Great Britain NAAFI tobacco tin

[Jock Auld]

Guys,

Not much about today but this tickled me as it still has some fag papers and a bit of tobacco in the bottom.

Jock

[Tony]

When do these tins date from?

[Jock Auld]

Tony,

Tthere are no dates on them but certainley from the war time to the 50s I would have thought? I beleive cigarettes were issued in rations and could also be purchased at the NAAFI? I don't know when it stopped being an issued item or when tins turned to card boxes?

Jock

[Jim Maclean]

I had to have a bit of a chuckle at the first post as rolling tobacco in the R.N. was known as "Tickler".

It wasn't purchased through the NAAFI but from "slops", the clothing store and was only available in shore bases. It was the hand rolling version of Blue Liner tailor mades. Certainly available in these tins in 1969-70 when I joined and I think went to 2oz conventional tins in the mid 70s.

Seagoing ships had brand name cigs and baccy. In shore bases you were issued three red stamps per month each entitling you to 100 cigarettes or 4ozs of baccy. Seagoing ships got six blue stamps per month.

In 1969 300 cigarettes cost the princely sum of 8 shillings.

[Jock Auld]

Well the prices have certianly changed for sure. I am surprised the cans were used right up to the 70's, it's a shame they aren't dated. The tax free entitlement now is 800 a month or 1kg of tobacco but I don't know if that is the same in the Navy?

They have the NAAFI cantine service on board now, at least until they close in a couple of years.

Jock

[Mervyn Mitton]

Thee rest of the World is trying to ban smoking but the Forces get 800 cigs a month or 1kg of tobacco. That's 24 a day !

[Jock Auld]

Mervyn,

They do have to buy them and they do not get anything like that in the rations so you still have to buy them on operations. It is still not a cheap option in the NAAFI, I think a 200 carton is around €38.

Jock