Captain A C Girdwood’s emergency rations from the Boer War (1899-1902). Inside are two tins, one of concentrated beef and the other containing cocoa paste. The rations were issued to all the troops for authorised use in emergency only. Girdwood carried his throughout his service in South Africa. Once opened the contents,with some hard biscuits, were designed to sustain a soldier for 36 hours. The concentrated beef was boiled up with water to make a beef soup, and the cocoa made nourishing hot drinks.