ammo box ID needed

[Clive_Dakers]

Richard, the box you are thinking of is the H. 50 and the H. 51. The H. 50 is the metal outer box as you describe and the H. 51 is the wooden inner box. They were both introduced at the end of WWII as the "Jungle Pack". I am desperately trying to find out if they were used by troops in Europe as most people seem to think. I have lists that "suggest" they they weren't in use in Europe. If anyone can supply an In Service date I would be most grateful. It is entirely possible that the two boxes were introduced at different times for different purposes. The H. 50 is still in use today.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Clive_Dakers

Richard, the box you are thinking of is the H. 50 and the H. 51. The H. 50 is the metal outer box as you describe and the H. 51 is the wooden inner box. They were both introduced at the end of WWII as the "Jungle Pack". I am desperately trying to find out if they were used by troops in Europe as most people seem to think. I have lists that "suggest" they they weren't in use in Europe. If anyone can supply an In Service date I would be most grateful. It is entirely possible that the two boxes were introduced at different times for different purposes. The H. 50 is still in use today.

Thank you Clive,

The attachments were very informative. I have a H.50 box which has been used a toolbox for the last 40 years, not accessable at present, to check dates on it, but I can see the pressings on it are not the same as in Hanno's photo. I still think that one box in the photo is marked up for 7.62 tracers, maybe they utilised these boxes after the demise of 25pdr.

As for jungle issue only I can safely say that H50/H51 combinations containing .303", were in use in Britain and although I came across some bandoliers in "jungle green", the common colour was Khaki. the metal inners made good storage bins and my father and myself used a lot of them.

[Clive_Dakers]

I don't think the H. 50/H. 51 combo was only used in jungles, but I presume the original purpose was and like a lot of British army stuff it was found to be useful in service and expanded to meet other needs. I have another box, a G.114 which looks like a grown up version of the H. 51 but I think was used for grenades. I assumue it was part of the "Jungle Pack" but I will have to look into it more.

[Rob van Meel]

Indeed the number pressed into the lid, e.g. P59 identifies the box.
P59 was used for 25-pr. Q.F. gun: H.E, Chem. and Smoke. With different markings indicating the various contents of 4 'rounds' 25-pr.
But the same box was also used for No. 68 grenade (17 grenades in the box) or 24 Bombs, hand incendiary 1 1/4 lb.

For more information on ammo boxes see the RAOC Statistiocs 1943 Pamphlet No. 2: Weights and measurements of explosives.

Rob

PS I do thios pamphlet, and many others, as a reprint: see www.robvanmeel.nl