Thanks Laarbruch, just confirmed what I thought, Fareastdriver, those tins of cheese (processed I think), they where good to eat as well, but the best had to be the tinned sausages. Sometimes served in the mess as well, you could always tell, only triangular sausages I have ever seen.
Basil, no such thing as use by dates then, Most of the old compo rations came from the WW2 to the late 50's, didn't liike the jam rolly poly..