Glad this was useful!

Glad you found it interesting!

Glad you're finding it so!

I would keep cooking in the late ones. I don't totally buy you want hot tin mixing up with your bully beef. Lead or no.

Carrying a steel shaving mirror is fine Andrew (though more commonly in a pocket) but the late war dated examples with the hole in are part of the late war jungle kit. As said above I likewise wouldn't want to cook in a set of tinned mess tins but eating from a clean set is fine (as seen in the recent ration videos the scope of individual cooking in the mess tins is relatively limited). As you say if yours are a bit ropey then a later aluminium set for using is a wise compromise though I'd definitely advise keeping an eye out for a set of the early war aluminium type.

They made thousands of them and issued them out whilst stocks lasted, waste not want not!

I have seen this also.

May be because they chucked them away realising they didn’t need them?

Interesting, not something I was aware of, thanks for the info. As already pondered I wonder if they were accidentally dropped or purposefully ditched.

We are assuming that they were left there at the time the area was front line and not at any other time. The button stick (along with other items) was meant to be kept in the large pack which was carried in transport. Being brass it would not have rusted, rotted or been burned.

Allen Prior we’ll see the largest thing also I think is what was unit to unit kept or thrown out varied greatly.

Most welcome, glad you found it interesting.

Thanks, glad you enjoyed!

The best to get for wartime reenacting are the early war aluminium examples if you can find them, for sure. The lead story is an interesting one I've heard repeatedly but can find no evidence for it, can you clarify exactly where lead is supposed to be found in the tinned mess tins, according to your understanding?

@@RiflemanMoore I was told by the one of the other Suffolk regiment LHS members. he never said specifically but I'd rather be safe than sorry (my ones are a bit rusty anyway)

Thanks, glad it was of use.

Most welcome!

That’s some pretty good re-enactment.

Glad to hear it.

I'm not entirely sure to be honest with you, beyond the look of the tinner finish, maybe fears over solder?

Our group had them made. I'm with a group using MECo as a backcronym for Military Equipment Collectors, as opposed to Mills Equipment Co.

Mirrors were carried by most men but were not an issue item until the introduction of the jungle equipment.

As Allen says mirrors for shaving were often carried but not the later issue item shown. The modern steel mirrors available on eBay and elsewhere are very similar in design. There were a variety of cases/covers for them from the time, for example; faux leather, canvas and even some made of a material similar to that used for yellow cloth dusters.

Soldiers have never changed. From the earliest times, they will always enhance their kit issue in order to make life more bearable. I am a military historian, but I also served in the British Army for 25 years. My KFS was a children's mickey mouse set (my son's spare), held together by one of my daughter's hear bands. It fitted neatly in to my breast pocket along with my folding cup. I'm sure soldiers carried mirrors which they purchased themselves.

No worries Tom, drop me a message on social media or an email with photos if possible.

join a good old forum, preferrably in your country, there is a chance to find others with the same interests in your area and to do stuff together. I would never recommend facebook to anyone, but if you are already there... they have hundreds of reenactor groups to make contacts.

A good question, there are a series of videos on my channel covering the basics of the British Army in NW Europe during WW2 which might prove helpful.

@@RiflemanMoore thank you I've been watching them. Reenactment is truly an addiction. The more impressions I do the more I want to do. Thank you for your help

It would be largely the same, other than Scottish Regimental specific insignia and dress distinctions, which is a massive and complex topic in itself.

Just as Jon says. Scottish Regiments were some of the few to retain very distinctive headdress etc. (when not in helmets) but otherwise usually wore standard uniform and equipment dependent on their role.

I have made other videos covering this, showing wartime mess tins, holdall contents, etc.

@@RiflemanMoore Many thanks! I should have checked first before leaving a comment...

The 43 and 44 dated zinc alloy army issue razors are correct for NWE 1944.

​@@nathansaunders2576From the official documentation for the "new" jungle equipment: "3-hole type Razor Holder is constructed from aluminium alloy to reduce weight to a minimum. Razor blades will be of the normal pattern, but specially packed to withstand tropical conditions, and issued under Unit arrangements". Razors of identical pattern but not of aluminium alloy are correct for use in Europe.

I would add to what other commenters have said by pointing out that you can't go wrong with a period civilian razor many men chose them over issue examples. See my recent video on the Valet Autostrop for one example.

@@allenprior8573 That's what I said, the others are a zinc based alloy. Typical war economy material.

What about them?

Are they correct to include in the pack? I thought they might fall into this category of items not to include.

Yes, they are suitable, gold lacquered early war, moving to brown/drab lettered green from mid-war on.

@@RiflemanMoore thank you. Always enjoy and appreciate your excellent videos. It has cost me a lot of money, but I’m having fun! 😄

I'd recommend any period civilian safety razor, I've recently picked up a Valet Autostrop recently which was a very popular design at the time, I uploaded a video on it a week or so ago.

@@RiflemanMoore thank you

Rifleman Moore when did they start using the aluminium razors... I’ve seen some that look very similar but dated 1943.

I would be happy to at some point, yes. However if you want some information right away I have a series in my Reenacting Tips playlist which covers basic British kit, part 2 looks at web equipment.