Ration labels

And some more for the Russians.
Two labels for tins of Borscht, one each for biscuits and coffee packets, and four to fit 35cl Vodka bottles, (excuse the brandy bottle, didn`t have any Vodka in the house)
http://www.mediafire.com/?zzmijijdoma
http://www.mediafire.com/?wm24om5mg2j
http://www.mediafire.com/?nyykuttazrt
http://www.mediafire.com/?yronmvn5ke1

Not wanting to piddle on anyone's conflagration but there are Hundred of Ration Labels out there - Some good/authentic others fantasy Island but jolly good fun. Jerry made meagre use of tinned snap - He preferred to have Kompanies of Butchers, Bakers and Sandwich makers follow the frontline truppen......

Jerry emergency rations consisted of a pack of Zwieback (twice baked bread - think Melba Toast) and a can of their equivalent of Bully beef nicknamed Alte Man. This was carried in either the breadbag or the Small A Frame Bag and could only be eaten upon an order given by unit commander.

For the most part, Jerry, where possible had field kitchens make up great steaming pots of..... Eintopf basically and a runner was sent either from the front line positions with the lad's mess tins or up to the front line with a food container and it was dished out there....... Often the stew was left to "set" and carried about like a gert lump of jellified gunk. It was then reheated using the famous Esbit (Hexamine stove) or if you were lucky the Juwel petrol stove. (Both still obtainable) OR of course eaten cold (A gip with every spoonful or so I am told)

Things like dried fruit (Apricots, raisins etc) were issued in small brown paper packets. Nuts and dextrin sweets........ Instant Coffee was a favourite if they could get it along with Sugar and tea. A big favourite amongst German troops was Benzedrine - kept them going for hours it did - but I don't that's really an option

Try here
http://www.panzergrenadier.net/labels/
Not many people know it's there unfortunately.....

Trust me - rations have been debated since the dawn of this hobby - Some got it right - Some were way off the mark
Here's the bag my old unit used for their rations (officlal issue)

Here's what we put inside the bag

All modern products sotrced to be as close to the original as possible and repackaged.
And here's the Iron Ration mentioned above

And here's the thread from 2006 on Pst! which contains useful references........

Hope this post has been of assistance and inspirational -

Superb, thanks for the link and the info PD. Didn`t even know the PDF`s for the labels existed.

And plenty of US related packaging PDFs here (as well as stationery/paperwork): http://www.hardscrabblefarm.com/ww2/paper_list.htm

http://www.hardscrabblefarm.com/ww2/index.htm is an excellent site to have a look round BTW, for those that haven't already.

Good stuff PD

Mmmm - preserved meat in aspic jelly I'd have gone for the Waitrose pickled herrings rather than the sardines. It's the same packaging design and ze Chermans do love a bit of herring.

And if you want some proper box top nosh - order from here
https://www.germandeli.co.uk/sess/utn;j ... shopscript
We got the tins of eintopf etc. and it is lush stuff.......

Been buying from there for years

Been buying from there for years

Oh yes! luvverly bierschinken!

Its easy to see why the UK is covered with restaurants with cuisine from China, Japan, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Greece, France, Italy, English and so on - but not Germany! It's probably just me but speaking generally I find German food dour and unexciting. Almost as if there is still a war on! Prior to the WW2 airsoft thing starting I used to eat rice when playing NVA at Vietnam games so for our first ever event I thought it would be cool to have rye bread and smoked cheese for lunch. Uurggh, OK if I was starving it would have kept me alive but it certainly wasn't pleasurable eating and I'm afraid I went hungry that day. It may have been authentic-ish but why people would want to eat that in modern times beats me. As for pickled herring, the thought makes me heave - one for a bush tucker trial I think!

Dave, try eating in Germany.

The richest, heaviest, greasiest food I've ever eaten. Especially in Eastern Germany, they still have a taste for Eastern Bloc stuff.

One of the choicest meals I had when there was deep fried lamb schnitzel (which was about the size of the plate) with potato dumpling and boiled potatoes and a selection of boiled veg. I ordered a side salad to balance my constitution a little, but it arrived swimming in dressing.

The general side drink of choice was beer.

We then went back to the host's house where we were server quark cake (very rich) with huge mounds of cream and hot drinks.

I don't think I was able to void my bowels successfully for about a week.

Heh, I have eaten in Germany and your comments reinforce my opinion for which I thank you! The richest, heaviest, greasiest food I've ever eaten. Nice!

I just can't get enough of their tasty, tasty meats, and i like rye bread.

We may get shot at a lot, but we French forces at least get to eat well

And if you think the Germans are bad when it comes to Fish, NEVER go to Iceland!

It's okay, it's Mum's that go there.

