Jack Wallace of Ottawa says that while digging around in the Public Archives of Canada he found that the Canadian Army was responsible for an unannounced exploit: the wide dissemination of pork and beans.

The Canadian Corps war diary of July, 1916, recorded the great event: “This ration (one pound of tinned pork and beans to three men, four times a week) is issued to the whole army in France on a recommendation originally made by the Canadian Corps.”

A week later, the corps diarist noted that all Allied corps and divisions had found the rations a “highly satisfactory” addition to the regular diet. The British armies, indeed, wanted it increased to one pound for two men.