Combat rations of 20 of the worlds armies

[August]

Originally Posted by Torplexed

Hopefully, there was a M-1 can opener included somewhere in your TO&E. Don't think that plastic spoon would do it.

We called them P-38's and there were always a dozen or so tossed in the bottom of each C-rat case. Folks tended to keep them since they were such a handy tool.

[Harvs]

Looks like the ones we had except ours had a spoon built in.

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by August

We called them P-38's and there were always a dozen or so tossed in the bottom of each C-rat case. Folks tended to keep them since they were such a handy tool.

Interesting. A very successful yet simple design. In production since 1942.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-38_can_opener

Of course, when you mention P-38 most people will think this.



Well, they certainly opened the can Admiral Yamamoto was flying in.

[em2nought]

Originally Posted by Torplexed

Interesting. A very successful yet simple design. In production since 1942.

...and yet so hard to make a good copy of. My "made in Canada" copy is crap. Sorry eh.

[Wolferz]

Well, they certainly opened the can Admiral Yamamoto was flying in.

Opening a Zippo plane was easy. You could do it with a B B gun.

[Aktungbby]

it's still open and something of a tourist attraction on Bouganville; the left wing is at the Isoroku Yamamoto Family Museum at Nagaoka Japan.

[razark]

Originally Posted by August

Folks tended to keep them since they were such a handy tool.

Growing up, a lot of our family vacations were backpacking trips. Those things were a very common tool.

I have a few of them. There's a couple floating around with the camping gear, but I also keep one in the desk at work, just in case. I've also got one in the kitchen that I use any time I need to open a can. (I like it so much more than the wife's battery powered things that tends to cut up the label and drop it into the food. )

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by August

We called them P-38's and there were always a dozen or so tossed in the bottom of each C-rat case. Folks tended to keep them since they were such a handy tool.

My grandfather gave me one of those together wit an American WWII first aid kit that he got as a prisoner of war. The (unopened) first aid kit is here on my shelf but I really don't know where I placed that can opener.