There are dozens of accounts of soldiers drinking before and after battle, spread across the whole of history, and right up into the modern day. Alexander the Great, like his father Phillip the 2nd before him, was a notorious drinker, as were his Macedonian brothers in arms.
In this post
Did soldiers drink during war?
During The Great War booze played a major part in every soldier’s life. It was a necessity for the military high command to hand out alcohol rations at a large scale.
Did ww2 soldiers drink alcohol?
For the soldiers’ part, Wehrmacht officers permitted and initially encouraged their charges to consume alcohol as a coping mechanism, believing it essential to good morale.
What did soldiers drink in the war?
Soldiers were sometimes issued beer, cider, or brandy in lieu of Pinard, but it remained the most common alcoholic drink consumed at the front.
Did soldiers drink in the trenches?
Drinking water was transported to front line trenches in petrol cans. It was then purified with chemicals. To help disguise the taste, most water was drunk in the form of tea, often carried cold in soldier’s individual water bottles.
Why do army guys drink so much?
A History of Military Drinking Culture
Alcohol is also normalized as a coping mechanisms to deal with stress and unpleasant emotions in the military, and service members often gather together after work or in between high-stress duties to drink heavily.
How much did ww1 soldiers drink?
The official ration was 2.5 fluid ounces (about 70ml) per man: twice weekly for soldiers who were serving behind the frontlines or resting, daily for those in the trenches.
What did Germans drink in ww2?
Like any WWII soldiers, the Germans enjoyed a drink whether it was in celebration, stress or defeat. So Jagermeister was immensely popular along the frontlines according to Berry.
What beer did soldiers drink in ww2?
Lager
Lager traveled with Americans wherever they went during the war. Soldiers stationed in England preferred to stay on post and drink 3.2 percent beer than to head into town and drink bitter British ales.
What did they drink in World War 2?
Torpedo juice is American slang for an alcoholic beverage, first mixed in World War II, made from pineapple juice and the 180-proof grain alcohol fuel used in United States Navy torpedo motors.
Which alcohol was used as a pre battle ration?
rum
It was sometimes issued prior to an attack. The rum was contained in large stoneware jars, holding one gallon of rum (sufficient for 64 men). Above: a rum jar. The Initials SRD stand for “Service Rations Depot” – but were also known as “Seldom Reaches Destination” or “Service Rum Diluted”.
What did ww1 soldiers eat?
By the First World War (1914-18), Army food was basic, but filling. Each soldier could expect around 4,000 calories a day, with tinned rations and hard biscuits staples once again. But their diet also included vegetables, bread and jam, and boiled plum puddings. This was all washed down by copious amounts of tea.
Why did soldiers drink rum in ww1?
Rum (indeed alcohol generally) served three main purposes in the war: firstly as a morale booster; secondly as what is known as a “combat motivator” and, thirdly, very often as a coping mechanism and all three merged quite seamlessly into the other, their purposes over-lapping, as time progressed.
How often did soldiers shower in ww2?
About once every week to ten days
About once every week to ten days, Soldiers would go to the rear for their shower. Upon entering the shower area they turned in their dirty clothing. After showering they received new cloths. They had their choice for size: small, medium, or large.
How do soldiers pee in battle?
Porta-Johns. Yes, we have “Porta-sh*tters” located on the frontlines. For the most part, they’re located on the larger FOBs. To keep these maintained, allied forces pay local employees, who live nearby, to pump the human discharge out of the poop reservoirs.
What did ww1 trenches smell like?
The stink of war
Then there was the smell. Stinking mud mingled with rotting corpses, lingering gas, open latrines, wet clothes and unwashed bodies to produce an overpowering stench. The main latrines were located behind the lines, but front-line soldiers had to dig small waste pits in their own trenches.
Which branch drinks the most?
The Marine Corps
The Marine Corps had the highest reported rate, with 42.6 percent of respondents saying they engaged in binge drinking within the past 30 days. The Navy was next, with 34.2 percent of sailors reporting binge drinking.
What percentage of military are alcoholics?
For example, young males in the Marines Corps have the highest rate of heavy alcohol use, at 38.6 percent; among males in the Air Force, the rate is 24.5 percent. Young men in the Army and Navy have similar rates of heavy drinking (Army: 32.8 percent, Navy: 31.8 percent).
Why do we give rum to Army?
Many doctors condemned the abuse of alcohol, but others thought it useful to preserve men’s health, in both cold and hot weather. Brandy is still considered a medical comfort in the Indian Army and is an issue item in addition to rum allowance in the field.
What do soldiers call coffee?
American servicemen enjoy a hot cup of coffee at a Salvation Army hut in New York, circa 1918. During World War I, instant coffee was a key provision for soldiers on the front. They called it a “cup of George.” On April 6, 1917, the U.S. declared war on Germany and formally entered World War I.
What coffee did soldiers drink in ww2?
Americano
Soldiers and Coffee
This is where the Americano was born. Adding water to the espresso the soldiers came across in Italy was the easiest way they found to make the coffee feel more like home. The Americano soon became an increasingly popular drink both across Europe and in the United States.