Topic: Army Rations
General Motors T17E1 Staghound armoured cars of “A” Squadron, 12th Manitoba Dragoons, in the Hochwald, Germany, 2 March 1945. Location: Hochwald Forest, Germany. Date: March 2, 1945. Photographer: Smith, Jack H. Mikan Number: 3202099. From the Library and Archives Canada virtual exhibition Faces of War.
Operational Feeding
The Use of Field Rations
1942
A.F.V. Ration Pack (1942)
Armoured fighting vehicle ration pack is a tinned ration and similar to the composite ration, made up in suitable packs for stowing inside tanks, but it is only used when the normal ration cannot be delivered to and cooked by A.F.V. crews for operational reasons. Since the vehicles must replenish with petrol, such occasions will be of rare occurrence.
Armoured fighting vehicle ration pack
This a similar scale to composite ration, but it is packed in special containers suitable for storing inside tanks. These packs are made up for two, three or five men; the latter becoming obsolete as a pack for five can be made up from a two and a three pack. The manufacture of A.F.V. packs in war presents certain difficulties and entails the use of a high proportion of tin plate. their use should therefore be limited to those shown in sub-para. (a) below and only for periods of operational mobility. During active operations, tank and armoured car personnel must be capable of cooking and feeding on a crew basis since halts must, of necessity, be of uncertain length and at uncertain times and A.F.Vs. will be dispersed over a wide area for the greater part of the 24 hours. The composite ration cannot be distributed and stowed satisfactorily in a tank or armoured car to meet such conditions. When armoured forces are at rest, tank and armoured car crews, etc., will be able to feed on composite ration pack or field service ration.
Tanks and armoured cars will land overseas carrying A.F.V. packs for consumption in lieu of mess tin rations.
(a) Armd. Div. H.Q.
Armd. Bdes. including Motor Bns.
Armd. Bde. Coys. R.A.O.C.
Armd. Car Regt.
Recce. Regts. and Sqns. (Scout Troops only).
Appendix C – A.F.V. Pack
| Commodity | Scale for each man a day | Size of tin | No. of tins for each pack | ||
| 2 men | 3 men | 5 men | |||
| Preserved meat | 12 ozs. | 12 ozs. | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Service biscuit | 10 ozs. | 10 ozs. | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Unsweetened condensed milk | 2 ½ ozs. | 6 ozs. | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Sardines | 2 ozs. | 4 ozs. | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Margarine | 1 ½ ozs. | 2 ¾ ozs. | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Tea | ¾ oz. | 1 ½ ozs. | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Sugar | ½ ozs. | 3 ozs. | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Beans | 4 ozs. | 8 ozs. | 1 | — | 1 |
| 12 ozs. | — | 1 | 1 | ||
| Jam | 4 ozs. | 4 ozs. | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 16 ozs. | — | — | 1 | ||
| Latrine paper | 6 sheets | 12 sheets | sheets | sheets | |
The above is all packed in one square container, except the biscuits, which are packed separately in a round tin.
Catering advisers with armoured formations will assist with advice regarding the best method of utilizing the A.F.V. pack, to suit the particular circumstances in which operations are taking place.
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