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C Ration labels?


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fordmustanggt_350

Hey guys,

I am looking to set up an early war display and am looking for recommendations on a good place to get repo C rations or maybe a good tutorial on how to make a display of rations? Also how were these boxed and does anyone have any pictures and possibly dimensions of the boxes to share? Are there any instructions on how to build the boxes on the web?

Thanks,

Kevin

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Look around this forum. Not long ago someone had an original C Ration box (not just the box but everything in it too) they were selling. That would be a good place to start.

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I've seen the Vietnam ones for sale on here...

 

Early War, as in WWII?... Cans where gold lacquered, three menus, late War they added ten menus, and the B units originally had only coffee, later, lemon powder, and cocoa were added... They where packed in solid board cases for shipment, overseas shipment, packed in wooden crates, 48 cans in all, 8 rations, arranged four bottom, four on top ...

 

Ye could, if ye want, get gold paper and print out on that, or purchase a set of mines and just paste onto which ever tins you want...

 

As a side note, in the fall of 1942 the B units weren't lacuered on the outside and where plain silver...

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I am not sure if this guy is still making rations or not, it looks like he's out

but his products look very good, and they are the early war style

http://www.thesignaldepot.com/

 

I haven't bought from him, so I cannot vouche much

good luck!

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I am not sure if this guy is still making rations or not, it looks like he's out

but his products look very good, and they are the early war style

http://www.thesignaldepot.com/

 

I haven't bought from him, so I cannot vouche much

good luck!

 

Brilliant looking cans, though fails when opened and inside is can of weenies... If I remember right, his B units had cans of fruit inside... My B units have what was inside, biscuits, coffee, candy, and sugar tablets... :thumbsup:

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vintageproductions

The person who make the C Rations that are linked, is a member here. His screen name is RobL, I am sure you can contact him through the forum, if you have questions.

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willysmb44
The person who make the C Rations that are linked, is a member here. His screen name is RobL, I am sure you can contact him through the forum, if you have questions.
I can’t say how many cans Rob has around but I can vouch for how good they look as I have several of them. He screen-prints the lettering and stamps the lids with WW2 dates. NOBODY makes a better can. :thumbsup: You can see them most recently in “The Pacific” where people are eating from them.
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Hi Kevin

 

Here are a few shots of my c-rations and how they're supposed to be sealed in a crate. The official, one-day issue of "c-rations" consisted of 3 B units, and one each M-1, M-2, and M-3 units. The six cans that made up this complete issue were packed in a single file row in the crate. That way the crate could be opened at night, and the cans could be issued in the dark one complete row at a time and each G.I. would get the right cans.

 

I don't have the crate measurements at my fingertips. But can dig them up for you if you'd like to PM me. A couple years ago, a guy named Gary Stone made the best ration crates. But he doesn't make them anymore. But you can check his website to get an idea of how they oughta look. www.rationcrate.com

I've seen various pdf files floating around on the web that give info on the can markings, and crate markings.

 

I sold out of my c-ration cans when The Pacific bought out my last 400 cans. I'm giving thought to making another batch this fall. (my website will show you some more images if you like: www.thesignaldepot.com) I've been focusing on ordnance crates and tubes lately, but maybe its time to give c-rations more attention again.

 

My cans are the right size, with silk screened enamel ink markings, and embossed lids. At the request of the propmaster for The Pacific, I made a hundred special B unit and M-unit cans that opened with the twist key. Inside the B-unit was the proper candy, biscuits, sugar cubes (with period wrapping) and even a coffee tin with real coffee. Even though they bought all these cans from me, you only see a couple on camera. But one lucky can got a full screen closeup. So that was fun to see. (my next post will have some photos of that)

 

Also, when the National Museum of American History re-opened in Washington DC in Nov 2008, they included a batch of my c-rat cans in their WWII exhibit.

 

In the fall and winter of 1941, the B Unit cans were tinned (silver color) and not coated with lacquer. But by the spring of 42, some can manufacturers had started lacquering their B-units as well. And in Chicago Quartermaster Depot Order No. 6C dated July 10, 1942, the lacquering of all B-units was made mandatory.

