# Did British soldiers in WWII drink tea or coffee? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 12, 2026, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018 "2026-09-12T17:31:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/1 "2026-09-12T17:31:26Z")
I know the US soldiers had vats of coffee available when possible. Did the British still make cups of tea with tea bags? ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/2 "2026-09-12T17:40:25Z")
Not quite what you’re looking for but. The “Vessel Boiling Electric” or “BV” was an innovation at the very end of [World War II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II "World War II"), when the [Centurion tank](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centurion_tank "Centurion tank") was introduced with the device fitted inside the turret.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling_vessel#cite_note-2)[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling_vessel#cite_note-3) Previously, British tank crews had disembarked when they wanted to “brew-up” (make [tea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea "Tea")), using a [petrol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrol "Petrol") cooker improvised from empty fuel cans[[4]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling_vessel#cite_note-4) called a “[Benghazi burner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benghazi_burner "Benghazi burner")”.[[5]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling_vessel#cite_note-5) Use of the BV enabled the crew to stay safely inside the tank and reduced the time taken for breaks. From Wiki. So the Brits did have petrol cookers. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/3 "2026-09-12T18:18:35Z")
Tea was undoubtedly part of the ration in World War II. To suggest anything else is all rather grotty, really. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/4 "2026-09-12T18:50:34Z")
In the book- “A Bridge Too Far” about Operation Market Garden, the Allies biggest loss in ww2, and totally Montgomery’s fault- there is a scene where the British tanks stop short of one of the towns that the Airborne had captured for a tea brew up, infuriating the US Paratroopers. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/5 "2026-09-12T20:44:22Z")
“…..This trend continued over the first half of the 21st century, with tea remaining the preferred drink throughout both World War One and World War Two. The popularity of coffee in the UK during World War Two was so low that the UK government opted against rationing coffee products” [Source:](https://connectvending.co.uk/blog/the-surprising-history-of-coffee-in-the-uk/?srsltid=AfmBOoqAQi3m2iI-yuhntVSps3qQnDHOgSccf_Z-wal9-OcJn30sTjp7) j ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/6 "2026-09-12T21:51:15Z")
Teabags are a fairly recent innovation. Tea was normally made with loose tea. Tins of tea in the ration boxes was a composite, with powdered milk and sugar already in. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/7 "2026-09-12T21:55:55Z")
> [@Mk\_VII](#): > > Teabags are a fairly recent innovation. They do predate even WWI, much less WWII (silk tea bags were patented in 1903, first marketed in 1904, and paper tea bags patented in 1930), but I have no idea how commonly they were in distribution (and use) in England by the late '30s. > **[Tea bag](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_bag)** > > A tea bag (also spelled teabag) is a small, porous, sealed bag or packet typically containing tea leaves (Camellia sinensis) or the leaves of other herbs, which is immersed in water to steep and make an infusion. Originally used only for making tea, they are now made for other tisanes (herbal "teas") as well. Tea bags are commonly made of filter paper or food-grade plastic, or occasionally of silk cotton or silk. The tea bag performs the same function as a tea infuser. Some tea bags have an attac... ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/8 "2026-09-12T22:22:02Z")
Everyone I knew still made tea in a pot through the 1960s, the tea in teabags became more common in the 1970s. It was perceived (often correctly) to be using inferior quality teas. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/9 "2026-09-13T01:54:47Z")
One of the Canadian war correspondents in his memoirs describes Churchill visiting the troops behind the lines during the fight for the Netherlands. His handlers were desperate to keep him sober, but his proclivities were well known. The Canadian officers offered him a cup of tea, and when he took a sip and realized it was whiskey, he drank it without saying anything to the people with him. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/10 "2026-09-13T01:57:36Z")
From a WWII-era guide for U.S. service members in England: “The British can’t make a good cup of coffee. You can’t make a good cup of tea. It’s a fair exchange.” ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/11 "2026-09-13T04:03:56Z")
