What did Indian soldiers eat in the First World War?

Indian Officers

Here's a list of their rations in 1914:

  • 1⁄4 pound meat
    (Non-meat eaters received 2 ounces of gur (coarse, unrefined sugar made from sugar cane juice) or sugar or 3 ounces of milk in place of 4 ounces of meat)
  • 1⁄8 pound potatoes
  • 1⁄3 ounce tea
  • 1⁄2 ounce salt
  • 1 1⁄2 pounds atta (flour)
  • 4 ounces dhal (dried lentils, peas or beans which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split)
  • 2 ounces ghee (clarified butter)
  • 1⁄6 ounce chillies
  • 1⁄6 ounce turmeric
  • 1⁄3 ounce ginger
  • 1⁄6 ounce garlic
  • 1 ounce gur
What did Indian soldiers eat? Sheep Gallipoli
Sheep being taken ashore at Gallipoli in 1915, to be issued live to the Indian troops for slaughter according to their religious practices. [AWM C01662]

Indian troops' iron rations (emergency supplies issued in case soldiers were cut off from regular rations) consisted of:

  • 1 pound biscuit
  • 8 ounces gur
  • 1 ounce tea
  • 6 ounces condensed milk or 21⁄2 ounces dried milk in lieu, when available.
Back to top ^