Heinz WW2 Self-Heating Soup
During the Second World War Heinz and Imperial Chemicals Industries (ICI) collaborated to produce self-heating cans of soup. These cans could provide troops with a convenient and hot meals in the battlefield without the need for a fire.
Soldiers simply need to pierce two holes in the lid and activate the heating mechanism by removed a small cap from the top of the can, revealing a wick that could be ignited with a cigarette, warming the soup within minutes.
The soup was issues to soldiers for the journey to Normandy and for D-Day, at the very end of a video of the 3rd Division on their D-Day invasion craft a soldier can be seen igniting a cocoa milk variant.
"INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE SHAKE CAN. PIERCE TWO HOLES IN LID ABOVE ARROWS LEVER OFF CENTRE CAP. LIGHT WICK. WAIT 5 MINUTES CONTENTS THEN HOT ALWAYS PIERCE CAN BEFORE LIGHTING WICK"
Unfortunately forgetting to pierce the top of the can they had a tendency to explode spraying hot soup over anyone in range giving it the nickname "self propelled soup!". There are multiple accounts of this on the BBC WW2 Peoples war site.
Raymond Eaglen who served with the 84th (Sussex) Medium Regt R.A. arriving in Normandy on D-Day +1 said:
"One lighted a touch paper in the top of the can and after a while a hot can of soup was produced, at least that was the theory. From time to time unfortunately, we had cans which exploded, showering hot soup on anyone within range."
Raymond Eaglen, WW2 People's War
The cans proved to be popular with soldiers, providing them a hot meal and was quite delicious.
"Mr Welsh also said that his favourite out the rations were a soup that they called "self propelled soup!" These soups were made by Heinz and they had a tube down the middle that you lit and you also put some holes in the top. After a few minutes the soup would start to come out the top and Mr Welsh said these were delicious but the only problem was he didn't have many of them, he can only remember having one!"
The use of the self-heating soup and cocoa cans is also referenced in some war diaries, including the 65th Norfolk Yeomanry Regiment June 1944 war diary which mentions the issuing of them on the 4th of June while onboard the Liberty Ship SS IGNATIUS DONELLY awaiting departure for Normandy.
"The men had a hot meal and a brew of tea during the evening. Rations on board are the "Compo" type, and it has been decided to make and individual issue of the tins of self-heating soup and cocoa, cigarettes and chocolate, while the remainder of the rations go to the cooks for preparation."