| Place | Europe: France, Picardie, Somme, Amiens Harbonnieres Area, Villers-Bretonneux Area, Villers-Bretonneux |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | RELAWM00724 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Personal Equipment |
| Physical description | Enamelled steel |
| Location | Main Bld: First World War Gallery: Western Front 1916: Uniforms |
| Maker |
Gebruder Bing AG Unknown |
| Place made | Germany |
| Date made | c 1918 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
German model 1915/17 mess tin : Villers-Bretonneux
Description
Enamelled field grey model 1915/17 pattern mess tin, made from steel, with a plain, unreinforced handle. The hinge plate is marked 'BING / 18'. There is chipping to the enamelled finish, and the wire carrying handle is missing from the lower section.
History / Summary
This standard middle-war pattern German mess tin is of the pattern introduced in mid-1915 and made from steel rather than from aluminium, as the previous 1910 pattern had been. This new pattern also dispensed with the separate reinforcing bar previously welded to the handle. This new version was known as the M 1915/17 canteen.
Along with a German haversack (see RELAWM00723) and a German canteen (see RELAWM00725), this mess tin was found on the high ground to the north-west of Villers-Bretonneaux, and marked the farthest point reached by the Gemans in the attack of 24 April 1918. The Germans, having dug-in and emplaced their machine-guns, had ceased work to eat a late meal when, on the night of the 24th, they were surprised by the counter-attack of the 13th and 15th Brigades and by 4 o'clock next morning they had been driven back almost to their starting point.