Spare parts tins come in many shapes and sizes and actually tracking down what they are used for, beyond the most obvious and common types, can often prove a frustrating task as little information available. Today we are looking at a small spare parts tin from the Second World War and I must preface this post by saying I have no idea what weapon, vehicle or equipment it accompanied originally. If you do know what it should go with, then please comment below as I would be very interested in knowing.

Having said that, the spare parts tine is made of steel that has been painted green. The lid is hinged and it measures about four inches long:

The lid is secured by a small slightly sprung clip that prevents it from falling open and dropping all the contents out over the floor:

On the top a brass ring is provided, perhaps because it was originally housed inside a larger wooden crate and this was a way of drawing it out from its compartment easily:

The top of the tin is extensively marked and has an acceptance mark in the form of a ‘C’ over a /|\ mark. I am unsure if this is Canadian, which normally has the arrow within the C, or just an inspector’s mark. The tin is also dated January 1941 and has the manufacturer’s initials ‘HB&S’:

I believe these are the initials of Huntley, Boorne and Stevens who had been founded in Reading in 1846 and in civilian life made biscuit tins for their parent company Huntley and Palmers. This would lend credence to the idea that the mark is an inspector’s code rather than a Canadian acceptance mark. The box is nicely made and still very solid after eighty years, ideal for storing spare parts securely until needed with no damage in transit.