WWII 'Kit, Emergency Sustinance (Aids Box) Type E-3C' 1945

Discussions about US MREs and other US rations
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QuickBricks
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Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2019 12:17 am

WWII 'Kit, Emergency Sustinance (Aids Box) Type E-3C' 1945

Post by QuickBricks » Thu Dec 09, 2021 10:41 pm

**** Edit **** Thank you everyone for your help, especially texrdnec for correctly ID'ing this kit for me!

Hi everyone,

Here is a great WWII flask I aquired recently and am having trouble ID'ing this properly. The seller called this
a 'C-1' ration which I was not able to find any documentation on this 'C-1'

I know there is a C-1 survival vest but the only rations on there I know of are the Emergency Parachute Rations (x2)

I know the C-1 has medical things in it and food items, but those are not in anything like this flask as far as I can see.
There was one other picture online that said that it was an E-17 flask. I know these were supposed to be for jungle type
settings and that Hershey Tropical Bars were almost always in all E-17 kits, at least through my research that I did.

I would love some insight into the name of this kit so I can document it properly through 3-D imaging and online.

Cheers for anyone who can help or who just enjoys these like I do! If you need more photos to ID, please let me know, I have many.

unknownWWiisurvivalflask.jpg
unknownWWiisurvivalflaskREAR.jpg
IMG_3024.JPG
IMG_2895.JPG
IMG_2896.JPG
Last edited by QuickBricks on Sat Dec 11, 2021 6:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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blue87fj60
Posts: 191
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Location: South Jersey

Re: Need Help ID'ing this WWII survival kit flask

Post by blue87fj60 » Fri Dec 10, 2021 7:45 am

That flask some type of Bakelite?

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donaldjcheek
Posts: 211
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Location: San Angelo, TX

Re: Need Help ID'ing this WWII survival kit flask

Post by donaldjcheek » Fri Dec 10, 2021 9:40 am

It looks like you have a near-complete E-3A Flyer's Personal Aids survival kit.

These were produced in ethyl cellulose with a clamp-on lid secured by a wire bail, and screw cap spout. The E-3A was designed to fit in the shirt pocket; once the contents were removed, the kit could be used as a water carrier, holding about 8 oz. Directions for use were screen printed on the front of the flask.

Contents varied somewhat between the Army and the Navy, but it looks like you have the US Army Air Forces version, which when complete, contained:

-clear plastic match case with 15-20 matches
-2 pkgs bouillon powder
-2 x 2-oz bars chocolate
-1 box (about 5 each) caramels
-4 sticks or tablets chewing gum
-small tube of antiseptic ointment
-Benzedrine Sulfate tablets
-Halazone water purification tablets
-aspirin tablets
-4 inch hacksaw blade
-small button-style compass

The E-3A flask as issued was sealed with a long strip of friction tape wound horizontally around the join of the lid and the flask proper. Airmen were instructed to carefully rewind the tape around the body of the flask for reuse.

The US Navy version was similar, but substituted an "emergency ration" (lipid-sucrose tablets) for the chocolate & caramels, and added atabrine anti-malarial tablets and sulfaguanidine tablets for diarrhea.

Hope this helps.
"I think," said Christopher Robin, "that we ought to eat all our Provisions now, so that we shan't have so much to carry."

texrdnec
Posts: 248
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2019 7:00 pm

Re: Need Help ID'ing this WWII survival kit flask

Post by texrdnec » Fri Dec 10, 2021 10:18 am

super nice!

that's an E-3C as referenced in "survival & rescue equipment of wwii: army air forces and u.s. navy volume 2" pg. 183

QuickBricks
Posts: 54
Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2019 12:17 am

Re: Need Help ID'ing this WWII survival kit flask

Post by QuickBricks » Sat Dec 11, 2021 6:44 pm

blue87fj60 wrote:
Fri Dec 10, 2021 7:45 am
That flask some type of Bakelite?
It's actually called ethyl cellulose.
I think it's like a thicker material made of the same stuff the cellophane is
on products like ciggarette packs, but I am not positive.

