Napoleon said 'an army marches on its stomach' (although he probably lifted itfrom Frederick the Great!) - but how did they get full stomachs during battle? It's not as if they could stop fighting to go for lunch - or even coffee! We hear and see many documentaries of the carnage of the fighting forces - even the medical corps has had its TV day - but what of the caterers? Who were they? What dangers did they face?
I am in the initial stages of preparing a programme proposal to be presented to one of the broadcast television channels called 'Lunch on the Line' which will explore the logistics and problems of feeding troops in the front line through the ages up to modern times. It will look at it from both sides - the caterers and the troops - so I will also be putting this request in one of the forces journals.
I've found a few accounts from the First World War, eg: where caterers had to deliver the bully beef before dawn to avoid being shot - and the fatal (for them) consequences of being late, leaving the troops with dry bread and biscuits for the day, but there must be many other stories from those two dreadful wars.
And what about today? How different is it for the men serving in Iraq and Afghanistan?
Initial research shows there is very little information available so - can anyone help? All information will be treated with respect and any used will be attributed. I'm planning to produce a book to accompany the programme which I hope will tell the story of these men and give them the recognition they deserve.
Many thanks
Di Shelley
Producer
Topic: Proposed Television programme (Read 3307 times)