British Military Current Events

[RangerRay]

Maybe there was a reason we used to call Brits "shit-eaters".

Used to?

 

[Halifax Tar]

I guess cook isn't a core competency in the Brit army.

I had four in my M109 battery back in the early 80s. Today's ORBAT for an M777 one with the same number of gunners now calls for three. I wonder how many they really have now.

The cook trade is in severe distress. I would be surprised if you have 3 cooks per bty.

I expect now they consolidate what they have and push forward hay boxes and hard rations.

 

[FJAG]

The cook trade is in severe distress. I would be surprised if you have 3 cooks per bty.

I expect now they consolidate what they have and push forward hay boxes and hard rations.

There was always something special about a kitchen in the field - the vat of coffee always on the go with its table with bread, peanut butter, jam and Cheese Whiz; eggs and bacon to order in the morning.



Things varied. For technical shoots you didn't move much so we took out the kitchens right into each battery's A Ech. For tactical shoots with a lot of fire and movement we were on hayboxes from central kitchens and/or on RP 4s or IRPs.

Like my RCEME crew, I always liked and got along well with my kitchen staff. They were quite happy to get away from the base kitchens and into the field and particulalry happy doing the occasional function when they could really show their stuff. I always considered cooks a trade with folks that loved to do stuff but the system stifled their creativity.

 

[MacNav63]

There was always something special about a kitchen in the field - the vat of coffee always on the go with its table with bread, peanut butter, jam and Cheese Whiz; eggs and bacon to order in the morning.

View attachment 91676

Things varied. For technical shoots you didn't move much so we took out the kitchens right into each battery's A Ech. For tactical shoots with a lot of fire and movement we were on hayboxes from central kitchens and/or on RP 4s or IRPs.

Like my RCEME crew, I always liked and got along well with my kitchen staff. They were quite happy to get away from the base kitchens and into the field and particulalry happy doing the occasional function when they could really show their stuff. I always considered cooks a trade with folks that loved to do stuff but the system stifled their creativity.

Always remember summer Cub camps in Lahr in the early 70s when the units would take turns sending their field kitchens to feed us all. Great food too, except for the year the Van Doos served liver. When I was in university and working for Scouts Canada at the 83 World Jamboree in Kananaskis staff and volunteers were still be being fed by an Army field kitchen.

 

[daftandbarmy]

There was always something special about a kitchen in the field - the vat of coffee always on the go with its table with bread, peanut butter, jam and Cheese Whiz; eggs and bacon to order in the morning.

View attachment 91676

Things varied. For technical shoots you didn't move much so we took out the kitchens right into each battery's A Ech. For tactical shoots with a lot of fire and movement we were on hayboxes from central kitchens and/or on RP 4s or IRPs.

Like my RCEME crew, I always liked and got along well with my kitchen staff. They were quite happy to get away from the base kitchens and into the field and particulalry happy doing the occasional function when they could really show their stuff. I always considered cooks a trade with folks that loved to do stuff but the system stifled their creativity.

'Field Kitchen'... yeah, we'll go with that

 

[Halifax Tar]

'Field Kitchen'... yeah, we'll go with that

View attachment 91679

Those aptitude tests are pesky bugger eh ? Low score, but love camping ? Boy, do I have a job for you!

 

[Halifax Tar]

There was always something special about a kitchen in the field - the vat of coffee always on the go with its table with bread, peanut butter, jam and Cheese Whiz; eggs and bacon to order in the morning.

View attachment 91676

Things varied. For technical shoots you didn't move much so we took out the kitchens right into each battery's A Ech. For tactical shoots with a lot of fire and movement we were on hayboxes from central kitchens and/or on RP 4s or IRPs.

Like my RCEME crew, I always liked and got along well with my kitchen staff. They were quite happy to get away from the base kitchens and into the field and particulalry happy doing the occasional function when they could really show their stuff. I always considered cooks a trade with folks that loved to do stuff but the system stifled their creativity.

Best coffee I ever had was in the field from a cook who spent his career with the guns. He called it cowboy coffee. He also taught me what a herbie burger is. Delicious!

 

[Grimey]

'Field Kitchen'... yeah, we'll go with that

View attachment 91679

Break out the hexi!

 

[daftandbarmy]

Break out the hexi!

The staff of life!

 

[Blackadder1916]

'Field Kitchen'... yeah, we'll go with that

View attachment 91679

That's not far off from the field kitchen set-up I witnessed while attached to the Royal Regiment of Wales during an exercise in Wainwright in the 1970s. While we had the flying kitchens with gridles and ovens in the old deuces (this was before the separate kitchen trailers), the Brits dug trenches in which they put burner nozzles and then put oven boxes over top; a pretty rudimentary arrangement. I wish I could pay them the compliment that they produced an amazing feast from this simple kitchen, but alas, it was not to be.

While I've had the occasional adequate meal with the UK military, the experience was usually like the time I was awaiting a flight at RAF Akrotiri. I went up to the NAAFI snack bar in the terminal for a coffee, I was unable to identify the brew they gave (they added milk and sugar before giving it to me, I usually take it black, no sugar); it could have been coffee, it could have been tea - what they dispensed all looked (and probably tasted) the same.

 

[daftandbarmy]

That's not far off from the field kitchen set-up I witnessed while attached to the Royal Regiment of Wales during an exercise in Wainwright in the 1970s. While we had the flying kitchens with gridles and ovens in the old deuces (this was before the separate kitchen trailers), the Brits dug trenches in which they put burner nozzles and then put oven boxes over top; a pretty rudimentary arrangement. I wish I could pay them the compliment that they produced an amazing feast from this simple kitchen, but alas, it was not to be.

While I've had the occasional adequate meal with the UK military, the experience was usually like the time I was awaiting a flight at RAF Akrotiri. I went up to the NAAFI snack bar in the terminal for a coffee, I was unable to identify the brew they gave (they added milk and sugar before giving it to me, I usually take it black, no sugar); it could have been coffee, it could have been tea - what they dispensed all looked (and probably tasted) the same.

Shall be known as the ACC IED