| Accession Number | REL/06438 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Foodstuff; Foodstuff – dry |
| Location | Main Bld: First World War Gallery: The Anzac Story: Gallipoli: Life at Anzac 1 |
| Maker |
Swallow & Ariell |
| Place made | Australia: Victoria, Melbourne |
| Date made | c 1914 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Hard tack biscuit
Description
Rectangular wholemeal biscuit with a pattern of 25 holes (5 x 5), impressed with 'SWALLOW & ARIALL / MELBOURNE'. On the reverse is written '1st Aust. Expeditionary Forces / 1914' in black ink.
History / Summary
Standard army issue hard tack wholemeal biscuit. Hard tack biscuits were part of a soldier's individual ration in the First World War and were so hard that they were often soaked in water before consumption if this was possible. Made mainly from flour and water, the biscuits were slowly dried in the baking process, rendering them so hard that they deterred attacks from weevil pests and allowing them to be transported with little breakage. A single biscuit was said to have as much nutritive value as a loaf of bread.