Talk:Mess kit

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Needs more photos

The various descriptions of military mess kits could and should be enhanced with photos, especially when describing older World War II equipment. Unless one is an aficionado of such items or is over 50 years of age, the reader may never have seen an actual example, and they've become extremely scarce in army-navy surplus stores. —Quicksilver^{T @} 19:41, 3 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

“U.S. Army and Marine Corps mess kit”

In the U.S. military the definition of “Mess kit” consists of all the equipment, or kit, used to sustain life in the field: canteen, cup, cover/carrier, meat can/mess pan, utensils and various durable material items issued to carry water, condiments or portions of the field ration. In popular usage the meat can/mess pan was frequently referred to as “mess kit.” The primary proponent of the meat can was the U.S. Army and all branches of the U.S. military used the item, mostly by acquisition from the Army.

“In the years prior to WWII, two factors influenced the design of the U.S. Army’s M-1926, M-1932, and M-1942 mess kits.”

The sheet steel tin plated meat can, aka “Mess kit” was adopted in 1875 on recommendation of the Infantry Equipment Board. It was intended to serve to carry three days meat ration and to be used to cook the ration in the field. There were variations and improvements in the meat can adopted in 1875 during the years it was manufactured at Watervliet Arsenal (1876-1890), Rock Island Arsenal (1876-1900) and contractors during the War with Spain (1898). Experimental and trial aluminum meat cans were manufactured at times starting in 1894. In 1900 at the suggestion of Capt. Henry J. Reilly, commanding Light Battery B, 5th U.S. Artillery Regiment, in the Philippines, the meat can was modified slightly with a deeper pan and shallower dish. The Model of 1905, an all aluminum meat can, was adopted for cavalry service and was reported unfavorably. In 1909 the Infantry Equipment Board requested trial of an aluminum meat can that was adopted as the Model of 1910. A separate bacon ration can was adopted that was intended to carry the meat ration and the Model of 1910 utensils were made shorter to fit inside the Model of 1910 meat can. The meat can was still intended to be used in preparation of the meat ration in the field. In the 1900s the Army began the process of providing the company with personnel and equipment to prepare the rations rather than the previous wasteful and unsanitary practice of issuing the meat ration to the soldiers. The meat can then become primarily the pan and plate used to receive and consume the ration. During WWI the unit mess teams were usually able to get prepared food to the troops in forward areas, however this was nearly impossible during advances or withdrawals, and individual cooking was not uncommon. The headquarters of the American Expeditionary Force requested that the capacity of the meat can be made larger to accommodate a larger ration. The domestic manufacturers of the M1910 meat can retooled and produced a significant number of the Model of 1918 meat cans that met the requirements for capacity. The Navy and Marine Corps received significant quantities of all the standard Army meat cans for field service.

Shortly after WWI the Marine Corps designed, adopted and produced at the Philadelphia Depot a replacement two compartment plate to be used with the Model of 1918 meat cans acquired from the Army during the War. The Army was in the process of modifying the handles of the existing meat cans (M1910 and M1918), cups and utensils to facilitate field cleaning procedures. At the same time Jeffersonville Quartermaster Depot acquired a trial quantity of the two-compartment plates from the Marine Corps. The compartmented plate and modifications were adopted as the aluminum M-1932 meat can and was classified STANDARD.

During the “Emergency” the M-1932 meat can was contract manufactured in 1941-42. The allocation of aluminum caused the Army to use alternative materials for mess equipment and experiments were conducted with porcelain plated meat cans. Large quantities of “Can, Meat, M-1942” sheet steel tin or zinc plated meat cans were produced in 1942-43. Late in 1942 aluminum and corrosion resisting steel were allocated to manufacture of mess equipment. The sheet steel tin plated handle adopted with the M-1942 meat can was assembled to all the meat cans that followed. The aluminum meat cans produced in 1943-45 were designated “Can, Meat, M-1942 Style 1” and re-designated “Can, Meat, Aluminum” in 1944. The corrosion resisting steel meat cans produced in 1944-1955 were designated “Can, Meat, CRS” and in 1956 was re-designated “Pan, Mess, CRS.”

“After 1938, it was used for the new C-Ration, a canned combat ration with several precooked or dried food items.”

Comment: The C-ration was fielded in 1940. This sentence besides being awkward, implies that there were “dried food items” that were prepared in the meat can. The so-called dried items were beverage powders that were usually reconstituted and prepared in the canteen cup rather than the meat can, as may be interpreted from the construction of the sentence. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mule ear (talk • contribs) 03:05, 18 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Family mess kits

The text says that a mess kit designed for a family traveling to a campsite by automobile is likely to comprise items of the same size and weight as what they use at home. In my limited experience and judging by advertisements on the Internet, four- to six-person mess kits are often, perhaps generally, designed to be light. Anyone else? J S Ayer (talk) 00:58, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

My view is that they are designed to be compact, as like picnicking sets. I found some examples, see below.

....0mtwb9gd5wx (talk) 06:34, 2 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]