Army dish washing

In the coming weeks I will be posting additional photographs of Robert Mast's World War II era field kitchen. Robert is a reenactor from Tionesta, Penn. His group of reenactors represents Easy Company, 393rd Infantry. As one of three infantry regiments in the 99th Infantry Division, the unit crossed the Rhine River into the heart of Germany on March 11, 1945 at the Remagen Bridge.

The reenactors use the gasoline fueled immersion heater to clean and sanitize field mess equipment in the field. After each soldier finishes his meal, he dips his personal mess kit and canteen cup into the series of wash cans (32-gallon GI garbage can). After scraping leftover food into the garbage can (at the far end of the line), he washes his gear in the first two cans (pre-wash and wash cans). The third can is used to rinse the gear. A bleach solution in the last sanitizes the gear.