Unusual African rations

[Name_not_found]

All this powered ration makes me think of Corn-Soy-Blend and Wheat-Soy-Blend

Still in use today all over the world in places that need help, a blend of Wheat or corn with soy that equals a nutritionally round meal.

Its plain, but you can use it like flour in a recipe, or like a porridge or to thicken soups, pretty much any way you can think to use it, you can.

Perhaps WSB and CSB are the grandson of this ration

[Treesuit]

Donald,

Did the Reece troops have to spend a little time during the working day trying to find supplements to the mealie pap or did the troops have some of the supplements with them before going on a op? Or simply did they just pickup stuff along way during the op? Has your reasearch indicated anything like that?

[donaldjcheek]

Treesuit

As far as I can tell, the recces carried everything with them. 14 days rations, ammo, explosives, and water. (The operational area in Angola is dry, and most water sources were controlled by the FAPLA or Cubans.) I can't imagine them carrying 14 gallons of water, but I do know that 50 kilo loads (110 lbs) were common, and some reported loads up to 75 kg (165 lbs). Several soldiers were casevaced with shoulder & back problems. I think the "food dildo" was specifically designed to supplement the mealie pap. A good idea that didn't work out.

The recces & 32 Bn were trained (like the Selous Scouts) to forage & hunt, but as mobile as they were (30 km "runs" with full equipment were almost a daily occurrence), I doubt they could spend a lot of time supplementing their rats.

Sort of like the SAS in Borneo; troopers on a 10-day mission typically lost 10-20 pounds during the patrol, subsisting on 1 can of main meal, 3 hard biscuits, 1 chocolate bar & 1 pack of raisins per day.

[Treesuit]

Donald,

That is a stark fact you write about. Both units had to carry that much water while out in the bush during an ops! I can see where most guys would have back trouble after a few weeks humping that load. I had can kind of relate, in my line of work fighting fires in the back country its not uncommon to have 6 quarts of water with you. If you have to spend more than one or two nights on a remote peak or a overnight position then you have to request a re-supply drop. Usually the re-supply comes in 5 and 2.5 gallon containers.

Here's another question Donald, what did the 32bn and Reece usually use to cook with? Tommy cookers? There own version of a camp stove? Or did they just eat rations cold and out of the box?

[donaldjcheek]

Treesuit

The SADF issued solid fuel tablets (universally called "Esbit") but normally did not provide a stove; IF they had their normal (British-type) mess kits*, they could light a tablet in the bottom of the smaller pan and put the larger pan crosswise on top of it. Some of the 32 Bn & Recces acquired German folding Esbit cookers, but most just took an empty ration can, punched holes along the side, and used that as a stove. They were also taught how to dig a small hole and use very, very dry twigs to build an almost smokeless fire - although this was discouraged, as it left traces of their presence in the area.

On their own, 32 Bn & Recce operators obtained small Gaz-type stoves like the kind backpackers use.

*most dumped the "dixies" and carried a civilian 1-liter backpacker-type pot w/folding wire handle & lid; this and the canteen cup (US type) were all the cooking gear they needed.

The rations could be eaten cold, though heated was preferred. Some things, like the ProNutro cereal for breakfast, came in a foil-lined bag that you ate out of directly after adding water. The protein-fortified milkshake powder was usually mixed in a plastic bag as well, and most preferred to add less water & make a sort of pudding with it. This become so common that the name was changed to "dessert milkshake" rather than just "milkshake powder."

As an aside, the troops were inserted into Angola by truck or helicopter, then hiked in (with the load described above) for the next 30-40 km. They would establish a mobile TB (Temporary Base) where they would cache most of their equipment, break down into 3-5 man patrols called "chalacas" and head out for 3-4 day recons - carrying 3 days rations, water, and all the ammo they could hump. They would communicate through Morse (took far less battery power) at set times, then return to the TB, pack up, move out & start all over. They would be resupplied at 2-week intervals, and were usually out for 6 weeks at a time.

