PACIFIC RATIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25736, 6 January 1945, Page 6

PACIFIC RATIONS

GENERAL IMPROVEMENT

DOMINION'S CONTRIBUTION

(R.N.Z.A.F. Official News Service) GUADALCANAR, Dec. 28. So far as the R.N.Z.A.F. is concerned, the days of the continual use of “ Spam,’’ “ Carter's Spread," sauerkraut and “ Battery Acid ’’ are over. These four items, consisting of a type of tinned sausage meat, a butter substitute, pickled cabbage and a lemon powder drink, were formerly the pet aversions of all food-conscious airmen serving in the Pacific. To-day, and for some months past, all Pacific stations can boast of reasonably well-balanced meals which are appetising as well as health-giving. That does not mean that the food can be cpmpared with average New Zealand fare; but considering the supply problems involved and the distances which forward units of the R.N.Z.A.F. have now advanced from their home bases, the average airman s fare is more satisfactory and a great advance on what he was eating at the beginning of 1944. Co-operation with Americans In drawing rations in the Pacific, the R.N.Z.A.F. co-operates closely with American forces serving in the area. Dry rations drawn from American stores are usually found to have originated from the United States. Fresh rations, however, have usually come from New Zealand, and it is probably not generally realised in New Zealand that a proportion of the produce sold to the Americans and shipped up to the Pacific in refrigerated holds will eventually be re-issued to New Zealanders serving in the R.N.Z.A.F. This basic fare, drawn by all units,, in proportion to their strength is sufficient to provide reasonable meals, but is naturally subject to fluctuation according to the shipping situation. In such an event, it is left for the catering officers and cooks to puzzle their heads to find yet another variation of the eight different known ways of serving “ m ” and “ v ” and to draw heavily on dehydrated rations. A proportion of the latter also come from New Zealand and New Zealand dehydrated eggs in particular are recognised as being superior to any other variety. Evaporated, unsweetened milk is used generally. Special issues are authorised to hospitals and to squadrons whose air crews have to prepare meals regularly in the air. The latter include canned whitebait, oysters and, when available, fresh eggs, all of which are easily prepared on the limited cooking facilities available on an operational aircraft, Supplementary Rations In addition to these basic rations, supplementary rations are flown up from New Zealand when aircraft space is available. These include bacon, eggs, fresh vegetables, butter and tea, the need for the last-mentioned arising out of the fact that the Americans regard coffee as their main beverage and the basic issue of tea is barely sufficient to satisfy New Zealand tastes.

In distributing supplementary rations preference is given to airmen serving in forward areas. The rations are kept fresh on their way north by holding them in cold storage where overnight stops are made. Limited supplies of fresh vegetables are also made available from “ truck farms” which have been established on Guadalcanar and in the New Hebrides. Contrary to general opinion, however, the Islands, with the exception of Fiji, do not provide an inexhaustible supply of tropical fruit, and only in one or two isolated cases can advantage be taken of local produce. All units are now provided with refrigeration facilities, a refrigerating plant being essential if rations are to be kept for any length of time. An additional luxury of which airmen are now seeing more is ice cream, several plants having been installed recently in central localities where deliveries can be made to units in special containers several timfes a week.

Cooking Characteristics Cementing international relationships in their own small way. New Zealand and American cooks often visit each other’s kitchens to compare menus and recipes. Methods of cooking vary surprisingly, as American dishes are largely designed to be eaten with a fork.

To obtain a touch of variety in their meals, Americans and New Zealanders occasionally "switch chow lines” where their units are situated close by each other, and, provided that this does not result in a heavy run on one mess (as is occasionally the case when it is rumoured that a special delicacy, such as bacon and eggs, is being prepared), the practice causes- no concern.

New Zealanders invariably benefit from special ration issues on American anniversaries, a case in point being an issue of turkey on Thanksgiving Day recently. Special arrangements were! prepared for Christmas dinner, and these were assisted in no small measure by a generous grant of two shillings a head from the National Patriotic Fund Board and a further shilling a head from the New Zealand Government, through the Air Department. ~ . The improved food situation is due in no small measure to the efforts of R.N.Z.A.F. catering officers, whose duty it is to supervise the handling of rations through all stages until the contents of garbage cans are disposed of. Thanks to them, the new arrival, who has breakfast in New Zealand and dinner in the tropics, finds little to complain of in the change, and is even inclined to wonder if the vitamin pills, supplied to supplement the vitamin content of the meals, are really necessary.