The F.R.E.D otherwise known as the “F*cking Ridiculous Eating Device” was introduced in 1943 as part of Sir Stanton Hicks' "Operation Ration Type O2," Australia's first military rations that lasted 24 full hours. This F.R.E.D. matches the second iteration of the combination can opener and spoon popularised during the Vietnam War, and belonged to the uncle of Ian Taylor. Ian remembers his uncle telling him about using F.R.E.D. during WWII, primarily to open baked beans. It is claimed in some military histories that, after the F.R.E.D.’s introduction in 1943, Australian soldiers developed a ‘strange attachment’ to the F.R.E.D., keeping the utensils far after their service was up and, in this case, passing them on to future generations as bean openers. It can be used for camping holidays too.A small metal Field Rations Eating Device (F.R.E.D.) with two sides, one side has a shallow spoon and the other a bottle and can opener, with two raised vertical lines on the back. On the end is a circular hole to attach the tool to a pocket knife. It can be used for camping holidays too.'China'military equipment, cutlery, rations, military rations, spoons, wwii, bottle openers, pocket knives