CONFIRMED:Meals that fuelled British Soldiers to victory in WW1 revealed

The meals that fuelled British soldiers to victory in the trenches during the First World War have been revealed in a new book.

Unlike the belief that it was all bully beef and tea, it shows a surprisingly varied menu with classics such as egg and chips and toad-in-the-hole.

Slightly less appetising meals such as gruel, calves foot jelly, and onion porridge also featured on the Tommies dinner list.

Then there was the dreaded Maconochie stew, a watery casserole of turnips and vegetables with minimal meat, which had been a standard part of rations since the Boer War.

Although it was recommended that the stew was warmed prior to eating, it was mostly eaten cold.

The huge logistical challenge faced when attempting to keep millions of troops fed and watered is revealed in Hannah Holman's book The Trench Cookbook 1917.

Slightly less appetising meals such as gruel, calves foot jelly, and onion porridge also featured on the Tommies dinner list.

Then there was the dreaded Maconochie stew, a watery casserole of turnips and vegetables with minimal meat, which had been a standard part of rations since the Boer War.

Although it was recommended that the stew was warmed prior to eating, it was mostly eaten cold.

The huge logistical challenge faced when attempting to keep millions of troops fed and watered is revealed in Hannah Holman's book The Trench Cookbook 1917.

The Army Catering Corp was not established until 1941 and cooking during the First World War was organised separately by each battalion.

Guidance would come from cooks or from manuals which would start with the absolute basics.

At the start of the war army rations at the front were reasonably generous, but by 1916 the situation had steadily deteriorated as the German submarine fleet tested cross channel supply lines.

By 1916 many Tommies were happy to receive stale bread and the meat ration would often be 'bully beef', tinned corned beef.

When no fresh meat was available army cooks turned to recipes such as stew with preserved meat or preserved meat fritters.

Iron rations were the emergency rations kept in a tin by all soldiers and designed to last for a day or so in the event of being cut off from supplies.

Typically, these rations consisted of a tin of meat, some cheese, tea, sugar, salt and a biscuit.

Hannah said: "I am interested in the history of the ordinary person and how war is experienced day to day.

"In extreme situations we appreciate simple pleasures and we have all heard the Napoleon quote that 'an army marches on its stomach'.

"In terms of national differences what I can say is that in the Salvation army field kitchen behind the front lines the British Tommy was partial to egg and chips, whilst the Germans always liked sausages, the Australians preferred meat pies and the Americans doughnuts."