Home / War and Conflict / WW1 Soldiers Trained to Cook in Sussex Trenches
WW1 Soldiers Trained to Cook in Sussex Trenches
1 Feb
Summary
- 14,000 British troops trained in cooking at Portslade Army Cookery School.
- Cooks learned to prepare food in challenging conditions like ammunition tents.
- Soldiers were taught recycling, including using rabbit skins for gloves.
Before deploying to the front lines of World War One, thousands of British soldiers underwent specialized culinary training in West Sussex. The Portslade Army Cookery School, located at Portslade Camp, was instrumental in equipping approximately 14,000 troops with crucial cooking skills during a period of rapid army expansion. Historians reveal that these soldiers were graded on their cooking abilities, not their combat prowess.
Surviving notebooks from 1916 to 1918 offer insight into the curriculum, detailing recipes and lecture notes. Cooks were trained to adapt, raising stoves on stilts for insulation and preparing food in unconventional settings like ammunition tents. The training also encompassed important lessons in resourcefulness, including recycling practices such as sending rabbit skins home for glove manufacturing.
Cooks played a critical role in maintaining morale, often described as either a 'hero' or an 'absolute menace' by their peers. Their work was demanding, involving continuous cooking sessions and meticulous food delivery, often in hay baskets. While initial rations included fresh meat and bread, cooks had to adapt to using preserved items when troops reached the front lines, with essential amenities like tea and sugar also being supplied.
