The field kitchen

[giocarola]

Hello all. I am doing some research about my late grandfather's experiences in the Regio when he was assigned to the occupation forces in Albania. From what I understand, he was a cook and helped operate a front line field kitchen near the southern border. I have found few resources about the Italian field kitchen of that time and so I have had to rely on the 1942 US Army technical manual on field cooking to help me understand how things were done (https://archive.org/details/1942TM10-405/page/n3/mode/2up?view=theater). I wonder if anyone on the forum could help me answer a few questions:

-Are there online Regio tech manuals that describe field kitchen operations?
-Were camp-based field ovens and stoves heated by coal (like the US versions) or did the soldiers forage for wood?
-Were coffee beans roasted in a central supply location (circa 1941-1943) and then shipped to the field kitchens or were beans shipped as green and unroasted, requiring the field cooks to roast them on their own?
-How did the field kitchens make coffee for the troops? The US Army manual recommends throwing a bag of coffee grounds in a simmering pot for ten minutes if there is no percolator available. Not sure if that version of Cowboy Coffee would fly among the Italians.

I know these are pretty specific questions and there may not be many answers available, but thanks for offering whatever information you're able to.

 

[jwsleser]

Welcome to Comando Supremo giocarlo.

Do you know what unit/type of unit your nonno served in? Can you read Italian?

-Are there online Regio tech manuals that describe field kitchen operations?

There are few online sources for Italian manuals. I have not personally seen any manuals on mess operations to include recipe books. I am sure they exist somewhere, but that is a very specialized collection interest.

-Were camp-based field ovens and stoves heated by coal (like the US versions) or did the soldiers forage for wood?

Mess operations in fixed facilities use a variety of fuels. Stoves could use coal or wool. The Italians had field stoves that used gas or diesel, and had mess wagons (like the German goulash cannons) that used coal of wood.

-Were coffee beans roasted in a central supply location (circa 1941-1943) and then shipped to the field kitchens or were beans shipped as green and unroasted, requiring the field cooks to roast them on their own?

Good question. I can't find an definitive answer. The soldiers were authorized 10gr of caffè tostata daily (I servizi logistici delle unità italiane al fronte russo, documento 25). I didn't find any reference to roasting in the logistic chain in Russia. As roasting does take time and equipment, I feel it is unlikely green beans were shipped to the various theaters for roasting. You also had surrogato di caffè when real coffee wasn't available.

-How did the field kitchens make coffee for the troops? The US Army manual recommends throwing a bag of coffee grounds in a simmering pot for ten minutes if there is no percolator available. Not sure if that version of Cowboy Coffee would fly among the Italians.

The officer mess likely had coffee presses or other ways to make better coffee. The officer mess sets I have seen for sale usually include a percolator coffee pot. In the book Cucina - Vino Alpini, the coffee was made in large kitchen pots or in the marmitte da campo (hot field containers) (p.124). This pretty much implies that coffee ground were placed in the water and boiled.

Hopefully other can add more info.

Pista! Jeff

 

[giocarola]

Jeff, thank you for your extremely generous reply. My nonno passed away in the early 1990's and, sadly, the only Italian I learned from him was the kind you don't use at the dinner table. I have to rely on translation software when it comes to websites and documents in Italian.

I don't know the exact unit he was in--my guess is that he was in the ninth army which served in Albania prior to the Armistice of Cassibile, but I don't know more specifics.

I really appreciate your perspectives on the cooking questions--it does make sense that beans would be roasted in a central location and then shipped to the troops.

I'm attempting an historical novel inspired by his and my grandmother's lives during that time period, so I appreciate any information to help me make it as authentic as possible.

Thanks again!

John/Giocarola

 

[jwsleser]

I am glad to help.

Here are some pictures from Cucina - Vino Alpini.

 

[giocarola]

Jeff, these are fantastic! Mille grazie!

 

[jwsleser]

I have started a thread on rations here. https://comandosupremo.com/forums/index.php?threads/feeding-the-soldier-rations.1013/