Rations given to Australian World War 2 soldiers were not sufficient to sustain their basic dietary needs, according to research undertaken by local Trinity College Gawler student, Mr Brandon Klar.
Mr Klar decided to investigate whether Australian soldiers were fed well enough to maintain their physical and mental health as part of his Year 12 studies. The 17 year old, Angle Vale resident has had an interest in the armed forces, and at one point, was planning to attend the Australian Defence Forces Academy following completion of his secondary schooling.
As part of his research, Mr Klar interviewed a number of Gawler RSL members who were World War 2 veterans. “Through talking with the veterans I was given a greater insight into the soldiers’ lives and a better appreciation for those that are fighting for and have fought for our country,” Mr Klar said.
“The stories from the veterans suggested that they weren’t given enough food.”
“They “took what [they] got”, opening my eyes to the trust and pride people, especially soldiers, have in their country.” Mr Klar said he “found that Australian soldiers were consuming thousands of calories less than what they needed per day.”
“This deficit combined with a lack of fibre and Vitamin C, both which provided potentially deadly knock-on effects such as poor blood clotting to heal wounds and terrible constipation,” Mr Klar added.
Mr Klar said he concluded from his research that “the rations given to Australian WWII soldiers were not sufficient in sustaining their basic dietary needs.”
The lack of appropriate rations for the soldiers led Mr Klar to question the morals of the government and whether they kept their soldiers fed well enough for both their physical and mental survival.