Re: Interesting ration components
Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 2:23 am
During the 1970s-80s, the Argentine army issued two types of rations: a lightweight "assault" ration and a larger 24-hour ration pack.biscuits brown wrote:In the excellent book Los Chicos De La Guerra 1982 by Daniel Kon, an Argentine Journalist, one of the participants described an Argentine ration box as having 2 tins of beef, some biscuits, mate or coffee, and a small bottle of Whiskey.
The assault ration is as described above: a tin of fatty corned beef and another can of beef stew, beans with meatballs, vegetable stew, etc. Plus some hard crackers, a bar of chocolate or pack of caramels, some instant coffee or yerba mate, an envelope of instant soup, a folder of matches, and one solidified alcohol tablet. And of course, a picture postcard of the Virgin Mary or one of the Saints.
The second, larger, ration pack also had two canned main meal items (usually noodles with meat, rice & meat, & various types of stews), which were larger and of better quality than the small tins packed in the assault ration. The ration box also included an envelope of instant soup, an envelope of instant breakfast cereal with fruit, fortified fruit juice powder, a bar of chocolate, a pack of caramels, an envelope of instant coffee with milk & sugar, water purification tablets, toilet paper, matches, a plastic tube containing 3-4 solidified alcohol tablets, a pack of 20 cigarettes, and a small 2-oz bottle of whiskey.
Because of shipping limitations, most rations provided to the enlisted troops were the "assault ration," while officers, professional NCOs, and specialist troops received the larger 24-hour ration pack.
The distinction between officers & enlisted was maintained even in garrison. Numerous accounts by both British & Argentine witnesses speak of the officers receiving full 3 & 5 course meals inside, while the enlisted soldiers lined up outside for thin, watery soup and bread.