QuickBricks
Posts: 54
Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2019 12:17 am

Re: Need Help ID'ing this WWII survival kit flask

Post by QuickBricks » Sat Dec 11, 2021 6:47 pm

donaldjcheek wrote:
Fri Dec 10, 2021 9:40 am
It looks like you have a near-complete E-3A Flyer's Personal Aids survival kit.

These were produced in ethyl cellulose with a clamp-on lid secured by a wire bail, and screw cap spout. The E-3A was designed to fit in the shirt pocket; once the contents were removed, the kit could be used as a water carrier, holding about 8 oz. Directions for use were screen printed on the front of the flask.

Contents varied somewhat between the Army and the Navy, but it looks like you have the US Army Air Forces version, which when complete, contained:

-clear plastic match case with 15-20 matches
-2 pkgs bouillon powder
-2 x 2-oz bars chocolate
-1 box (about 5 each) caramels
-4 sticks or tablets chewing gum
-small tube of antiseptic ointment
-Benzedrine Sulfate tablets
-Halazone water purification tablets
-aspirin tablets
-4 inch hacksaw blade
-small button-style compass

The E-3A flask as issued was sealed with a long strip of friction tape wound horizontally around the join of the lid and the flask proper. Airmen were instructed to carefully rewind the tape around the body of the flask for reuse.

The US Navy version was similar, but substituted an "emergency ration" (lipid-sucrose tablets) for the chocolate & caramels, and added atabrine anti-malarial tablets and sulfaguanidine tablets for diarrhea.

Hope this helps.

Awesome thanks for the information! It is actually an E-3C, like what texrdnec stated below. It seems there are several flask kits that have different names as they tried
to fine tune the contents based on the needs and demands of the actual users of these items, the troops. Funny story, the ebay seller and I got into it as he was calling this something
completely wrong (and being rude to me about it when I asked him about it haha) but we both ended up not knowing what to name it, with him being wrong and me just admitting I had no idea what it was
called.

QuickBricks
Posts: 54
Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2019 12:17 am

Re: Need Help ID'ing this WWII survival kit flask

Post by QuickBricks » Sat Dec 11, 2021 6:50 pm

texrdnec wrote:
Fri Dec 10, 2021 10:18 am
super nice!

that's an E-3C as referenced in "survival & rescue equipment of wwii: army air forces and u.s. navy volume 2" pg. 183
I just received that book from Amazon about 1 hour ago and have been reading through it until right now!

And, yes! You are absolutely correct on the name of this survival kit. It is an E-3C just as stated on page 183
and aside from a couple missing things like the gumn 1 boullion, and benzedrine container, it is identical in contents,
although it's been slightly rearranged in the container.

Thank you for assisting! I actually bought that book last night on one day shipping after I read your post. I had it in my checkout
chopping cart but didn't pull the trigger until I saw your post stating it was in that book. Thanks again.

texrdnec
Posts: 248
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2019 7:00 pm

Re: WWII 'Kit, Emergency Sustinance (Aids Box) Type E-3C' 1945

Post by texrdnec » Sat Dec 11, 2021 7:09 pm

Dustin knows his shit, he's over on usmilitariaforum if you ever get something that stumps everybody else

QuickBricks
Posts: 54
Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2019 12:17 am

Re: WWII 'Kit, Emergency Sustinance (Aids Box) Type E-3C' 1945

Post by QuickBricks » Tue Dec 14, 2021 10:55 pm

texrdnec wrote:
Sat Dec 11, 2021 7:09 pm
Dustin knows his shit, he's over on usmilitariaforum if you ever get something that stumps everybody else
Awesome, great to know. I check that site out every now and then. So much wealth of info. And the pictures
they have there are amazing.

I'll look for Dustin when I get stumped next 8)

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