Hardtack and Hard Times

Each year on ANZAC Day, Australians pause to remember the sacrifice of soldiers past and present. We think of the thunder of artillery, the isolation of foreign shores, and the deep ache of distance from home. But there’s one aspect of military life that’s often overlooked, despite its profound impact on morale and survival: food.

At Gallipoli, the daily battle didn’t just involve bullets - it involved the struggle to eat.

The rugged peninsula, accessible only by sea, posed extraordinary logistical challenges. Every drop of water had to be shipped in or sanitised, and trench life left little room for culinary comfort. There were no field kitchens or hot meal deliveries over the steep, exposed cliffs where the frontlines sat. Instead, soldiers dug shallow pits to light small fires and cook what little they had.

Rations were meagre and repetitive: 450 grams of tinned bully beef, the same of dry, near-impervious biscuits (hard tack), a modest serving of bacon, even less cheese, and the occasional helping of peas, beans, or dried potato. A small comfort came in the form of jam, sugar, and tea—plus lime juice, when it could be spared.

With limited resupply, these rations often had to stretch over several days. Water, initially allocated at 4.5 litres a day, was cut by three-quarters—barely enough to drink, let alone soften the famously hard biscuits. The result was dental carnage. Bleeding gums led to ulcers, which led to infections, and many soldiers had to be evacuated simply for dental care.

The effects of poor nutrition extended far beyond discomfort. The rations lacked fibre and vitamin C, leading to constipation and slow wound healing. In an already hostile environment, these deficiencies wore down the body and spirit alike.

And the lesson wasn’t learned immediately. In the early years of World War II, Australian troops in remote parts of New Guinea sometimes survived for months on little more than bully beef and biscuits. The nutritional needs of soldiers remained an afterthought until 1943, when the Australian Army Catering Corps was formally established.

One of its most lasting contributions was the creation of the first ration pack: the O2 Operation Ration. Designed to contain three meals and supply 15,000 kilojoules, it came packed in a sturdy tin—and more importantly, was built around food familiar to civilians. The thinking was simple: troops should eat what they know and like. It was a small but vital nod to comfort in a life otherwise defined by hardship.

So this ANZAC Day, when we reflect on the sacrifices of our soldiers, let’s also remember what it meant to live on hardtack and bully beef, and how something as humble as a meal could be both a challenge and a comfort in times of war.