Sipping Earl Grey right now. Normally go for Yorkshire tea, but while there's a hot water machine it's harder to get milk, so I'm trying a tea which is apparently best without milk.
It's average. Still prefer yorkshire with milk.
Have you tried it with lemon? That said, I too believe Yorkshire tea with milk to be superior.
And as Adlan will know, BVs (Boiling Vessel, aka a kettle) are also standard equipment on all British Army AFVs.
I remember hearing that this little luxury made British Army tankers very popular to be around during meal times out in the field in Afganistan, particularly with Americans (well that and our rat packs).
It's just good sense.
Best of All is you can put your toffee pudding in there, and then come back a year later and it's finally starting to soften.
If the Kettle was on the Outside, we'd lose a Trooper to sniper fire every time they stopped for Tea in the middle of battle.
I recall that was not so popular with the Americans during the Normandy Invasion.
@Story Time
I drank Southern Sweet Tea while in America, I didn't expect to need a cup of tea while overseas, but I smelled the brewing giant vat in our hunting lodge and amazed my buddies because I drank the tea hot.
Ha! That's interesting!
I'm kind of like an inter-national smelter for teas. I like to try different kinds from their native areas. Generally, my preference is for Ceylon ( which includes cinnamon when I make cinnamon and honey tea; very good for sore throats )
It's just good sense.
Best of All is you can put your toffee pudding in there, and then come back a year later and it's finally starting to soften.
If the Kettle was on the Outside, we'd lose a Trooper to sniper fire every time they stopped for Tea in the middle of battle.
I think you might find this little story interesting:
Quote:
Originally Posted by G4 Defence
As a piece of kit the BV was beloved by soldiers. When the M1 Abrams MBT had just been introduced into service with the US Army in the early 1980s a proud American “tanker” was explaining the many merits of this new AFV to a group of NATO soldiers.
When he asked whether they had any questions a British junior NCO asked if the formidable armoured vehicle was equipped with a BV. “I’m sorry what is a BV?” came the reply.
A rapid explanation of the merits of the BV followed and when the tanker explained that the M1 did not have a BV the NCO summed up his take on the AFV.
”The tank’s crap” he said and walked away.
Current Abrams and other US Army vehicles are equipped with cooking or boiling vessels.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Adlan
I recall that was not so popular with the Americans during the Normandy Invasion.
I think it was less the BV being on the outside and more that the British and Canadian troops were stopping for a brew up as soon as they cleared the beaches rather than taking advantage of the momentum and pushing forwards to seize objectives.
That said, we do appear to be getting along better with our allies: link.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Story Time
What's charge-able time?
It's time that you should be working in, but instead you take a break and don't make it up afterwards.
There's a funny site I remember seeing that calculates how much various army ranks get paid for taking 5 minute dump during their working day.
Last edited by Brother Oni : 10-29-2012 at 08:00 AM.
If the Kettle was on the Outside, we'd lose a Trooper to sniper fire every time they stopped for Tea in the middle of battle.
Who decided that was a good idea? It sounds more like a caricature of British people than something which actually happened.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Emperor Tippy
By level 20 though, you aren't capturing a wizard. A character lives to level 20 by being the most ruthless, lucky, capable, and paranoid bastard around. A wizard is throwing around a 30+ Int score and has, entirely in character, planned contingencies for his contingencies. He may well be running around with flat out total immunity to harm, he does not walk outside without an entire bevy of defensive magics around him and enough magic items to buy himself a nation.
Who decided that was a good idea? It sounds more like a caricature of British people than something which actually happened.
Personally, I think this is more due to the fact that battles can actually take ages- and most people don't realise that (for example, the Battle of the Somme- the first battle in which tanks were used lasted over four and a half months, with tanks deployed for over one month of that)...
Who decided that was a good idea? It sounds more like a caricature of British people than something which actually happened.
Never underestimate the magnetic draw of a mug of hot brown to a squaddie. Also, don't forget that these guys could have been fighting for 5-6 hours in the cold and wet. I don't think we are talking people setting up a table with china and cucumber sandwiches under enemy fire, more stopping for something hot to drink once the first phase had finished before pushing forwards after a retreating enemy.
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Who decided that was a good idea? It sounds more like a caricature of British people than something which actually happened.
British people get really, really...intense...when we're interrupted on a tea break. Think of a viking berserker rage except with tea leaves instead of mead.
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Who decided that was a good idea? It sounds more like a caricature of British people than something which actually happened.
Well, at the moment, Battle could be non stop considering that you don't know when a sniper attack is waiting for you to come out of your hatches, and even simple conventional Battles can last a long time, so needing your hot meals and hot drink is no surprise.
The Conscripts of Britain who were used to a cup of tea after a hard job, and so during the invasion of normandy, would stop and have a brew, and then get back to the fighting. Here is someone's essay and analysis of a British Division, page 74 references Tea as an issue for readiness. It's in several contemporary accounts AFAIR.
Stopping and Having a Brew, as has been linked in the articles already posted in this thread, is still a distinctive aspect of the British Military.
I was told stories, with pride, of people brewing up under fire in the Falklands.
And I won a posh Chocolate bar once, first to finish making a hexi brew.
Who decided that was a good idea? It sounds more like a caricature of British people than something which actually happened.
Further to other answers, one of the first things a deployed soldier learns is to eat and rest whenever the opportunity presents itself, because they probably won't get a chance later.
The second article I linked mentions the crew of a recon vehicle having a quick brew after calling in an artillery/air strike on a target. Since presumably they would have to sit around and watch to confirm the target's destruction anyway, they decided to have a cuppa while they waited.
I remember there was a Challenger 2 in Iraq that got detracked during an operation and had to wait a couple hours for recovery. There's no doubt in my mind that the crew were calmly drinking tea while RPGs plinked off their hull.
page 74 references Tea as an issue for readiness. It's in several contemporary accounts AFAIR.
Stopping and Having a Brew, as has been linked in the articles already posted in this thread, is still a distinctive aspect of the British Military.
It is really a very sensible thing to do. Making sure that having a brew is high on the priority's is an important part of keeping the British army running. It dose a number of things. It:
Keeps moral up and builds teams far more than just drinking water. One person making a brew makes everyone feel more part of a team and a good mug of tea always makes you feel better.
Ensures that no matter where you are your troops are drinking plenty of clean safe water. Unboiled water in war zones can be a big danger. Boiling and cooling water is a PITA just to drink plain water so people will be tempted to avoid it and either not drink or drink water that looks clean. If they want a brew then you know it has been boiled and squaddie tea with powdered milk will cover any nasty taste that might be left.
Means that when stopping a fire is going to get lit and a hot drink drunk. Less chance of hypothermia or the risks of damp clothes in the tropics. Unless there is a good reason not to light a fire there is less chance of a tired solder thinking "Sod it. Ill eat my food cold and get some kip".
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Means that when stopping a fire is going to get lit and a hot drink drunk. Less chance of hypothermia or the risks of damp clothes in the tropics. Unless there is a good reason not to light a fire there is less chance of a tired solder thinking "Sod it. Ill eat my food cold and get some kip".
I was in Afghanistan a few years back. I remember heading out as a translator with a squad of Brits. We got hit pretty hard, and I took one in the leg. I got carried out by a very nice guy and the very first thing that happened when he sat me down was to offer me a cup of tea.
Best drink I ever had, IMO.
Seriously. You Brits are the best.
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