As needed, 32 Bn would be sent out in Company-sized (or larger) task forces to destroy FAPLA or Cuban unit, but most of their work was intel gathering, quick raids, and ambushes.

[Treesuit]

Donald,

Great history piece, I didn't know most of the Reece troops or 32bn uused very many cookers or civilian cooking stoves. I did visit the SADF website and did see that they used something close to a US 1qt canteen and cup. Did the units carry anything larger than 1qt canteens? You mentioned packing large quantities of water along on patrols. Did the units have something like a more modern day camelback system or did they just have bladders that carried the water.

Speaking of GAZ stoves I have one that I bought back in 1996. Its a small folding gas cartridge stove and its pretty powerful at low altitudes though you can go through many cartridges while on the move for long periods. I always wondered what type of stoves the SADF had. Did they have mostly butane, white gas, propane, ETC. You mentioned the Tommy Cookers, ESBIT stoves, small dry camp fires and air dropped rations so I'm thinking somebody had to have a propane/butane stove to heat water and food quickly without making a fire announcing their position.

[donaldjcheek]

Treesuit

The SADF issued a 1-liter plastic canteen with aluminum cup that is almost exactly like the US canteen and cup. During the Angolan war they also developed rigid plastic 2-liter & 4-liter canteens that fit in the outside pockets of the rucksack and "battle jacket" nylon PLCE, and a flexible 5-liter bladder that was similar to the US 5-qt jungle canteen/flotation bladder. As far as I am aware, they did not take the logical next step and develop a camelback-type system.

For cooking gear, the 32 Bn troops mostly used just the canteen cup and the round 1-liter pot ("caneca"). Most also left their "plikstels" (knife-fork-spoon sets) behind and took a wooden spoon instead; everyone was issued a fighting knife to start with, and most foods came from a ration pack, so why carry a fork?

Few stoves were SADF issue, but were privately acquired, so anything and everything could show up. Recce operators on deep penetration missions had a small self-pressuring gasoline stove, similar to a US Coleman-type stove, but smaller. These were not on general issue, however. GAZ stoves were popular because they, and the fuel canisters, were cheap and readily available. They are also uncomplicated and easy to use.

The SADF did not provide many of the "comforts" that other Western armies are used to. Afrikaners dominated the Army, and as English South Africans say, "the Dutchmen are 'thrifty'."

BTW, because of its origins, the language of 32 Bn was Portuguese. That even extended to the ration packs. If you find a ration pack that has plain green labels printed in Portuguese and English, you know it is specifically a 32 Bn ration pack.

[Treesuit]

Donald,

That is my next question. How much of the equipment was US influenced? I see maybe 2 or 3 items perhaps. Also taking a look at the SADF website I see a few more items under the "special equipment" that looks like you could buy at a REI stre or onlne. Also the everything from the sleeping bags to battle jackets looks like its US influenced. The battle jacket/web gear and rucksacks looks like they more atune to the MOLLE version we all have nowadays.

[donaldjcheek]

Treesuit

The South Africans copied from around the world, and developed several things for themselves. The canteen & cup combination was coped from the US, even though the webbing itself was influenced by the British Pattern 44 & Pattern 58 webbing. The steel helmet was copied from the French, the combat boots and folding e-tool were developed from US models, and the mess kit differed from the British Pattern 38 only by having the handles fold to the side instead of over the top.

During the late 70s & early 80s, the South Africans were very innovative and independently developed many of the things we use today. The battle jacket, for instance, was developed & field tested in 1979 and then issued in 1983. You can see similarities with the US & British webbing used today. The South African ballistic Kevlar helmet was also issued in 1983, ahead of the US "Fritz" helmet.

Even some of the ration items the South Africans fielded pre-date similar US innovations. The "thirst quench energy drink" powders introduced in the 1982 version of the ration pack are early forms of powdered electrolyte replacement beverages that are being introduced into military rations today. The energy bars were based on the high-protein meal powders used by weight lifters and athletes, and the SADF were the first to see the military potential. And the fortified milkshake powders are very similar to the same item in today's MRE.