US Forces WW2 Tobacco?
- Thread starter Ahi Ka
- Start date
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The package looks correct for the time period but I would doubt the accuracy of the label added by the second-hand, antique or flea market. I have seen many items mislabeled in an effort to justify higher prices or to sell items in those shops.
My other reservation would be the packaging itself. I believe the military issued tobacco in the same C-ration style cartons as they did food, candy, gum, little packs of toilet paper, etc. All the items in the box were packaged in the same color. At least in my limited contact with C-rations in the late 60s and early 70s.
That's an interesting piece of information. But I don't see anything definitive that says that packaging was what soldiers in the field actually received.Here is some interesting information, at least as pertains to brands. The company caters to film/theater/reenactment communities.
Tobacco Archives - WWII Soldier
Today, loose tobacco is typically for smoking pipes. However, it was still used in WW2 for both pipe and cigarettes. By WWII, the convenience of mass-produced cigarettes far outweighed most soldiers’ preference for “roll your owns.” However, cigarette papers were still quite popular and...wwiisoldier.com
Exactly. I think what the antique shop is saying is that it’s a Ww2 tobacco that a US troop might smoke. However they have labeled it a bit optimistically ? as is pretty average at an antique shop ?
I used to heavily collect Ww2 items and the only tobacco “issued” to US troops was in rations and it was cigarettes. Anything else they smoked they bought... no telling what they sold at any particular PX.
I would not. Not only will it taste like shit it’s actually a pretty historical item and could be used in a museum display etc.
I agree, it's cigarettes that were handed out to troops. Although there were plenty of pipe smokers back then, especially on the British side. I'm sure the average solider probably had a reliable source and don't imagine it would have been difficult to get your hands on Bond Street.
Here's that youtube guy that reviews old MRE and C-rations. Chelsea cigarettes appeared in this 1943 C-ration:
Here's that youtube guy that reviews old MRE and C-rations. Chelsea cigarettes appeared in this 1943 C-ration:
I think the C-rations had cigarettes, but I've never heard of pipe tobacco. These were produced by the millions and I don't think were produced with much variety -- no cigars either, I don't think. But tobacco was made readily available at low or no price I think. The tobacco, if smokeable at all, is guaranteed to be depleted in cardboard packaging. Just a historical artifact. My dad smoked his pipe throughout the war while training for, and serving as a minesweeper skipper in the Pacific. When I later served as a regular old enlisted radioman on a minesweeper off Vietnam, I joked we had a minesweeper dynasty.
Agreed. And, the only places that had post exchanges were well behind the front lines. The National WWII Museum in New Orleans is about 32 miles from my house and I have a couple of friends who work there. I'll have to see if I can find a connection to one of the historians and ask some questions.
Love the history bit of this. I often stream old video of WWII seeing many of the GIs toking on a pipe. Many of these images are with their faces covered in dirt, grime, & blood occasionally. I think owning that package would be cool as long as I didn’t have to pay too much for it. 
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️SteveMRE1989! That's the guy! He's a trip. I love when he starts gagging LOL. Last time I watched him he opened up C-Ration from 1967 Vietnam War issued. He ate the crackers and the candy. He also smoked the cigarettes that came with it.
