Mess tin Second World War

In 1937 the British Army revised the pattern of soldier's personal equipment to accommodate mechanisation and changes in weaponry and tactics. One of the items changed was the mess tin. For more than a hundred years this had been D-shaped, the flat side fitting against the back of the pack. Now it was to be carried inside the haversack or small pack, so a rectangular shape was needed. The smaller half fitted inside the larger. Both had a folding wire handle so they could be used as cooking pots. On the march they contained the uneaten part of the day's ration. The first issue was of tin-plated pressed steel. Later, aluminium was used, though this is not now thought of as a suitable material for eating from. Water bottle, groundsheet, pullover and knife-fork-spoon set were also carried in the haversack.