World War 2 Talk - View Single Post - US field rations(C) issued to troops in the field

Franek · 15-05-2008, 03:48 PM

Army Field Rations

The K Ration

The Field Ration, Type K was adopted for use in 1942. It was developed at the request of the U.S. Army Air Force and first used by paratroopers. As with the C ration, the components of the K rats evolved over the course of the war to offer greater variety while still maintaining the need for compact size and balanced nutrition. While the K rats were designed for only a few days' use under assault conditions, the demands of war meant that soldiers often ate them for days or weeks on end, and boredom and complaints naturally ensued. At the height of the war in 1944, over 105 million of these rations were produced.

Early boxes (left) were plain brown card stock. The packaging changed to a set of distinctive color designs (the "Morale K Ration") to make it easier for soldiers to quickly select the "right" meal: brown for breakfast; green for supper; and blue for dinner. Within these colored boxes the meal was contained in a plain tan box; this was twice dipped in wax, after the contents were inserted and the box was sealed, in order to keep the contents waterproof.
Breakfast Unit
Canned meat product
Biscuits
Compressed cereal bar
Powdered coffee
Fruit bar
Chewing gum
Sugar tablets
Four cigarettes
Water-purification tablets
Can opener
Wooden spoon

Dinner Unit
Canned cheese product
Biscuits
A candy bar
Chewing gum
Powdered beverage
Granulated sugar
Salt tablets
Cigarettes
Matches
Can opener
Wooden spoon

Supper Unit
Canned meat product
Biscuits
Bouillon powder
Candy
Chewing gum
Powdered coffee
Granulated sugar
Cigarettes
Can opener
Toilet paper
Wooden spoon

The canned meat and cheese products were individually boxed in 3" x 2 3/4" x 1 7/17 cardboard containers, while the other items were contained in a plastic bag that, according to instructions on the carton, could be reused for keeping other items such as cigarettes, matches, letters, and photos waterproof if the bag was carefully opened.
K Ration Packaging

There were at least two distinct types of wooden K ration containers. Wooden boxes marked "KS" were early war types (as Hudson & Allen's product states), and those marked "K" came later. Gerald Peterson says he has seen both KS and K boxes dated 1944, but the KS crate had the older brown individual meal boxes in it, while the box marked K had the full color Morale K Ration boxes in it.
According to C.Q.D. No. 28H, dated August 31, 1945 (superseding an October 31, 1944 directive), twelve K rations were packed on end in a snug-fitting corrugated fiberboard container. "The arrangement of the cartons shall be 12 in length (major panels facing), 3 in width, and 1 in depth. One row of 12 cartons shall be for breakfast, one row for dinner and one row for supper."
The fiberboard containers were either placed into wooden boxes directly, or sealed in a waterproof triple-ply "bag" of kraft paper or kraft paper, metal foil, and cellophane, before being packed in the box.

15-05-2008, 03:48 PM	#2 (permalink)
Franek WW2 Veteran Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 122	WW2 K rations Army Field Rations The K Ration The Field Ration, Type K was adopted for use in 1942. It was developed at the request of the U.S. Army Air Force and first used by paratroopers. As with the C ration, the components of the K rats evolved over the course of the war to offer greater variety while still maintaining the need for compact size and balanced nutrition. While the K rats were designed for only a few days' use under assault conditions, the demands of war meant that soldiers often ate them for days or weeks on end, and boredom and complaints naturally ensued. At the height of the war in 1944, over 105 million of these rations were produced. Early boxes (left) were plain brown card stock. The packaging changed to a set of distinctive color designs (the "Morale K Ration") to make it easier for soldiers to quickly select the "right" meal: brown for breakfast; green for supper; and blue for dinner. Within these colored boxes the meal was contained in a plain tan box; this was twice dipped in wax, after the contents were inserted and the box was sealed, in order to keep the contents waterproof. Breakfast Unit Canned meat product Biscuits Compressed cereal bar Powdered coffee Fruit bar Chewing gum Sugar tablets Four cigarettes Water-purification tablets Can opener Wooden spoon Dinner Unit Canned cheese product Biscuits A candy bar Chewing gum Powdered beverage Granulated sugar Salt tablets Cigarettes Matches Can opener Wooden spoon Supper Unit Canned meat product Biscuits Bouillon powder Candy Chewing gum Powdered coffee Granulated sugar Cigarettes Can opener Toilet paper Wooden spoon The canned meat and cheese products were individually boxed in 3" x 2 3/4" x 1 7/17 cardboard containers, while the other items were contained in a plastic bag that, according to instructions on the carton, could be reused for keeping other items such as cigarettes, matches, letters, and photos waterproof if the bag was carefully opened. K Ration Packaging There were at least two distinct types of wooden K ration containers. Wooden boxes marked "KS" were early war types (as Hudson & Allen's product states), and those marked "K" came later. Gerald Peterson says he has seen both KS and K boxes dated 1944, but the KS crate had the older brown individual meal boxes in it, while the box marked K had the full color Morale K Ration boxes in it. According to C.Q.D. No. 28H, dated August 31, 1945 (superseding an October 31, 1944 directive), twelve K rations were packed on end in a snug-fitting corrugated fiberboard container. "The arrangement of the cartons shall be 12 in length (major panels facing), 3 in width, and 1 in depth. One row of 12 cartons shall be for breakfast, one row for dinner and one row for supper." The fiberboard containers were either placed into wooden boxes directly, or sealed in a waterproof triple-ply "bag" of kraft paper or kraft paper, metal foil, and cellophane, before being packed in the box.