.

When soldiers were stood down, food was easier to supply and both British and German troops could expect certain food regularly. The soldiers in the trenches ate quite well, often better than their families were eating back at home.

A typical day’s ration for a British Soldier would include:

20 ounces of bread or 16 ounces of flour or 4 ounces of oatmeal instead of bread, 3 ounces of cheese, 5/8 ounces of tea, 4 ounces of jam or 4 ounces of dried fruit, ½ ounce of salt, 1/36 ounce of pepper, 1/20 ounce of mustard, 8 ounces of fresh vegetables or 1/10 gill lime if vegetables not issued, ½ gill of rum or 1 pint of porter, tobacco, 1/3 ounces of chocolate - and optional, 4 ounces of butter/margarine and 2 ounces of dried vegetables.

A German Soldier’s daily rations were:

26 ½ ounces of bread or 17 ½ of field biscuits or 14 ounces of egg biscuit, 53 ounces of potatoes, 4 ½ ounces vegetables and 2 ounces dried vegetables.

Meat was available for both British and German Soldiers in the trenches, but only when a lull in the battle allowed it to be delivered from the field kitchens.