 

So by the fall of '42 you would expect to see most B-units matching the M-units with the same gold lacquer color tone. But it is possible to see some lacquered B units being issued prior to that July CQD requirement. And - until the existing tinned B-unit supply was used up - you might see some silver cans still in circulation in the field in the Fall or Winter of 1942. But I can tell you one thing you won't see anywhere at any time during WWII: c-ration cans wrapped with paper labels.

 

post-7257-1306471759.jpg

 

B unit with twist key

 

post-7257-1306471845.jpg

 

B unit contents including real freeze-dried ("soluble" as it was called then) coffee in coffee tin

 

post-7257-1306471889.jpg

 

M unit with edible contents.

 

post-7257-1306472704.jpg

 

Thanks

 

Rob L.

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C-rations on The Pacific

 

(this is what Willysmb44 was referring to in his post. Thanks for the kind words Lee)

 

400 cans ready to go!

 

post-7257-1306473555.jpg

 

Chow time in the rain. (even though I made them cans that opened with a twist key, you can see the propmaster opened this one with a P-38 instead...a mystery to me)

 

post-7257-1306473617.jpg

 

My ration cans' moment in the spotlight...or - in this case - "the mud"!

 

post-7257-1306473674.jpg

 

Later this year, when I make more cans, and when they're done, I'll update my website. Thanks again for the inquiry and your patience.

 

Rob L.

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Member_2114
My ration cans' moment in the spotlight...or - in this case - "the mud"!

 

post-7257-1306473674.jpg

 

Later this year, when I make more cans, and when they're done, I'll update my website. Thanks again for the inquiry and your patience.

 

Rob L.

 

Thought I saw your cans in that series. Very good product, I purchased some from you, and if you make more, I'll risk the shippings costs to England as they fit my repro C rat crates perfectly

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Armed 2 tha Teeth

Rob,

 

Everything you have done is amazing. I was able to get one can from another reenactor and it is definitely a jewel of my foxhole display. Looking forward to getting some more in the future. Are you going to make any with the twist key?

 

Tom

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robertjensen3rdDI

i can contact my friend eddie i know he does stuff like that he makes lable and boxes for set ups ill check with him and message you back!

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  • 2 weeks later...
C-rations on The Pacific

 

(this is what Willysmb44 was referring to in his post. Thanks for the kind words Lee)

 

400 cans ready to go!

 

post-7257-1306473555.jpg

 

Chow time in the rain. (even though I made them cans that opened with a twist key, you can see the propmaster opened this one with a P-38 instead...a mystery to me)

 

post-7257-1306473617.jpg

 

My ration cans' moment in the spotlight...or - in this case - "the mud"!

 

post-7257-1306473674.jpg

 

Later this year, when I make more cans, and when they're done, I'll update my website. Thanks again for the inquiry and your patience.

 

Rob L.

 

First of all, I'm impressed with your cans.... Well impressed...

 

I notice though, in the two stills, the cans appear to have been opened from the top (serrated)?

 

From yer website:

www.thesignaldepot.com

One can see ye sell tins of weenies and fruit as I've already mentioned... As well as menus that never, ever appeared in the C ration...

 

Paper labels where never used in WWII on the C ration? ... Ok, everyone is familiar with QMC Historical Studies and on close scrutiny (otherwise known as research) of the script, on page 33 is the paragraph:

"Paper labels where used on the M unit and B unit cans during the early purchases for test purposes. At about this time however, that large scale procurement was getting underway, the Subsistence Research Laboratory suggested that, because paper labels were frequently lost and the contents of the cans could not be determined without opening them, lithographed labeling* be required, which was done." ...

 

The above does not mean to say one can crow bar in this as an excuse to use white paper labels as seen on ebay for sale...

 

Later in the same page, it goes on to mention the inclusion of stamping the manufacturer on the top, removing them from the sides, though, in every example I have of the B units in my posession (going right up to the 50s) only the date is embossed, however, in C.Q.D 183A, 31 October 1944 the following appears:

" A suitable abbreviation of the contractor's mane, the menu number, and the beverage component --- cocoa, coffee or ORANGE --- shall be in one end of the can. For example, B unit No.3, John Doe and Company, and Cocoa beverage would appear as:

JD-3

COCOA" ...

