Preparing the Rations

Ear-to-ear grins prove that an army marches on its stomach in this poignant film of young WWI reservists at a field kitchen far from home.

The grinning faces of WWI reservists from the London Scottish Regiment prove that an army marches on its stomach, as they tuck into steaming pans of stew and freshly baked bread. Filmed in the early months of conflict when rations were plentiful and spirits high, these newsreel images have a special poignancy: these young men are thankfully unaware of the tragedy and horrors that lie ahead.