Chow Time: Christmas Meals On The Front Line

Regardless if their new homes were muddy trenches during WWI, mosquito netted barracks in Vietnam or a battleship in the South Pacific, thousands of miles away from home at Christmas, soldiers still celebrated the Holidays as best they could, with whatever food they could procure or were supplied.

Here are just a few pictures taken during  past conflicts, showing soldiers enjoying festive,  albeit short lived moments during War time.

Photos that should readily remind us to be thankful for what we have this time of year and maybe complain a little less should your Grandmother’s roast turkey be a tad on the dry side on Christmas Day.

A simple Christmas dinner consisting of wine, fruit, cheese in Naples, 1944

Holidays were sometimes celebrated in the trenches, decorated with Christmas cards from home.

Australian soldiers celebrate Christmas with bottles of libation in New Guinea during  WWII.

British soldiers pose for a Christmas portrait while partaking in fresh fruit and drinks in  Italy, 1943.

A member of the 15th (Scottish) Division in Holland, announces that the Christmas pudding is ready.

Often Christmas favorites needed to be prepared for larger groups as seen here. The Commander of a destroyer depot ship is stirring the Christmas pudding.

Often, soldiers would procure local game for Christmas Dinner.

December 1944, British Artillery are sent live fowl for the Holiday meal.

25 Dec 1944. A Band of Brothers never let one of their own go hungry, especially on this day at a field hospital.

Libya 1942. Members of 28 (Maori) Battalion eating Christmas dinner, in the desert via makeshift banquet table.

Korea1951. Sitting room only in barrack tents, as soldiers enjoyed their meal.

A Christmas feast prepared for members of “H” Company , 2nd Cavalry stationed at Fort Wingate, New Mexico in 1895

A military cook during the Vietnam conflict, sets out to prepare a Holiday meals of ham, turkey and vegetables for the troops.

After a delicious meal, troops would often celebrate around a makeshift Christmas tree. This one is decorated with empty cigarette packages and bandages.