Was high-quality coffee generally available druing the war, and did it survive whatever they did to turn it into instant K-rations? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/12 "2026-09-13T04:11:38Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Was high-quality coffee generally available druing the war This article indicates that, at least for U.S. troops and defense workers, supplying coffee to them was a high priority for the U.S. military, and the troops were more likely to have access to regular coffee than those on the home front; due to shipping issues and general shortages, coffee was rationed to civilians, and alternatives (like Postum and chicory coffee) and fillers (barley, acorns, etc.) were often used. > **[How Coffee Fueled US Troops During World War II | HISTORY](https://www.history.com/articles/coffee-world-war-ii-rations)** > > Coffee increased energy and alertness on the battlefield, improved morale and was even used by medics to help prevent... ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/13 "2026-09-13T10:03:31Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > In the book- “A Bridge Too Far” about Operation Market Garden, the Allies biggest loss in ww2, and totally Montgomery’s fault- there is a scene where the British tanks stop short of one of the towns that the Airborne had captured for a tea brew up, infuriating the US Paratroopers This is a complaint I’ve seen from US troops in a number of accounts, and it’s based on a misunderstanding: British troops would never halt just to make tea – but if required to halt for any reason, they _would_ make tea. In the same way that GIs, in a similar situation, would make coffee. ---
**Author:** ![f.coli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eada6e/32.png) [@f.coli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/f.coli)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/14 "2026-09-13T13:43:01Z")
In the movie, the British tankers said that they had no infantry support for a move on Arnhem. It seems that the British forces, XXX Corps, were unprepared to exploit the capture of the bridge at Nijmegen, which would understandably make the American paratroopers wonder why they did it at such great cost. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/15 "2026-09-13T14:05:45Z")
I do not know how realistic the movie is supposed to be, but the idea was to break through to Arnhem where the British paratroopers were surrounded and held out for days until they literally ran out of ammo. I do not have information as to whether their tea supplies held out. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/16 "2026-09-13T15:19:18Z")
Surprisingly, Coffee wasn’t rationed in the U.S.A., at least not for very long. A brief search reveals it was rationed temporarily at 1 pound per 35 days. Which would be a bit onerous. On the other hand, were ration coupons per family, or by the individual? Because if it’s the latter, everybody I know is going to be a coffee drinker, including Baby. Wish I could find it, but I recall reading one wartime history book about Nimitz or Halsey or somebody like that and mentioned that at the start of the festivities he sailed his battleship to Brazil and purchased the entire Coffee bean crop for that year. Instant Coffee was widely reviled, freeze-drying hadn’t been developed yet. A genuine cup of java was probably a rare treat for those in the ETO. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/17 "2026-09-13T17:40:47Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > This is a complaint I’ve seen from US troops in a number of accounts, and it’s based on a misunderstanding: British troops would never halt just to make tea – but if required to halt for any reason, they _would_ make tea. In the same way that GIs, in a similar situation, would make coffee. Makes sense, but the point is not that they stopped- it is that they made tea. > [@f.coli](#): > > In the movie, the British tankers said that they had no infantry support for a move on Arnhem. I have just finished reading the book. Ambrose. Also in his Citizen Soldiers. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/18 "2026-09-13T17:45:54Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > and it’s based on a misunderstanding: British troops would never halt just to make tea – but if required to halt for any reason, they _would_ make tea. In the same way that GIs, in a similar situation, would make coffee. This is correct, many writers commented on this during the American civil war. At a halt of any length, they were certain to get a fire going and get coffee on to boil. This was fraught with some risk, one Union soldier wrote, because of the possibility the march halt was for some reason cut short - too short to complete the process. Marching with a pot or kettle of half-brewed coffee was a crime, in their view. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/19 "2026-09-13T17:53:35Z")
> [@Common\_Tater](#): > > This was fraught with some risk, one Union soldier wrote, because of the possibility the march halt was for some reason cut short - too short to complete the process. Marching with a pot or kettle of half-brewed coffee was a crime, in their view. Once you have boiled the water, the coffee takes, what, five minutes to brew? I do not think there is much risk of ending up with a pot of half-brewed coffee; if anything, the opposite. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018/20 "2026-09-13T17:55:50Z")
I’m just relaying what they wrote, I wasn’t there. I believe them, though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-british-soldiers-in-wwii-drink-tea-or-coffee/1033018.md?page=2)