[REF] The B Unit C Ration

black devil wrote:Right...I'm gonna get flak wi this, and sorry in advance...But if I remember right, he offered these tins filled with tinned fruit for the B unit, and tinned weeners for the M unit...There ye go...

Empty, is perfect, though the red lithograph I have never came across, maybe some reference I have missed (wouldn't surprise me)...

and thanks Paul, I will be doing another run of these as soon as I get settled here in Italy...(btw, off topic, and will post as soon as I get photos and have a REAL good look for dates stamped etc...But I am now living below the 3rd Div position around the Camino Hill Mass and Angelo found four leggings on the area the 3rd and the 36th went up...From tan to bright green!)

So you have moved out to Italy then! Good skills, would be very interested to hear about how you are getting on, Italy is probably my most favourite country for lot's of reasons!

black devil wrote:Right...I'm gonna get flak wi this, and sorry in advance...But if I remember right, he offered these tins filled with tinned fruit for the B unit, and tinned weeners for the M unit...There ye go...

Empty, is perfect, though the red lithograph I have never came across, maybe some reference I have missed (wouldn't surprise me)...

and thanks Paul, I will be doing another run of these as soon as I get settled here in Italy...(btw, off topic, and will post as soon as I get photos and have a REAL good look for dates stamped etc...But I am now living below the 3rd Div position around the Camino Hill Mass and Angelo found four leggings on the area the 3rd and the 36th went up...From tan to bright green!)

Crack on Paul- you'll get no flak!! Yep you're right my tins have inner tins. I'm happy with their look as they go with the crates. The originals I show to public but don't put on display as much. There is a serious gap in the market with B unit tins...it needs to be cornered!!

I sell theme b-units below for 2.5 euro's or 2.25 pound each.
These are re closeble 95% historical correct (8mm to wide, hight ok)
If interest email me at joachimvanderroost(at)yahoo.com for shipping qouta (the cans are in Belgium)
Can are solded empty

They look very good!

Maybe we could pick some up on our Belguim trip?

hello,

I will be at remagne for the spectacle at 11 h this saterday. I can bring some with me if you want. I will be dressed as an 37mm at gun ammo bearer. This means standrd inf uniform with the m2 ammo gillet with cardbord tubes.

greets joachim

The C ration came in a clear lacquer, that is "silver" in appearance for a very short period (off the top of my head, the fall of 1942 ???), other than that, they where gold lacquered till the QMC ordered them to be OD lacquered in the fall of 1943, the construction beginning when stocks of gold lacquered where used up....

The inclusion of a fudge disc:
CQD No. 183, 31 October 1944.. Which after procurement, bringing it to January 1945... then overseas shipment from Chicago, it most likely wouldn't see Wartime ETO, though probably PTO (though doubt it)... so, fudge disc: Post War


Here's a B unit I do:

I'm reading Bill MAULDLINS book at the moment (kindly provided by Ben) and it does mention the rations quite a bit. Apparently the 'bouillon' was way too salty and if consumed left the GI with overwhelming thirst, not easily quenched when fresh water was in short supply. It also mentions the GI lemonade which was a most un-appealing prospect when you were stuck in a foxhole in temperatures akin to what we are currently experiencing, it also gave you the trots!

murph wrote:...... It also mentions the GI lemonade which was a most un-appealing prospect when you were stuck in a foxhole in temperatures akin to what we are currently experiencing, it also gave you the trots!

Were you drinking this when we were in Normandy???

Johnny_Costino wrote:

murph wrote:...... It also mentions the GI lemonade which was a most un-appealing prospect when you were stuck in a foxhole in temperatures akin to what we are currently experiencing, it also gave you the trots!

Were you drinking this when we were in Normandy???

Other than 'petrachidi' I did consume half a litre of fresh orange juice prior to my sudden need to go. It's funny but much as I do not want to repeat the experience you have to admit that it really was living the dream in terms of what might have happened to a GI of a lesser composed constitution...

hahahahahah i remember it well, murph running accross the road with his trousers half way down and scanning the horizon for a" private" spot.

riz

rizla wrote:hahahahahah i remember it well, murph running accross the road with his trousers half way down and scanning the horizon for a" private" spot.

riz

Good times!!!

I never forget

I have to say I did not see the funny side of it at the time for obvious reasons but I bet some French farmer is delighted at a weeks worth of good quality manure left for him at the entrance to his best field!

As ye know Paul, I have several original C rations, from '42 right up to '52, and they all measure the same, though contents somewhat "changed"...

Here's the measurements so there is no arguments:
3 1/2 inches x 3 inches (just shy of)
8.8cm x 7.5cm...

(This from off the top of my head, so I could be wrong) The early C rats all had one beverage, coffee.... Not long after, they had coffee, lemon powder, and cocoa... The contents changed considerably, and there where many "experiments" in contents.... One thing I have had it out wi on the US forum, the cereal disc, there is or was a "cereal" label, commonly going round in re-enacting circles as the K Ration cereal bar, the label is for he C ration disc, which was lithographed onto celophane and which covered the disc...

Just a small point to ponder...

In the fall of 1943 it was ordered that all ration cans be coated in an OD lacquer, well, this as we know didn't really happen, but considering the C rations, I thouhgt it would have been universal by War's end (procurement and all that), well, I have two C ration cans dated 1950 and 1951 respectively, and guess wot?.... Silver... I also have two others dated same, OD lacquer...

Nothing is written on stone....

Ohh, and the biscuits?....An un sweetened type with a digestive type texture... How do I know, ye don't wanna know....

And it seems by the 1950s, there included chocolate biscuits...

Here's my C ration:




Here's a set made from the bigger, modern cans, the contents of the M units are as the label says, these are not for display, but for the likes of private tacticals etc:

Meant to say, the sugar tablets are just that, sugar tablets to the correct size and not cubes

Those ones in the top picture look really good Paul.

Thanks Paul.... Unfortunately, ye cannot get smooth sided cans that size anymore, except for expensive condensed milk.... Can still get them, only their ribbed like all cans are nowadays...

black de wrote:Thanks Paul.... Unfortunately, ye cannot get smooth sided cans that size anymore, except for expensive condensed milk.... Can still get them, only their ribbed like all cans are nowadays...

What about the Lidls mandarin tins?

Johnny_Costino wrote:

black de wrote:Thanks Paul.... Unfortunately, ye cannot get smooth sided cans that size anymore, except for expensive condensed milk.... Can still get them, only their ribbed like all cans are nowadays...

What about the Lidls mandarin tins?

Oi! you giving my secrets away Sgt Costino. You'll be telling everyone how to make them the right hight next

Chris.

Ben's Dad wrote:

Johnny_Costino wrote:

black de wrote:Thanks Paul.... Unfortunately, ye cannot get smooth sided cans that size anymore, except for expensive condensed milk.... Can still get them, only their ribbed like all cans are nowadays...

What about the Lidls mandarin tins?

Oi! you giving my secrets away Sgt Costino. You'll be telling everyone how to make them the right hight next

Chris.

No thats our secret!

Don't think it's any secret...lol

Aye, I found these tins at lidls a few years back, ye can still get the lidl mandarin tins, but their ring pull and ribbed now... But I know where to get some "normal" ones....

Another of my C Rations I've based mines on: