Wanted: CF issue Melmac plate/bowl/mug, Cold War Kit

[maple_leaf_eh]

So Sergeant Major Jim Oakley had the squadron formed up on the drill floor. Behind him were tables with plates, cups and bowls of soon to be issued Melmac. We were to stop using aluminum mess tins, and eat off the new stuff.

Everyone of course asked, 'where does it fit on the webbing?' 'How will I keep it clean?' 'Do I have to put my name on it?' 'How will I get my own back out of the wash tub?'

There he stood bragging about the new stuff. See he said, holding the plate out at arms length, unbreakable. And he dropped it. Yes, it shattered. Sergeant Majors don't normally laugh at themselves. But he had to.

[Scott Bentley]

Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh

Everyone of course asked, 'where does it fit on the webbing?'

In the dark days of the mid 90s, I recall coming back to my PMQ on a Friday night after a lengthy fall exercise in the Petawawa Training Area. I unceremoniously biffed the contents of my rucksack on the basement floor with the intent of washing and repacking it at some point over the weekend like a good sapper. With a week of low intensity garrison activities planned for the following Monday, I said screw it and left it till later.

Predictably in-line with Murphy's Law, the "Bugout" fanout phone call came in at approx 2:30am on Monday morning. In sheer panic, I began stuffing all of the dirty kit back in my rucksack. I didn't really follow a kit list per say in that moment of terror when you know you are doomed, but I did recall wondering what the hell I did with my melmac plate. With kit that "looked" properly packed, I set off to my regiment like everyone else in 2 CMBG.

This bugout saw the 2 CMBG Commander coming around to all of the Units individually to complete a readiness check. This involved us lining up all of our vehicles for inspection. As I was a member of a field section at the time, we had the entire contents of our M113 pioneer dozer laid out neatly on the ground, and we ourselves were formed up as a section in front of our "Agony Wagon" dressed in full fighting order with gas masks slung.

As the Brigade Commander made his way from section to section and sapper to sapper, he would ask each soldier to present him with a random piece of their personal kit (bayonet, rifle, KFS etc) for him to personally inspect for cleanliness. When he got to me, he (worth noting that "he" was none other than Rick Hillier) asked me to present him my gas mask. Not wanting to disappoint, I tugged open my gas mask carrier as though nerve gas was detected, reached in and pulled out my gas mask with authority and held it out to the Brigade Commander (Rick). Concurrent to my well executed gas mask drill, my congealed grease covered melmac plate came flying out of my gas mask carrier, bounced a few times on the tarmac and then proceeded to that thing like most disc-like objects do when dropped, where it went around and around and around for what seemed like an eternity before finally coming to a stop at the feet of my RSM....... I'm still scarred from the punishment I received for that one!

To answer the age old question; it fit neatly into your Gas Mask Carrier

[Jon Skagfeld]

I have a set of four plates, bowls and cups in yellow Melamine.

Whenever an ol' military buddy visits and stays for dinner, I set his place with the above as well as KFS.

Always good for a laugh and a bit of reminiscing.

And yes, Scott, they fit perfectly into the gas mask carrier!

[Hans Mulder]

There was a thin OD green bag, about 12" square, with a shoulder strap, for carrying the dishes.

[Scott Bentley]

Originally Posted by Hans Mulder

There was a thin OD green bag, about 12" square, with a shoulder strap, for carrying the dishes.

REMFs.....

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Scott Bentley

REMFs.....

Hey, I had (still have) the plate bags. They were locally made by the mat techs.

I was not always a REMF, and I suppose I could have just eaten my meals like a combat engineer with no hands......

[Scott Bentley]

Originally Posted by rob love

Hey, I had (still have) the plate bags. They were locally made by the mat techs.

I was not always a REMF, and I suppose I could have just eaten my meals like a combat engineer with no hands......

There have always been those little icons that we hone in on Rob. The plate bags of Velika Kladusa were eventually replaced by the little LED lapel lights at the Kandahar Airfield

Lets face it, combat arms guys always need to find something to try and feel superior and more hard done by, and sadly its usually cultivated by Sergeant Majors.

I never had a plate bag, but if i'm being honest, I always admired the utility

[Wayne Hingley]

Throughout the 90's I always had a "yellow-ish" melmac plate and cup (I don't remember ever having a bowl). We also had the stainless canteen cup, that was the most useful piece of kit when truly in the field and eating mre's. The melmac stuff was mainly used when "hot" meals were coming out from the base in hay boxes. At some point in the early 90's we got the little stove (metal piece) that fit on the bottom of the canteen cup and could boil water with the solid fuel tablets.

I have never seen the blue stuff that is mentioned above in military service.

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Stuart Fedak

As far as the post melamine period, what was used? The Coleman/Woods blue metal plates, bowls and mugs?

With the introduction of the MRE in the system, what happened to the mess kit use? Sounds like all you needed was a KFS.

Cheers!
Stuart

The new ones were not blue...just plain old stainless.

One of the issues with the melamine was that it got a lot of minute scratches on it, and had the potential to retain micro-organisms within those scratches if not properly cleaned and sanitized with bleach.