Great videos. Priceless for military equipment collectors. For me, videos about field equipment from the WW2 period are very useful. They concern not only the British Army, but also soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces in the West, fighting in North Africa, the Middle East, Italy and France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Thanks for a great job.
Excellent video. Watching your videos are both fascinating and frustrating as I discover yet again I have the wrong set for WWII. Mine are dated 1945 but now I see the difference - mine are clearly for the post-war jungle set.
I now have the basic 1937 Web gear. Belt, Braces, Bren Gun pouches, small pack with L straps. I still need the Canteen and mess tins. Now I got most of it from SOF, but its good stuff.
Soldier of Fortune's reproduction web equipment doesn't hold up in comparison to original I'm afraid. As said in previous videos I would highly recommend purchasing original items wherever possible.
These ones were also sold as military aid to Finland during the Winter War. It appears, that only one tin (the large one in most cases) was issued per soldier in Finnish Army, which means that small tins are especially hard to come by here.
During the 1980's Survival Aids marketed unstamped British army mess tins made by the actual government contractor. With the rarity of early WW2 aluminium mess tins, the unstamped ones could possibly fill a niche in the market whereby they could be ordered stamped to a customer's requirements with an extra stamp although later Cold War and current issue mess tins are made of a thinner gauge aluminium and are therefore more easily identified. Just a thought?.
My dad was in the Canadian army in the mid 70s and he said that the reserves still used allot of p44 kit including aluminum mess tins and that they were removed because they weren’t safe to eat from. I have purchased an original aluminum mess tin from early ww2 and wanted to know if they’re safe eat from nowadays. Thanks!
Acidic foods. Is tomatoes, vinegar can cause tiny amounts of aluminium to leech into the food. Excessive Aluminium consumption is marked to be a trigger to the onset of Dementia.. so not unsafe as such, but being used very regularly could be detrimental to your long term health.
I ordered a Stainless Steel Dutch Mess kit the reason for that is because for health reasons and I wouldn’t want to cook any food on something that’s aluminum.
You can get some nowadays, that have the handles made of aluminium. 🙄 Back in the day, the 24 hour ration pack consisted of three meal units, each wrapped in paper. The two smaller meal units fitted into the large mess tin, and the large meal unit fitted into the small mess tin. Also, when filled to the bottom of the centre rivet, the small mess tin holds one pint of water.
You can indeed get mess tins nowadays with handles made of aluminium but they aren't of the pre-WW2 pattern discussed in this video. I am referring to the 1943 spec 24 hour ration in the video the contents of which all fitted into one small cardboard box which itself fitted in the large mess tin half. I'm interested to know what period of 24 hour ration you are referring to, could you be a little more specific than 'back in the day'? The British Army has been dabbling with 24 hour rations since 1943 as I say and they vary quite considerably in form and contents over the years. The one-pint rule you stated only holds true with the later aluminium mess tins, not the early Second World War variety which are the focus of this video, one pint in the early war small mess tin come up to the centreline of the upper rivets.
@@RiflemanMoore " I'm interested to know what period of 24 hour ration you are referring to, could you be a little more specific than 'back in the day'?" I was using them in the mid-70s, but I don't recall the date of manufacture. I do remember they had the main meal in cans, and contained oatmeal blocks and tubes of sweetened condensed milk, which I would combine to make a delicious porridge. I also remember some menus had a tin of bacon roll, which the instructions said could be eaten cold, or fried in the fat included in the can. I used to have an empty ration pack box, containing a pile of can openers.
I know the type you mean, thanks for that, there is a video on a very early '80s example on my channel which is very similar. Unusual that it managed to survive unconsumed! You're not the first to mention the oatmeal block with condensed milk, something I feel I must try at some point in the future as I have a supply of ration pack oatmeal blocks, just need to get some condensed milk.
That makes sense, they were designed to be compatible with the 1937 Pattern and the 1958 Pattern rear pouches were designed with the mess tins in mind.
Yes, it has made me scratch my head over time why the Dutch army made very sturdy, probably expensive steel mess tins post war then put only two rivets at the top where the handles are riveted on, making them very easy to spill when walking with them full. Must have copied the early war British pattern and just stuck with them.
I have a set of Dutch Mess Tins in sand-blasted stainless steel, marked: 11 06 / DUT. No rivets, but a workman-like series of 6 spotwelds [3 over/3 under] securing each handle hinge. They have later-styled rounded corners. Happy with them.
I have two of these mess tins. Not stamped. Liverpool has lots of history. Due to wars. Why not do some army tours ? I see ex soldiers begging on streets. That could be helped from this idears world wars tours. We have arears in liverpool that show the marks of war. The messerschmitt. Bullet holes in walls. Other . War bunkers. Alone the mersy war offices.more that could be incorpratered. In the walk talk tours. Ex army navy RAF. Could be trained as tour guides. Schools colleges. Universtys . Etc that want to join the forces?
I think the design went backwards. I used these many times. Awkward. No wonder continental armies stuck to D shape style mess kits. These are horrid to use.
Thanks for sharing, great history lesson.
Great videos. Priceless for military equipment collectors. For me, videos about field equipment from the WW2 period are very useful. They concern not only the British Army, but also soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces in the West, fighting in North Africa, the Middle East, Italy and France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Thanks for a great job.
Glad you find them interesting and of use, thanks for the kind words!
Excellent video. Watching your videos are both fascinating and frustrating as I discover yet again I have the wrong set for WWII. Mine are dated 1945 but now I see the difference - mine are clearly for the post-war jungle set.
They are in better condition than the ones I was issued lol
I now have the basic 1937 Web gear. Belt, Braces, Bren Gun pouches, small pack with L straps. I still need the Canteen and mess tins. Now I got most of it from SOF, but its good stuff.
