In The Trenches.—Usually rations and stores will be carried up to the trenches by the supports and the reserves. If this is not possible and it becomes necessary that men from the front line trenches be employed, not more than 10 per cent of the men in the firing line are to be away from the trenches at the same time.
Rations And Cooking:
(a) Ration parties from the support and reserve trenches will be made up in complete units, i.e., platoons or companies.
(b) The company mess sergeant will accompany the ration parties for his company and will report his arrival to the company commander.
(c) Great care is to be taken that ration and carrying parties make as little noise as possible.
(d) Cooking if possible will be done behind the front line trenches, and should be concentrated by sections or companies. Steps must be taken to insure that as little smoke as possible is made by the cook's fires.
(e) Waste in any form will be discouraged.
(f) Arrangements should be made to insure that soup or some hot drink be available for the men between midnight and 7 a.m.
Each company commander must see that timely requisitions for rations are made and to have no delays at meal times. Food should be brought up in tin boilers about the size of wash boilers so that two men can handle one of them easily without a relief. In front line, men send mess kit relayed from hand to hand to these boilers at stations in each platoon or section and they are relayed back. Sometimes men in the front line are relieved for a few minutes. Always carry 24 hours rations.
Camping and Camp Sanitation.