Meat Can Confusion

[RT Ellis]

I think perhaps a history and list of meat cans is in order, to answer some comments and questions here:

The Infantry Equipment Board in 1974 met to consider the "Brace System" that had been sent for trial by the 1872-73 Board. The Board in November 1874 recommended for trial an improved set of equipment, that included a modified canteen, sheet steel tin-plated cup, utensils, and a sheet steel tin-plated meat can. The meat can was first manufactured during the fourth quarter (April-June) of fiscal year 1876, so referring to this meat can as Model 1874 is misleading. The nomenclature was Meat Can with no pattern or model number. Apparently the meat can was produced in limited quantity (about 2000) for trial. Production resumed at both Watervliet Arsenal, and Rock Island Arsenal in 1878, and several improvements had been made, so a fairly distinctive new pattern was produced that I refer to as the pattern 1878. Then in about 1880 further changes were made that I refer to as pattern 1880. A few minor changes were made and I identify the final version of the meat can as pattern 1882, which I have to admit is a WAG based on my research as to when it was manufactured. Watervliet Arsenal was converted to a gun manufacturing facility and discontinued manufacture of field equipment in 1890. The meat can (p1882) remained in production at R.I.A. until replaced by the sheet steel tin-plated meat can pattern 1900. During the War with Spain, R.I.A. in 1898 contracted with a few companies to manufacture the meat can (pattern 1882) and some slight variations in construction have been observed that were likely contractor manufactured.

At the request of Capt. Henry Reilly, Fifth U.S. Artillery in 1899, the meat can was changed by making the pan deeper adding volume, and the plate was made correspondingly flatter. (Capt. Reilly was KIA during the China Relief Expedition and never saw an example the meat can design he suggested) The meat can (p1900) was manufactured by R.I.A. from 1900 until 1910, when it was replaced by meat can M1910.

As early as 1894 the Army was examining aluminum for use in the manufacture of field mess equipment. The conditions in the Philippine Islands was such that the ordnance officers at the Manila Ordnance Depot repeatedly requested aluminum mess equipment, and in the early 1900s small lots of aluminum utensils, cups, and meat cans were sent to P.I. for trial. The Cavalry Equipment Board in 1905 recommended an aluminum meat can (Meat Can M1905) that was manufactured by R.I.A. in 1905. The Infantry Equipment Board in 1909 requested that an aluminum meat can be sent for trial as part of the infantry equipment that was recommended for adoption in 1910. The meat can M1910 was manufactured at Rock Island Arsenal, and in 1917-18 contracts were negotiated with several companies to manufacture meat can M1910.

Because of the shortage of meat can M1910 in 1917 the Ordnance Office authorized the Ordnance Officers of the districts funds to purchase mess equipment to meet the demand of the training camps that were engaged in training the large influx of recruits. Each of the district ordnance officers made arrangements for acquisition of off the shelf plates, cups and utensils. In some cases the meat cans were contracted. The most easily identified "meat cans" acquired in 1917-18 were round sheet steel tin-plated, provided with pan, plate, and handle that assembled similar to meat can M1910. These meat cans are usually associated with the emergency of 1898 by dealers and collectors.

Headquarters American Expeditionary Force requested that the meat can pan and plate be made deeper to accommodate a larger ration, much as Capt Reilly had suggested in 1899. Meat can M1918 was manufactured of aluminum as soon as the tools could be changed. A French company was contracted to produce a sheet steel tin-plated variation of the meat can M1918 for immediate issue to the AEF..

The Meat can M1932, and meat can M1942 was previously described. In addition a meat can, similar in construction to meat can M1932, made of sheet steel tin-plated was manufactured in Australia by a firm identified as "Metters" apparently for both the Army and Navy. Examples are marked "U.S.A." or "U.S.N." on the handle where the U.S. was usually embossed.

In 1944 meat can stainless steel was adopted classified STANDARD, and manufactured exclusively by contractors. The Army changed the specification for stainless steel nomenclature to corrosion resisting steel, and the meat can nomenclature was changed to meat can corrosion resisting steel. The nomenclature was changed in 1955 to Pan, Mess and has remained. The specification was changed in 1949 for the handle to be manufactured of pressed sheet CRS. The original stock number, was replaced by the Federal Stock Number (FSN), which in turn was replaced by the current National Stock Number(NSN) system.

To answer the questions posed: Reference the meat can M1942, both the Army and Marine Corps recognized the health hazard of the plating wearing or cooking off the steel which would then corrode. At the same time the manufacture of meat can aluminum and meat can CRS was beginning to get into the supply system and those items were prioritized for issue to units deploying overseas.

First, to me a "mess kit" is all of the equipment issued to sustain life in the field: canteen, cup, cover, utensils and meat can (or pan mess) not just the meat can, although I'm well aware of the popular use of the term to mean the meat can. Meat can M1942 was classified OBSOLETE, should have been surveyed to salvage, and should not have been issued under any conditions long before 1966. I have examined a few examples of meat can CRS that were manufactured to the specification for meat can M1942, in that the lip edge was half rolled in the same manner as meat can M1942. The nomenclature of these meat cans was meat can stainless steel, and if in serviceable condition, may have been issued as pan, mess in 1966.

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