 

Now, people seem to take one example and look at the contents and think "well, that's it, that's the kind of biccies, coffee can, and candy... I have several original examples, and the candy from every one is completely different, not similar at all, the biccies aswell....Also, the tapered coffee can, was found not to be suitable and was replaced with a plug top type of coffee can, both examples of which I have in my possession ... They also used foil wrapped sachets like the K ration at one time... It's all down to correct research of the dating...

 

Taking this information in view, I tend to use the original specifications, and to get back to the OPs enquiry, the dimensions of the crates, according to C.Q.D 183A, 31 October 1944 as mentioned, the inner dimensions where to be "18" plus of minus 1/16" in length, 12" plus or minus 1/16" in width, and 7-1/8" plus or minus 1/16 in depth".... That means there was a tolerance, and looking at it, quite a large one... also, throw into the pie, the "top, bottom and sides shall be not less than 11/32 inch, and the ends shall not be less than 3/4 inch thick"... Another inclusion of tolerance...

 

My point is, getting an original box and using them dimensions for "correctness", to quote from the song "It Ain't Necessarily So"...

 

My own C rations, using gold paper labels to simulate the appearance of being gold lacquered, work quite well from a close distance, and the next stage is to approach a canning manufacturer to get the correct cans, this is actually in hand ATM and I'm awaiting responses (though I expect a shock, as when I looked at getting a canning machine here in the UK, and setting up shop to insert the contents and seal... All H&S and, well, expensive when drifting into the realms of food manufacturer)... The cans I use for display are actually smooth sided tins of clementines from a local store, and the height is actually 3mm short of the original, which is quite lucky and not bad really, and again, at a close distance is as good as one is gonna get using local retail and ones own ingenuity...

 

The food product C rations I do, are completely the wrong height, being 15mm taller, though the contents are indeed what is on the label (and came in the actual C rations), one exception being the meat and beans, which are actually sausage and beans (hey ho), all procured readily from local stores, and keeps me away from H&S and manufacturer status, that is, meat products, cooked and all the H&S and regulations that go along with it all etc etc etc... The B unit contents, I have to produce, except the biccies, local produce again...These are definitely not for display, and their purpose is for use in private tacticals where it don't really matter that much (I can hear people scream, but look at it guys, you actually fire a blank gun and shout "take yer helmet off, I fired nothing in yer general direction, yer dead"...)...

 

As for labeling the cans, I use my own which I made up from the specifications, though, one can get some pdfs on yahoo groups etc...

 

The "meat and beans" used as it said, meat, that is chunks of meat, and the CQD where very specific as to the size of meat chunks... It wasn't until the increase of varieties of menus in the spring of 1944 that one sees Frankfurters and Beans in the M unit, and by that time, the lacquer was instructed to be OD in any case...

 

Well, hope this has helped, if there are any questions, I am more than happy to help :thumbsup:

 

*not silk screened...

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Hey guys,

I am looking to set up an early war display and am looking for recommendations on a good place to get repo C rations or maybe a good tutorial on how to make a display of rations? Also how were these boxed and does anyone have any pictures and possibly dimensions of the boxes to share? Are there any instructions on how to build the boxes on the web?

Thanks,

Kevin

 

 

Hey KEVIN, :bye1:

 

Just for the record, if you need to know ANYTHING about WW2 RATIONS, contact our board member "K-RATION", as he is the #1 GO TO GUY for information. The guy is a WALKING ENCYCLOPEDIA and can help you. He has been collecting this stuff for well over 40 YEARS...

 

Tell him that I sent you...

 

Adam

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have bought some of Rob L's C-rats before and they are absolutely amazing...and reusable if you buy one of those Pampered Chef can openers that doesn't destroy the lid. I plan to order more when he makes more.

 

As for ration crates...Gary Stone did make some great ones, but so does Liberty Crate Co. He has made several various crates for me over the years and they are TOP NOTCH. http://libertycrateco.tripod.com/

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  • 4 years later...

RobL has these magnificent C rations for sale up on EBay RIGHT NOW!! I bought a six pack of 3 M units and 3 M units for $65 with free shipping and I couldn't be more thrilled with them. If you want the most accurate reproduction C rations in the world, then don't delay and buy these beauties.

 

Bob

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Bob -

 

Couldn't agree with you more about Rob's c rats. They are THE closest that you will ever get to an original!

Very best,

 

Bill K.

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