Methamphetamine comes in many forms: ice, speed, even the fictional ‘Blue Sky’ — thank you, Breaking Bad — but have you ever heard of Pervitin?

That was the brand name for the unassuming pill dished out in the millions to the Third Reich’s soldiers during World War II.

Labelled an “alertness aid”, pill-popping troops likened the class A drug to drinking litres of coffee. Even chocolate was laced with the patented methamphetamine.

The stimulant became an essential part of the German military’s medical arsenal and was distributed to everyone, from high command to front-line troops, as a means of improving performance and morale.