Army biscuits in World War One

I am doing some research into WW1 army biscuits, particularly those manufactured at the Huntley and Palmer’s factory in Reading. I have seen everything there is to see at Reading Museum and in the H&P archive which is at the University of Reading / Museum of English Rural Life, but am left with some unanswered questions, and wondered if anyone here could help.
Some of the things I am interested in are:

Why do H&P army biscuits have so many different numbers? H&P appear to have made (during the 1914-1918 period) army biscuits numbered 1-5 and 9 and 10 and also something called Brown Buttons which shipped in 48lb crates and had army-style packaging (I have seen either recipes or packaging or both, 1914-1918, for 1-5, 9 and 10 and Brown Buttons). Then there’s 6 & 7 (MERL holds packaging for these which is in the same style as the WW1 stuff but without dates; the only recipes we have are from 1900). Then No 20 – for which there is only packaging from 1920 and 1921). Do the differences reflect where the biscuits were to be sent, or the kinds of rations they were meant to be (daily / emergency use?), or something else? 1, 5, and 9 all have the same recipe (although I know 9 was made in a different shape to 5 – much smaller); 6 & 7 are the same; the others are all slightly different recipes. Is anything known about the reasons behind this?

What did the biscuits look like? Reading Museum has specimens of 4 , 5 and 9 (literature of the period seems to suggest 4 and 5 were most commonly made / used) but nothing else (plus some round ones with no number stamped into them) and I have been unable to find even a picture of any of the others. Does anyone have pictures?

Which other companies made army biscuits, and what sort of share of the market did H&P have?

What is known about trench craft / art in WW1? Many of the biscuits have been elaborately decorated, painted, turned into photo frames, sent home in the manner of postcards and so on and in one case framed in a frame made from a cigar box (other times, they’ve just been graffiti’ed with disparaging comments about how tough they are). What is known of this tradition?

Were biscuits of this type eaten every day, or only as emergency rations? Info online seems to suggest the latter; poems, anecdotes, cartoons etc. by WW1 soldiers suggest that in practice it was often the former, perhaps because of difficulties in getting fresh bread and fresh food generally to the front. Might soldiers have sometimes been eating them for weeks or months on end, if there were difficulties with supply chains for rations? (I have found one contemporary poem which makes weary reference to having “had them each day for a year”).

How were the recipes formulated? The recipes we have show varying proportions of flour, meal, bran, salt, soda, tartaric acid, phosphoric acid, “liquor” (huge amounts of this – a fat substitute?), yeast, sugar (sometimes “lawn sugar” or “sugar pieces”), rice gluten and, in one case, something listed only as “stuff”. Is this to do with the nutritional needs of the soldiers, the different regions / climactic conditions etc. into which the biscuits were to be sent, the erratic availability of certain ingredients during wartime – or something else?

 

Brought home by a veteran of Gallipoli and the Dardanelles and auctioned off in 2014. The reason they still look good is because they were basically inedible even when they just came out of the bakery. Made with just flour, salt and water. That's it.

 

Interesting subject. I don?@t have an y sources to hand, but I read somewhere that the main business of Spillers was supplying the Army and navy with biscuits. After the War the Army switched rations to bread from biscuit and Spillers had to find a new market for their products. There is supposed to be one of the dog biscuits which is still the WW1 recipe Winalot County Range?

 

Battlefield Biscuit.
Launched last week or so on Twatter.
Much military biscuit related goodness:

Battlefield Biscuit (@Biscuit_at_War) | Twitter

 

Known as hardtack or pilot bread in other eras, locales. Some types have a bit of baking soda leavening so it will rise and your teeth can actually break it, but the old navy and army type from the 19th century and earlier was just a hard square bit of baked wheat product. The Pilot Bread version, which looks like those pix above (and is leavened), is still popular in rural Alaska where fresh bread is generally unavailable during much of the year. It's something like an oversized saltine, but without the salt. I didn't care for it, but to people raised on it, it's become a kind of comfort food.

 

Look up the "ANZAC biscuit"...made for the diggers O/S...the Anzac biscuit is still an Australian favourite!

 

A couple of decades or so ago I remember hearing of a tin of ACW hardtack being opened and found to be just as edible as it was during the war.

 

People at that time really did food so that it lasted for a long time. and it worked!

 

Those biscuits in the 2nd pic looks like they could be also used as a projectile. Easily fired from a sling shot. I like dual purpose items.

 

Anzac Biscuit...

 

How do they taste?

 

Deee---lish!
They have sugar in them but it kinda tastes savoury...I think because of the oats...
Ingredients:

• 1 cup each of rolled oats, sugar and coconut.
• 1 tablespoon syrup.
• 3/4 cup flour.
• 2 tablespoons butter.
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (dissolved in 2 tablespoons boiling water)

Great with a cup of coffee or tea...or anything.
Many people get them for the tins they still come in...






And many more...

 

Anzac Biscuits are available on Amazon, but they are slightly expensive. Also they are not available in tins.

https://www.amazon.com/Unibic-Anzac...ords=anzac+biscuits&psc=1&smid=A21D61IIVCAUK1

 

British forces were still trying to eat ww1 biscuits in ww2 in the early years in North Africa.!!!

 

That’s wrong of them not to offer the tins...I could send you a couple of mine if you like : )

 

If you have some extra green in your jeans and feel so inclined, go right on ahead, but don't feel obligated!

 

Ewwwwwwwwwwww.