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Canadian Mess Tin Ration

Biscuits 3 pkgs 9oz
Sardines 1 tin 3.5oz
Pork Loaf 1 tin 3oz
Spiced beef 1 tin 3oz
Butter 1 tin 1.5oz
Jam 1 tin 1.5oz
Pea soup 1 pkg 2oz
Cheese 1 pkg 1.5oz
Chocolate drink 1 pkg
compo tea 1.5oz (tea milk and sugar pre mixed)
Hard candy 1.2oz
Chocolate bar 2oz
Sugar 2 lumps
Gum 3 pieces
Cigarettes 10
Matches box 20
Salt 1 pkg
Wooden fork/spoon 1x1
Cap for reclosing tins 1
Butter and jam tins 2
Can opener 1
Menu sheet 1

This is the earliest Canadian ration I have found. It came in a waxed box and contained 3480 Cals.
It seems superior to the British version in terms of contents, and sort of seems to be like a bulky early version of a K ration in terms of content and use.

I hope this may help anyone whos trying to identify an Ebay item if something from this ever comes up.

BB,

That's very good investigative reporting on your part, many thanks. Now here are my questions:

1) Whas there a UK version? If so is there a picture we can compare it to?
2) Why haven't we seen any UK rations bits on the forum or on Ebay. We've ultimately seen US parts and post WWII stuff, but I don't think we've seen UK or Canadian stuff here before.

Treesuit wrote:BB,

That's very good investigative reporting on your part, many thanks. Now here are my questions:

1) Whas there a UK version? If so is there a picture we can compare it to?
2) Why haven't we seen any UK rations bits on the forum or on Ebay. We've ultimately seen US parts and post WWII stuff, but I don't think we've seen UK or Canadian stuff here before.

Ts the only reason we got any pic of this ration is that it was tested and photographed by the Americans
If there is a picture of the UK battle ration or 24 hr ration I would love to see it. Ive been looking for 10 years.

Its like we been saying over at Rationtins B52 Bomber rations thread, I dont think the UK (not sure about the Commonwealth countries) ever took the scientific recording of ration development seriously in those years.

Thats why I cant find any real info on V bomber flight rations yet.

Im working from several US ration reports. They are so sophisticated, I cant imagine a similar report for UK rations being available from the time, though I hope they exist. I would assume a good report still exists for the UK 14 man composite ration. That kick started US 5 and 10 in 1 development and issue. US forces used 14 in 1 compo in N Africa in 1942 -43.

However I am going to the IWM, to help get this stuff out on the net. I bet there are some really interesting reports just filed away at the moment.

Ive not been looking on Ebay seriously for vintage rations till recently. I do recall a couple of items. If I see any I will pic them, and maybe bid

Treesuit, check http://www.reprorations.com they have a lot of edible reproductions of WWI-WWII rations from the allies to the axis and some other neat stuff,links and info.....

BiscuitsBrown

The British WW2-era 24-hour ration ("Mess Tin ration") went through at least 3 modifications during the war.

Reprorations of Oregon does a pretty good mockup, but the most historically accurate reproduction is made in England.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=739

Good photos of the 24-hour ration in use are rare. In 5 years, this is the best one I can find. It's from a 1943 US Army Medical Corps report on the North African campaign.

This is the late version 24 hour ration. Looks all dehydrated, no cans.

Djc thanks for the pic! Its a bit odd. Looks like a jumble of tins in the small tin and some kind of sealed canned unit in the big tin I think they have pictured 2 different ration types.

Repro rations vary wildly. None of them have produced a completely accurate ration yet imo


This is the best repro ration display Ive ever seen. This has been assembled by dedicated reinactors though, not store bought.


British forces seemed to be fed more hot food from the cookhouse when in action. Much more UK rations were hot "B" type ration that US forces recieved.
This may explain the relative lack of UK equivalents to K, or C individual rations.


If not cookhouse food they used UK 14 in 1rations. These came in 50lb wooden crates. Ive got the menu details if anyones interested.
We seemed to use K rations however, especially in the Far East, where it was the main rations of the Chindits.

Its contempory development and use data and pics that are lacking.

BB,

British forces seemed to be fed more hot food from the cookhouse when in action. Much more UK rations were hot "B" type ration that US forces recieved.
This may explain the relative lack of UK equivalents to K, or C individual rations.


If not cookhouse food they used UK 14 in 1rations. These came in 50lb wooden crates. Ive got the menu details if anyones interested.
We seemed to use K rations however, especially in the Far East, where it was the main rations of the Chindits.

Its contempory development and use data and pics that are lacking

I would agree on that assumption that UK forces got a hot meal at some point during the day, much like more modern times and that the US seems to have caught on to the idea, (i.e. one hot meal, and 2 rations per day). I would like to point out too that was more styled on the British tradition of culinary correctness,

Now here's a more serious question: I have never heard of a UK 14 in 1 ration(s). So what is that? And is that styled like the more recent UK version of UGR's?

Ts

I managed to find a 14 in 1 pic and of some other Brit ww2 rations and smokes It looks new on the web.

I will post some pics (and acknowledgements) asap

Notice the stencilled maple leaf motif. Canadian packed 14 in 1 was superior in quality, and had a few different menu items.
This 24 hour pack menu sheet in the picture is the exact type I posted upthread. Check it for complete box content details.
All cigarette brands shown here, Woodbine, navy cut plain and Craven "A" are still available in the UK. Navy cut is very hard to find though. Weve lost the sailor and its a blue and white pack. Only Gold Flake (yellow pack) has completely gone. I stopped smoking Craven "A" in 1992

I will post the 14 in 1 menus asap.

I cant find who to attribute the pics too, but if anyone recognises them and contacts me, I would be happy to cite your details.
I am so happy to see these pix, thats all I can say

Not sure, but there were a couple of reference books printed in the late '90s called "Canuck" which covered almost all aspects of WW2 Canadian uniforms and equipment. They covered rations in volume II, so these pix may be from there.