What did officers eat for lunch?
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One of my earliest memories was of RAF Thorney Island when we had our ULAS Summer Camp there in 1970. Normally we would have a packed lunch in the crewroom, but one one occasion a couple of us went to the Officers' Mess for a proper luncheon...
It was magnificent! A white coated chef carved ham off the bone with a sideboard groaning with all kinds of salad, new potatoes etc. Those who chose from the menu were served by mess stewards; the whole experience was very upmarket, but was probably at the end of traditional mess dining as Military Salary kicked in.
Roll forward 20 odd years and my lunch as a ULAS QFI was often 2 x small pork pies and a couple of tomatoes 'on the hoof' between trips.
It was magnificent! A white coated chef carved ham off the bone with a sideboard groaning with all kinds of salad, new potatoes etc. Those who chose from the menu were served by mess stewards; the whole experience was very upmarket, but was probably at the end of traditional mess dining as Military Salary kicked in.
Roll forward 20 odd years and my lunch as a ULAS QFI was often 2 x small pork pies and a couple of tomatoes 'on the hoof' between trips.
In my Army, Officers ate after the Troops and got exactly the same fare as the Troops.
Whenever we differed from that we saw leadership problems.
Often times the supported unit cooks would send out hot meals to the helicopter crews... and as the standard Huey crew was four people and the Chinook standard crew was five people....it was not unusual to only get four hot meals and I always ate canned C Rations while my crew got the Hot Meals.
I believe in leading by example....and living up to admonition an Officer looks out for the welfare of his assigned Troops.
if you think yourself above eating with your troops....you are not much of a Leader and become a mere commander in an empty suit.
Whenever we differed from that we saw leadership problems.
Often times the supported unit cooks would send out hot meals to the helicopter crews... and as the standard Huey crew was four people and the Chinook standard crew was five people....it was not unusual to only get four hot meals and I always ate canned C Rations while my crew got the Hot Meals.
I believe in leading by example....and living up to admonition an Officer looks out for the welfare of his assigned Troops.
if you think yourself above eating with your troops....you are not much of a Leader and become a mere commander in an empty suit.
50+ years on, I have fond memories of a WO II who made a point of taking a hot snack from the Sergeants' Mess to the guardroom for the duty guard to snack on, late at night.
Beage's i notice no mention of being spoiled in the VAS Leuchars crewroom
Last edited by BEagle; 17th Jun 2022 at 18:37.
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On a sightly tangential topic, there was of course the Soup du Jour for Dinner. The great "Bean-Stealer's Dormitory" in the PM's current Parliamentary constituency had this down to a fine and economical art.
Monday was usually a clear Spring Vegetable Soup. As the week went on, evidence of the previous evening's dinner ingredients made their presence evident, for good or ill. By Friday it had transmogrified into lumpy gravy, aka Brown Windsor Soup, aka UXB leftovers. The weekend was irrelevant, as there were only 3/4 of of us genuine Living-In who were still there ... I then warned out and self-catered.
Monday was usually a clear Spring Vegetable Soup. As the week went on, evidence of the previous evening's dinner ingredients made their presence evident, for good or ill. By Friday it had transmogrified into lumpy gravy, aka Brown Windsor Soup, aka UXB leftovers. The weekend was irrelevant, as there were only 3/4 of of us genuine Living-In who were still there ... I then warned out and self-catered.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Monday was usually a clear Spring Vegetable Soup. As the week went on, evidence of the previous evening's dinner ingredients made their presence evident, for good or ill. By Friday it had transmogrified into lumpy gravy, aka Brown Windsor Soup
Back in the 70s there were enough staff left over from empire days that I remember Kedgeree for breakfast with fondness and Nasi Goreng for dinner.
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In the ex mil airlines of the 70's on, (BEA BOAC etc ) separate hotels and food for the Capt and other crew members.
Different daily living allowance for the Capt and FO. Cheese board ...was...sort of shared on the flt deck, alcohol was retained from first class for the crew party. Landing drinks only with parking brake set.
