ammo box ID needed

[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.