Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 10:
Description
SCARCE WWII K-Ration Supper Morale Series, Sealed Wax Carton, Hiram Walker & Sons. U.S. WWII Field Ration K, Supper Unit – unopened late-war ‘Morale Series’ outer sleeve with intact wax-sealed inner carton, packaged by Hiram Walker & Sons, Inc., Peoria 1, Illinois. This lot preserves a complete, factory-sealed Supper unit from the U.S. Army’s Type K individual field ration, still nested in its scarce late-war graphic outer carton with the original waxed inner box unopened within. No individual soldier or unit history attaches to this lot; its interest lies entirely in its survival as an intact, unconsumed example of a wartime ration type that was overwhelmingly issued and discarded rather than preserved. The K-Ration was developed in the early 1940s at the direction of physiologist Dr. Ancel Keys for the War Department, conceived as a compact, calorie-dense daily field ration for paratroopers, armored crews, and other forward troops who could not rely on organized mess facilities. Each day’s issue was split into Breakfast, Dinner, and Supper units, individually boxed for ease of carriage and distribution. In late 1944 the Quartermaster Corps replaced earlier plain packaging with bold two-tone graphic cartons – the so-called ‘Morale Series’ – using stylized stars, banners, and bold lettered codes so that troops could identify meal type quickly, including in poor light. The printed instructions on this carton, directing the soldier to eat the meat cold or heat it by boiling the can or frying it in its own fat with biscuit crumbs, and to conceal empty cans and wrappers for security, speak directly to the realities of forward-area consumption during active operations. The outer sleeve is printed in forest-green and tan with paired white stars, a circled star roundel, and bold
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