Ww2 ration info

[soulflysi]

Hi
Does anyone know what ration is in the picture ? Looks like australian 24hour ration.

[carlosflar]

Maybe you could ask in the australian rats fb group... Some will definitely have one, but not sure if they would be willing to part with it... https://www.facebook.com/groups/162540611070449/

[MikeRE]

I thought I knew it wasn't aussie because of the tommy gun, I guess it is though because that DD logo is on our 24hr rations. I'm at a loss. Laaaame I hate being at a loss.

I still think it looks staged, so maybe a promo image?

[carlosflar]

It's a promo image, from magazine or similar, I have seen it before in this Australian rations group

[specopsaust]

It's a Type O4 Field Operation Ration. It's the one which came before the better-known O2 Operation Ration.

The O4 was the world's first self-contained 24 hour ration pack - three K-Ration-style meal cartons in a tin.

Unlike the O2 Operation Ration which replaced it, which had tinned main meals, the O4 Field Operation Ration's main meals were 2 x dehydrated meat-based blocks and 1 x tin.

A pretty iconic ration, but seems to be soundly ignored by historians Down Under - possibly because it's hard to research so they simply ignore it, or even worse, pretend that it and the O2 Operation Ration are the same thing... lol

[specopsaust]

It's a promo image, from magazine or similar, I have seen it before in this Australian rations group

No, it's an image of an Australian commando officer who is enjoying his first proper meal after a three day patrol in the Ramu River Valley in New Guinea in October 1943. See https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C18033 and https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C346130

[specopsaust]

You can see a picture of the components of the ration in question here -