1st Field Bakery

Inside of a Field Bakery in France

Brief History

Formed in Australia during September 1914, training began in early December before the unit departed Melbourne aboard HMAT A35 Berima on 22 December 1914, disembarking at Alexandria on 3 Feb 1915. Following a period with limited equipment in Cairo, the unit moved with the 3rd Brigade to Alexandria where it embarked on 'SS Malda on 1 Mar 1915 for Lemnos where they arrived by 6 March. Initial role was to produce bread for the ships in their convoy, Malda, Suffolk and Nizam. The unit moved ashore on 26 March, but the island had issues with water supply that resulted in them relocating to Imbros for the duration of the campaign.

There was one Field Bakery in every infantry division. Staffed by one officer and ninety-two men from the AASC it could produce enough bread for more than 20,000 men. Because of the nature of their work they did not set up these bakeries near the front, with the Australian bakeries in France located in Calais and Rouen, from which daily pack trains were dispatched to the divisions at the front. 1st Field bakery was based in Rouen. In August 1918 the two bakeries at Calais (2nd and 3rd) moved to Rouen to join with the 1st, 4th and 5th Bakeries.

Unit Personnel

• Thomas Herbert Ludlow 30 Apr 1915 - //Jan 1919

Individual Honours

Notes

This unit's original designation was 13th Australian Army Service Corps Field bakery.