We’ve given this Thermos flask and carrier a rather grand title though it is true to its name. Royal Marine Commandos were deployed to Northern Norway during the winter months of the 1970s/80s, ostensibly to counter the threat posed by Russia during the Cold War. Norway had the only common border with the USSR back then, there were buffer states everywhere else. The detail of it all would probably require a degree in Cold War politics, suffice it to say that the Marines went out year on year to train in arctic warfare, should the need arise.

The Marines were issued with large amounts of equipment to operate in the Arctic, flasks and their carriers were part of it, and we have excellent examples here in the collection. The Thermos is pretty standard, but the carrier was specially designed for more insulation and protection from damage. It’s impractical to stop and make warm drinks during the daytime in the Arctic, so a flask full of hot liquid was essential.

We have a similar flask and carrier elsewhere in the collection – check it out.