Can't say I was very impressed with the pickled cabbage my mates in Northern Germany served me ,apparently its a speciality there.Got my own back with a bag of chilli almonds,is it just in the north or do Germans everywhere have a problem with hot - as in chilli hot - food ?

We seem to have digressed delightfully into gastronomy!!!!! YAY!

I have to defend German cuisine at this point.

I dunno where you boys were eating but I can assure you it's not all rich adn greasy - It's very heavily meat and potato based (Hello? England? Meat and two veg?) but it's not all that bland. My missus cooks from traditional recipies and cookbooks bought in Germany - We have had wonderful vegetables including sauce made from pureed veg...... Meat is Roast (Braten) after being marinaded for days which makes it extra tasty and it drops apart with the slightest ppush from a fork. Desserts include Bavarian Cream (Bayernsahn) which is a cross between yoghurt, cheescake and icecream and it's heavenly with plum compote....

Sausages - OK - a good variety and stereotypical German nosh - but how well do they d them (can't beat good old bangers made fresh at our local farm shop butchers though) The Gremans do game exquisitely with venison and boar being the favourites and in the Spargel (asparagus season) usually a full menu involving the finest white asparagus in the world is available (although Spargel does make your wee very green and stinky!)

Bread - I have to give you the rye thing - I can't eat a lot - but they do wonderful corn bread and their white breads are great - full of texture and taste unlike the air filled supermarket pre made. half baked shoite they palm off on us over here. Mushrooms! The variety and diversity of use is just brilliant! Half of us in the UK have olny ever eaten two or maybe four varieties of mushroom at the most. In Germany I have had emals with six mushrooms (Pfilzen) on me plate at once.......

Don't get me started on their dumplings and noodles....... or the sauces that go with them...... I am salivating already!

No folks - Don't do the box tops down on their food...... It's not as delicate as France, It's not as showy as some - It's good trad food, well cooked and lots of it - I suffer from heartburn and indegestion a lot which I have narrowed down to additives in food. Preservatives and flavour enhancers. When I go to Der Vaterland, after my first full meal this subsides and I enjoy 10 or 14 days of unfettered digestion and I feel much better - When I come home I stick to as much fresh stuff (non supermarket) as possible and it's fine but it creeps back in slowly but surely.

The sheer quality of food in Europe in general seems far higher than ours here in UK - Hell - I even like those Dutch boys cooking with their pancakes and waffles!!!!!

Echte Deutsche Kuche for the win!

What the Germans can do to a pig [in a culinary sense] should be shouted from the roof tops.
They have a great range of foods that varies across what is a big country. I never struggle to find something tempting.
I never cease to be amazed by the praises heaped on Italian food. That does get boring like the food. Just changing the shape of the pasta does not change it's taste to any degree. It's still pasta. It all relies upon the chefs skill with the sauce.
Dont try and tell me all italian food is great, the worst food I've ever had on tour was in italy. Worse by a long chalk.
Back to labels;
The german issue tinned food did not often feature labels, the contents were usually stamped on the top.
When labels were used it was very rare to see eagles and swastikas on them. 'nur Fur wehrmact' over stamps on civilian stocks were seen early on or on captured stock. often the label only covered half the tin to save paper.
That trick was used by the Brits, often a ministry of Food logo was found on their labels.

As with everything in life you get what you pay for. Dining out in Germany can be very cheap, but if you're paying E6 for a main course then all you'll ever get is Hearty German Fare, meaning a bit of pig covered in breadcrumbs and pan-fried with a starchy side dish. Compare it to English fish 'n' chips, both are delicious once in a while but you would struggle to eat them every day. That's cos you're not supposed to.

If you like a laugh, try going to a Chinese restaurant in rural Germany, where the menu has been "Germanified". The menu is unrecognisable and none of the food is bright orange. It's just.....wrong.

I've done Mexican in Berlin, Thai in Munich, Greek in Aachen, Trattoria in Dublin, Sushi in Pragye,,,,, the list is (nearly) endless - As the Stigman says - Deutschland is a large country - The fare is so varied from one region to the other - to say a £6.00 main is a slab of pig fried in breaqdcrumbs accompanied by a starchy side is a disservice to a wonderful and tasty filling meal.

Why don't we organise a JBO and fit it in next year between airsofting and re-enacting?

We could Jump on a ferry, land in Clogland, drive across it and see Arnhem on the way - then I'd be double happy to guide you lads around the Heurtgenwald for a day or two - We could then motor to the Ardennes one day and up to OVerloon in Belgium then head back to Blighty having pigged out on history, beer and as much Euro cuisine as we could stand - Perhaps each man keeps a diary and marks the trips on Food, Beer, COmpany, Sights seen, Laughs had that day.

Then we could do a photo thread and relive it all over again with much mirth and amusement (retrospective rose tints aptional)

Whaddya say? Any mileage in it?