Eating

Murray's Lunch Limited published this Royal Canadian Navy special edition of their menu shortly after the end of the Second World War. Patrons could read and identify the different naval ranks, insignias and badges of the R.C.N. 

On December 25, 1945 the Canadian Army Overseas enjoyed a Christmas Dinner aboard the H.M.T. Queen Elizabeth. This was the first Christmas following the end of the Second World War, earlier that same year. The menu, featuring roast turkey, plum pudding, and Christmas cake among other delicious meal options, highlights the celebratory spirit among military service personnel. 

A menu from the reunion dinner of the 1st Survey Regiment in Newmarket, Ontario. Reunion dinners were common events for veterans and their families to gather and maintain the sense of camaraderie built during wartime service. 

The Chic-N-Coop Restaurant in Montreal, Quebec was well-known for its provocative placemats. During the Second World War, the restaurant would often depict caricatures of Hitler and war scenes on their placemats. Nevertheless, some of the imagery on display also included stereotypes that are are inappropriate and offensive depictions of different racialized groups. In this way, one simple placemat offers insight on the wartime attitudes of society towards Canada's enemies, but also on society's biases and perceptions of race and culture.

The Canadian National Railways issued a series of menus during the Second World War featuring artful, color photographs of different Canadian landscapes. From Lion's Gate Bridge in British Columbia to Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick, these menus highlighted the different regions of Canada, and the vastness of the country. Between options for sandwiches and salads, passengers would have seen the "V" for victory printed above a message that encouraged Canadians to buy war savings certificates and stamps. 

"The health of a nation is one of its armaments" - and in the absence of a balanced diet because of wartime shortages, vitamin supplements were a way to keep the Allied war effort healthy.

The menu was impressive, but the note at the bottom indicated that they might have to resort to tinned rations at the last minute.

With the war over, soldiers of the 5th Battalion enjoyed Christmas 1918 in Germany, where they were serving with the occupation forces.

This collection of recipes was released by the Navy League Chapter of the I.O.E.D. to raise money towards war work. Find out what women on the homefront cooked for their families.