Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Soldiers’ Christmas Menu, 1915

My gift to you this Merry Christmas Day is the Christmas dinner menu enjoyed by “a body of Australian soldiers in France” in 1915.

COO-EE
17th (Australian) Ammunition Sub-Park.
Somewhere in France.
CHRISTMAS DINNER.
Patron: Major Hamilton
Committee: Lieut. Harvey, Sergeant-Major Campbell, Staff-Seageant Bird, Staff Sergeant Jackson, Corpl. Chapman, Driver J.B. Kelly, and Driver M. Williams.
Catering under the direction of Staff-Sergeant Jackson, Electric Light by C. Worshop.

MENU.
HORS D’OEUVRES.
-          A Little Beer.-
SOUP.
Chicken Broth.
-          Beer. –
ENTRÉE.
Giblet Pie
-          Some Beer –
JOINT.
Roast Sirloin.              Boiled Ham.
-          Still more Beer. -
POULTRY.
Roast Turkey and Sausage – Roast Goose –
Roast Duck and Apple Sauce – Roast Chicken and Ham.
-          Still Beer -
Vegetables.
Brussels Sprouts.         Boiled and Baked Potatoes.
Mashed Turnips.
SWEETS.
Christmas Puddings.
-          Again Beer -
Crackers and Cheese.              Smokes and Beer.
TOAST – GOD SAVE THE KING.
Beer finis – by the Committee if necessary
Sick Parade 11 am, 26th December, 1915

Giblet Pie.
Ingredients—The turkey giblets, ½  lb. beef, ¼ lb. pastry. Method—Boil the heart, liver, gizzard, the feet, and neck of the bird, adding ½ lb. of stewing beef, and a small portion of lean ham. Place in a pie-dish and fill up with well -seasoned stock. Prepare the pastry and cover the pie. Bake in a hot oven for an hour. N.B.—Be sure a hole is made in the crust to allow the steam to escape and so carry off any gases.

Kapunda Herald (South Australia) 26 November, 1915.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sensing a pattern....hmmm. :)

Gary Gillman said...

An excellent menu which must have pleased the men very much. The extended joke about the beer is a good one, commendable humour in what must have been difficult field and campaign conditions.

Ron Pattinson's beer history blog (Ron is a noted writer of numerous books on English and European brewing history) recently contained an image of Allied soldiers drinking beer in 1915, so perhaps the beer in the menu would have been served from similar casks:

http://barclayperkins.blogspot.ca/2012/06/soldiers-drinking.html

Indeed in the comments to Ron's posting it is speculated that one of the soldiers at least may have been a New Zealander due to his distinctive "gullied" hat.

Gary

~~louise~~ said...

Well it sure doesn't look like they were missing out on anything. Perhaps more beer, lol...

Thank you so much for sharing, Janet. Wishing You a Very Merry Christmas, Louise

Shay said...

There were advantages to serving on the Christmas committee, I see.