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Hi guys,

a couple of weeks ago I bought in ebay.com a

FOOD PACKET, IN-FLIGHT INDIVIDUAL IF-7, Menu No. 6,

dated 1955 in best condition (no stains on cardboard, no can is leaking or rusty) for 23 USD. I have taken some pictures and want to show them here. The ration is nearly complete, but the instruction sheet is missing (do anyone of you know the text of this sheet or has a photo of it ). Further the “Pineapple” are replaced by the “Cookies” .

The cardboard: Length x width x height: 15,5 cm x 13,5 cm x 8,0 cm (6,1 inch x 5,3 inch x 3,1 inch) closed with tape:


Open cardboard:



Accessory Packet, wrapper made of aluminized paper:


All cans upper side:


All cans bottom side with keys:


WHITE BREAD, 11. November 1955:


FRUIT CAKE, 26. September 1955:


GROUND MEAT & SPAGHETTI WITH TOMATO SAUCE, 12. September 1955:


COOKIES, October 1955:


Transparent spoon in plastic wrapper:


So long mreheater72

Very nice find - and great pics! I'm shocked that it's in such good condition after 53 years.

wow- never seen stuff like that!!!!

Ditto, very nice find. Thank you for sharing it with us!

kman wrote:I'm shocked that it's in such good condition after 53 years.

me too. it normally should not be possible. but the cans ... "55"

where did you find it? how was it stored?

I thought those pictures looked familiar - check out this thread from earlier this year:

viewtopic.php?p=12047

Looks like they might have all come from the same place/batch seeing as they're all pretty "new" looking. The only thing that has me concerned is that clear spoon. All the old MCI spoons I've seen in the past were white colored. Did they make clear plastics back in 1955? I don't really know - just asking.

It looks more like the early 60's....the plastice spoons came during that era....i think

The cans look ok, no bulging....Think those contents are edible???

I have a friend /coworker in charge of the USMC-JROTC in my school and he says that those C-rations are designed to have a long,long shelve life IF stored in the proper conditions.

Peace!

kman wrote:The only thing that has me concerned is that clear spoon. All the old MCI spoons I've seen in the past were white colored. Did they make clear plastics back in 1955? I don't really know - just asking.

Here are some photos I saved from a former auction in ebay com.. It is a FOOD PACKET INDIVIDUAL ASSAULT from May 1953. Here you can also see the transparent plastic spoon. I believe they were used until the early sixties, but I´m not quite sure.









The condtion of the 53 year old cans is really amazing. I think they have been stored on a very cool and dry place. But as I wrote the Pineapple can is missing, I think the reason for that is, that it was damaged because of the age.

So long mreheater72

Well thanks mreheater72 - that answers my question about the clear plastic spoon. Nice pics!

Beautiful ration, but the missing pineapple seems very suspicious. I can't see them packing bread, fruit cake, and cookies at the factory.

The canned fruit is always the first thing to bulge and rupture. I think someone has replaced it with the cookies somewhere along the line.