British iron rations tin

[gwalchmai]

I have one of the oval, tea one end sugar the other 'iron ration' tins. The person I bought it off has unfortunately cleaned it until it is down to shiny brass. I assume they started life painted - what colour? does anyone have pics in their 'original' condition?

[Andrew Upton]

If you mean one of these:

http://images.bidorbuy.co.za/user_images/058/2495058/2495058_120821104111_tea+sugar_tin_1.JPG

These are not military related, although they are often sold as such as they bare a passing resemblence to the genuine military ones:

http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/items/ACCNUM_SCREEN/REL%2F00957.JPG

Originals of the tea-sugar ones are quite common, and have even been reproduced in recent years. Modern repoductions are usually easily recognisable from the very bright and pristine gilding all over. I own an original, and it is only gilded on the main body and one lid - the other lid is painted khaki, so that at a glance you can tell one end from the other.

[Chris Henschke]

Andrew,

the AWM image that you have posted as a link is of the emergency ration, not the tin designed to carry the grocery portion of the iron ration, i.e., usually tea and sugar.

[Andrew Upton]

Andrew,

the AWM image that you have posted as a link is of the emergency ration, not the tin designed to carry the grocery portion of the iron ration, i.e., usually tea and sugar.

I know, that is deliberate - from my experience it is these tins that most people seem to confuse together.

[gwalchmai]

Sounds to me like I have the civilian one

[tocemma]

Gwalchmai,

Yes it is the civilian type. My old Dad used to use one in the 50s and 60s as an engine driver. They are often passed off as the military type.

The normal tea and sugar version is like this, and rather bigger. One small packet of sugar, one larger packet of loose tea.

 

Sometimes they have this pressed into one end

 

There was also an earlier smaller version, usually labelled 'Grocery Ration' which had a smaller serving of tea and sugar but also added Bovril lozenges. Apologies for the poor quality photos.

Regards

Tocemma

 

Edited 17 September , 2018 by tocemma

[gwalchmai]

what kind of sizes are we talking about for the military versions?

[tocemma]

The oval end is 80mm wide x 35mm. The tin is 100mm long.

Regards

Tocemma

[eparges]

Hi,

sorry for me bargin in on this post, but would you have an idea about this tin, which I picked up years ago on a fleamarket near the french-belgian border (Bailleul)? It measures about 10 cm high, 6 cm wide, on the remains of the label one can reed '..aumann, Gepp & Co. Limited', which I suppose is for Naumann, G etc, which were coffee-merchants according to the net...Thanx for any opinion!

[tocemma]

Hi Eparges,

I would say this is most likely a variant of the ration tin. The shape looks more sensible too. I have one of the smaller grocery ration tins which has a similar small sized paper label. Haven't seen one quite like it before but there were so many made there must have been several styles.

Regards

Tocemma

[eparges]

Hi Toc',

thanx very much for taking the time to respond. I'll class it then as a 'Coffee-ration tin', and it will move from the 'odds&sodds - box' to the showcase;

thanx again,

René

[mark holden]

I have this one which I am certain is a civilian purchase item but it has a more military naming to both ends 'RATION TIN'

regards

Mark

[Guest]

Hi there. I am interested in this thread to identify the original origins of a Tea and Sugar Box that I have of my Grandad's. Not sure whether it would be military or civilian. 

Only the first of these image links appears to be working now, although this does look like the one I have. 

 

Did they have something that divided them in the middle or was it just one space with the 'lid' at each end?

 

On 21/11/2014 at 18:35, Andrew Upton said:

If you mean one of these:

http://images.bidorbuy.co.za/user_images/058/2495058/2495058_120821104111_tea+sugar_tin_1.JPG

These are not military related, although they are often sold as such as they bare a passing resemblence to the genuine military ones:

http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/items/ACCNUM_SCREEN/REL%2F00957.JPG

Originals of the tea-sugar ones are quite common, and have even been reproduced in recent years. Modern repoductions are usually easily recognisable from the very bright and pristine gilding all over. I own an original, and it is only gilded on the main body and one lid - the other lid is painted khaki, so that at a glance you can tell one end from the other.

 

[Andrew Upton]

Both the civilian Tea/Sugar tins and the military Grocery tins were essentially designed as a single tin but with a metal divider added to the center to separate the contents. The Emergency Ration that is also mentioned above was different in that it was two separate tins then joined together externally with a removable strip of metal.