Original Item: Only One Available. This is a wonderful example of a named M1910 “Meat Tin” mess kit. It is heavily decorated with patriotic motifs, mostly on the top with who it belonged to towards the bottom. The writing states that he was with Company I, 160th Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division, making this a wonderful research opportunity.

When the division arrived in France in August 1918, the Imperial German Army had just completed a series of offensives that started on 21 March and ended on 15 July 1918. It was decided that the new divisions would be used as depot divisions, supplying fresh troops to the more experienced combat divisions. By the time the war was over in November 1918, due to the Armistice with Germany, the 40th Division had provided over 27,000 replacements to the 26th, 28th, 32nd, 77th, 80th, 81st, 82nd, and 89th Divisions. Thus the division as a whole did not serve in combat, but many division personnel fought, notably Captain Nelson Miles Holderman, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Meuse–Argonne offensive while serving with the Lost Battalion of the 77th Division. The division returned to the United States on 30 June 1919 where it was deactivated.

Trench art is any decorative item made by soldiers, prisoners of war, or civilians where the manufacture is directly linked to armed conflict or its consequences. It offers an insight not only to their feelings and emotions about the war, but also their surroundings and the materials they had available to them.

Not limited to the World Wars, the history of trench art spans conflicts from the Napoleonic Wars to the present day. Although the practice flourished during World War I, the term 'trench art' is also used to describe souvenirs manufactured by service personnel during World War II. Some items manufactured by soldiers, prisoners of war or civilians during earlier conflicts have been retrospectively described as trench art.

The 1909 Infantry Board recommended a new “meat can” mess kit that became standard issue in 1910. The 1910 mess kit was similar to previous models but larger, 8 ½” long by 6 ¾” wide by approximately 1 ½” deep and was made of aluminum. Like the earlier covers, which doubled as a plate, it fit into the top of the “frying pan” portion and was secured by a folding galvanized iron handle.

Early in 1918 the American Expeditionary Force reported that the 1910 pattern top plate was too shallow and recommended a deeper configuration. A new mess kit with a lid one half inch deeper, and an appropriately corresponding folding handle quickly went into production as the model 1918.

Prior to 1918, the M1910 meat can was manufactured exclusively by Rock Island Arsenal. Known manufacturers for the M1910 and M1918 meat cans during WWI included: Aluminum Company of America, Landers, Frary & Clark, The J.W. Brown Manufacturing Co.. Wheeling Stamping Co, Edmund & Jones Co and Rock Island Arsenal. This example is stamped on the folding handle with R.I.A. / 1918.

A welcomed addition into any trench art collection! Comes more than ready for further research and display.