This report killed the E ration. The bread component was so bad no one in the test would use it, causing the calorie intake to crash. It was tested against C ration (improved 1945) and improved 5 in 1.
The test troops much preferred the C ration and this was bulked up and redesignated C2 ration,from 1949 and subsequent changes up to C10, when it was replaced by the MCI Meal, Combat, Individual in 1958.
Its very rare.
What was so bad about the bread component? I take it the bread was not the "Bread, Canned, White" that we know came later in the early MCI's, but rather a poorly done extra? Also what was so special about making a "E ration"? I guess if you give us a more expanded description that would explain a lot of other questions in my mind.
Ts no it was a canned bread product.
It sounds like an early version of what was in the MCIs.
I will dig out the report details when I have a moment.
Ok, the E ration was designated to be different to the C ration. It was felt a name change would eliminate the prejudice still surrounding the old original 3 types of M unit C ration of 1941-44, of which many troops were still having to eat up to the end of the war, despite improved C rations with a choice of 10 M units and much better B units being available from 1944.
The old army adage of "Use the oldest first" stopped these improved Cs getting to the very men who needed them the most.
When the E ration failed, it was decided that C ration new types would be designated C2, C3, etc. This was decided in 1949 at a big "Future of Rations" conference that outlined lots of new ration concepts.
Ration combat type E was developed to replace the old C and K ration. Reports from overseas indicated that the latter was used interchangably and that both rations had both desirable and undesirable characteristics.
A ration combining the favourable features of both rations and completely fufilling the military requirements of combat was required.
It was in answer to this need that the E ration was developed. By actual use of the E ration it was discovered that the bread component of the ration was undesirable. Because of that fact, the ration was declared obsolete, and has been replaced by comabat. individual, C2
From Rations; Conference notes, 1949. From the QM website
The 10 in 1 and 5 in 1 canned bread was well recieved. But it seems something went horribly wrong with the E ration canned bread. It seems that Natick didnt experiment again with or issue canned bread in individual rations until well into the mid to late 50s. Maybe it just kept better in the bigger 5 in 1 and 10 in 1 cans. Did early MCIs come with canned bread?
As far as anybody here knows the early MCI's had a canned bread unit that came with most meal entree's. I personally have only seen a few photos of a the unit as a whole set. Maybe one of the other forum members can jump in on this?
Yes, that is one example of the canned bread. Correct me if I am wrong: that came out of a 5 in 1, 10 in 1, or a E ration? That can is too big to be taken from a MCI. The ones from the MCI's were much smaller. I'd say about the size of a main meal can and labeled exactly the same as this big guy. Though I don't know which meal that canned bread came in? And I also think it was just one meal unit that kind of replaced the crackers. I don't know if we have any info on it.