Soldier of Fortune's reproduction web equipment doesn't hold up in comparison to original I'm afraid. As said in previous videos I would highly recommend purchasing original items wherever possible.
These ones were also sold as military aid to Finland during the Winter War. It appears, that only one tin (the large one in most cases) was issued per soldier in Finnish Army, which means that small tins are especially hard to come by here.
Interesting, thanks for the information!
Very Informative thanks
I now know which ones I have 1945 dated aluminium post war set
Thanks Andy
Awesome information and channel. I would like to know the measures of the tins. Many thanks
Many thanks! I will try and get the measurments for you as soon as I can.
Very informative 😊
Glad you thought so!
During the 1980's Survival Aids marketed unstamped British army mess tins made by the actual government contractor. With the rarity of early WW2 aluminium mess tins, the unstamped ones could possibly fill a niche in the market whereby they could be ordered stamped to a customer's requirements with an extra stamp although later Cold War and current issue mess tins are made of a thinner gauge aluminium and are therefore more easily identified. Just a thought?.
My dad was in the Canadian army in the mid 70s and he said that the reserves still used allot of p44 kit including aluminum mess tins and that they were removed because they weren’t safe to eat from. I have purchased an original aluminum mess tin from early ww2 and wanted to know if they’re safe eat from nowadays. Thanks!
I'm not aware of aluminium being unsafe to eat from, not something I've heard before.
Acidic foods. Is tomatoes, vinegar can cause tiny amounts of aluminium to leech into the food. Excessive Aluminium consumption is marked to be a trigger to the onset of Dementia.. so not unsafe as such, but being used very regularly could be detrimental to your long term health.
I ordered a Stainless Steel Dutch Mess kit the reason for that is because for health reasons and I wouldn’t want to cook any food on something that’s aluminum.
What it says on the one I found MMS 1945 af0225 if that's any use to you matey
It's got 4 rivets holding the handle on
Introduced as part of the late war jungle equipment, they are of a different pattern to these early war tins.
Thank you matey 🙃
I have the dutch army mess tins in stainless steel . Very handy.
why have extra weight
Don't suppose you know any where a guy from Wyoming could order a set? I am trying to put together a BEF outfit.
You can get some nowadays, that have the handles made of aluminium. 🙄
Back in the day, the 24 hour ration pack consisted of three meal units, each wrapped in paper. The two smaller meal units fitted into the large mess tin, and the large meal unit fitted into the small mess tin.
Also, when filled to the bottom of the centre rivet, the small mess tin holds one pint of water.
You can indeed get mess tins nowadays with handles made of aluminium but they aren't of the pre-WW2 pattern discussed in this video.
I am referring to the 1943 spec 24 hour ration in the video the contents of which all fitted into one small cardboard box which itself fitted in the large mess tin half. I'm interested to know what period of 24 hour ration you are referring to, could you be a little more specific than 'back in the day'? The British Army has been dabbling with 24 hour rations since 1943 as I say and they vary quite considerably in form and contents over the years.
The one-pint rule you stated only holds true with the later aluminium mess tins, not the early Second World War variety which are the focus of this video, one pint in the early war small mess tin come up to the centreline of the upper rivets.
@@RiflemanMoore " I'm interested to know what period of 24 hour ration you are referring to, could you be a little more specific than 'back in the day'?"
I was using them in the mid-70s, but I don't recall the date of manufacture.
I do remember they had the main meal in cans, and contained oatmeal blocks and tubes of sweetened condensed milk, which I would combine to make a delicious porridge.
I also remember some menus had a tin of bacon roll, which the instructions said could be eaten cold, or fried in the fat included in the can.
I used to have an empty ration pack box, containing a pile of can openers.
I know the type you mean, thanks for that, there is a video on a very early '80s example on my channel which is very similar. Unusual that it managed to survive unconsumed!
You're not the first to mention the oatmeal block with condensed milk, something I feel I must try at some point in the future as I have a supply of ration pack oatmeal blocks, just need to get some condensed milk.
I've just bought a new set of army issue and the handles are stainless steel. 🇬🇧
Irish Defence forces got them in their kit too ...
That makes sense, they were designed to be compatible with the 1937 Pattern and the 1958 Pattern rear pouches were designed with the mess tins in mind.
Home bargains £1.99
Cool vid I've found 1 dated 1945
Of this pattern? The late war aluminium mess tins are actually a noticeably different shape.
It's a late war 1 matey I was just pleased to find one tho
I've got another one the that says bb 68 on it as well no idea where it came from tho
Yes, it has made me scratch my head over time why the Dutch army made very sturdy, probably expensive steel mess tins post war then put only two rivets at the top where the handles are riveted on, making them very easy to spill when walking with them full. Must have copied the early war British pattern and just stuck with them.
That would make sense!
I have a set of Dutch Mess Tins in sand-blasted stainless steel, marked: 11 06 / DUT.
No rivets, but a workman-like series of 6 spotwelds [3 over/3 under] securing each handle hinge. They have later-styled rounded corners. Happy with them.
I have two of these mess tins. Not stamped. Liverpool has lots of history. Due to wars. Why not do some army tours ? I see ex soldiers begging on streets. That could be helped from this idears world wars tours. We have arears in liverpool that show the marks of war. The messerschmitt. Bullet holes in walls. Other . War bunkers. Alone the mersy war offices.more that could be incorpratered. In the walk talk tours. Ex army navy RAF. Could be trained as tour guides. Schools colleges. Universtys . Etc that want to join the forces?
Sorry I fell asleep
My God. that was boring.
I think the design went backwards. I used these many times. Awkward. No wonder continental armies stuck to D shape style mess kits. These are horrid to use.