Fast fwd to the 90's: Same hotel and daily allowance for crew. No cheese board, pay for water and food, no landing drinks, aircraft bar stock electronically controlled, cabin crew would cook pot noodles on the "Delsey diners" suitcase in their rooms.
Salute Messrs Walsh and OLeary
Different daily living allowance for the Capt and FO. Cheese board ...was...sort of shared on the flt deck, alcohol was retained from first class for the crew party. Landing drinks only with parking brake set.
Fast fwd to the 90's: Same hotel and daily allowance for crew. No cheese board, pay for water and food, no landing drinks, aircraft bar stock electronically controlled, cabin crew would cook pot noodles on the "Delsey diners" suitcase in their rooms.
Salute Messrs Walsh and OLeary
Monday consommé, By Wednesday Brown Windsor and Friday Mulligatawny - on the basis there was always a curry on Thursday night….
Back in the 70s there were enough staff left over from empire days that I remember Kedgeree for breakfast with fondness and Nasi Goreng for dinner.
Back in the 70s there were enough staff left over from empire days that I remember Kedgeree for breakfast with fondness and Nasi Goreng for dinner.
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Two happy memories:
1. Sausage, egg and chips in the Aircrew Feeder at RAF Dishcloth in the 1980's.
2. Full bells and whistles dining at HQSTC later that decade.
If I could go back in time for one meal it would be Option 1.
There was something about it . . .
1. Sausage, egg and chips in the Aircrew Feeder at RAF Dishcloth in the 1980's.
2. Full bells and whistles dining at HQSTC later that decade.
If I could go back in time for one meal it would be Option 1.
There was something about it . . .
I recall a stewardess friend with BCal flying to the Emirates in the 80's saying that she got close to £ 100 per day to buy hotel-priced food and would buy a roast chicken locally for £ 2.
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Then the... fun-off button... was pushed.
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Totally agree. Dishforth Feeder..There was one of the culinary staff, whose husband was a bit of a 'poacher'. On, after a successful weekend in season of course (cough), we had Duck, Pheasant, the occasionly Partridge for lunch. Albeit served with chips. Hey Ho
Avoid imitations
Ah Beagle, I seem to remember @ St Athan as a UWAS cadet that lunch was a waitress affair and orders taken by them most meticulously.
……….
Whatever lunch was @ St Athan it must have been good, as several of us snoozed in the ante room afterwards and occasionally missed transport back to the squadron.
……….
Whatever lunch was @ St Athan it must have been good, as several of us snoozed in the ante room afterwards and occasionally missed transport back to the squadron.
MARRIED MEMEBRS AT LUNCH
Discussing ration stats and quantities with a CatO some years after my departure from the service I learnt that on days when the O's Mess had crumbed brains or lambs fry on the lunch menu they doubled the quantities as when word got around, the number of married officers buying a meal ticked and partaking of lunch was far greater than on other days.
Gne
Gne
Last edited by Gne; 18th Jun 2022 at 06:48. Reason: tried to correct the typo in the title
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I had the misfortune to be promoted to squadron leader and remain on the same station, which was probably then the most visited operational station in the service. VIP's galore came to view our boys saving the world. Luncheon was the full works including pre dinner drinks and wine with the meal. As the most junior of the (senior) officers, and being a Vulcan pilot (goodness me) I was frequently nominated to host our visitors. I never drank at lunchtime in the vain hope that I might get a trip in the afternoon.(I was a type QFI). The bill for these functions was shared amongst the officers hosting the event. The increase in my pay (or is it my salary!) was more than taken up by my increased mess bill.
Then, following an RAFG Diktat. , Lunchtime drinks for a visiting multi service delegation at Gut in the late 70's saw the RN Supping their G&Ts, the Army their stiffeners, whilst the RAF contingent had to be non alcoholic..........
"" Would that be another Orange Juice for you, Sir?""
"" Would that be another Orange Juice for you, Sir?""
