Question about Canadian WWII Mess Tins...

Wgrenadier wrote:That's good to know, thanks for sharing!  

It must have still been more labor intensive, or expensive, than simply placing 3 rivets...

Definitely. More skill and specialized equipment is required compared to rivets so it makes sense to use rivets to keep the costs low.

I guess CCB was around in 1939, even if they weren't necessarily producing mess tins...

Here is a 1941 aluminum megaphone that is currently on eBay, it clearly shows that Aluminum Goods, Limited of Toronto was making aluminum products very early in the war...

Another mess tin cover on the request of Mike. I found this example between several hundred used British mess tin covers (some even have rust marks of the handles of the mess tins on the inside) A lot did not have any markings any more, but the dated ones where from 1938 to 1940. It was the only Canadian one I came across.

Great cover! Thanks for posting Sullivan!

It shows that 'WOODS MFG. CO. LTD.' made these covers in along with 'TAPATCO'.

I can post the pictures of the British mess tin covers and ration bags later in the British section if interested?

I think people come to forums for the pictures and stay for the information, so pictures are always welcome!

Here is mine,

found with metal detector in Normandy (near Caen)

named M. BAKURINSKY
can't read the service number of the soldier.

That is a great find toutfou!

The background and pictures make a great addition to this thread!

here is an alluminium plate, found with metal detector too.
No date.

Great find! Did you find that in Normandy as well?

Does anybody know what the '340331254' marking on this Canadian mess tin denotes? Is it a service number?

It may be. For a period of time the armed forces used a nine digit number as the service number. The number used was the serviceman's social insurance number.

Thanks Bill, do you know what time period the nine digit number was used?

SIN's were used circa 1968 through the 1990's.

I was afraid of that!

Thanks Bill!

Here's another Canadian mess tin maker! General Steel Wares! ...I wish I could find a better picture though...

Finally cracked the CCB mystery! It was Coulter Copper & Brass Company, Limited!

https://www.lib.uwo.ca/programs/companyinformationcanada/ccc-coulter.html

"The 1914-18 war revolutionized the business. The company switched to munitions manufacture, making heavy outlays for machinery for which it was feared, initially, that no use would be found after the war. In fact, however, the plant was rapidly converted to peacetime production of automotive parts, which by 1929 represented the major part of production.

In 1928, following the sale of the Booth family's interests to members of the Coulter family, the company name was changed to Coulter Copper & Brass Co., Limited. In the course of time, technological changes caused coppersmithing to become "metaIsmithing," due to the rapid evolution of new metal alloys which began to replace copper on certain jobs."

It is with great pleasure that I present the following table with all known Canadian-made mess tin makers and their identities!! Got 'em all figured out in less than a year!

Nice work.

Very nice, thanks for taking the time to put together such a comprehensive study for us to view.

Thanks for the nice comments guys! :)

Coulter Copper & Brass must have made brass buttonsticks as well, as I have seen a ton of them marked CCB with Canadian broad arrows over the years...

Thanks for the info

On an other forum (metal detecting) someone posted a messtin stamped on the underside.
Markings are: Supreme ware. Metal stampings Ltd. Made in Canada.
Found somewhere in Germany.
So this one could be added to the list.

That is very interesting Sipke! Thank you for finding this information!

Metal Stampings Ltd. seems to have made a great deal of rigging knives in the post-war years, but I have seen a number of online sources that state the company did not exist during WWII...

http://rigger.hegewisch.net/MS.html

This may simply mean that Metal Stampings Ltd. mess tins were made for the Korean War or later conflicts. Either way, it would be great to see photos of an actual tin with these markings!