US Navy Mess Hall Side Plate TEPCO USA China 1940-1960

U.S. Navy mess hall side plate or dessert plate, identifiable by the blue anchor insignia at the top. 

The mark “TEPCO USA CHINA” refers to the Technical Porcelain & China Ware Company (TEPCO), which operated out of El Cerrito, California from the 1930s through the 1960s.

7.25" diameter

About TEPCO:

• Founded during the Depression, TEPCO specialized in durable vitrified china for restaurants, hotels, railroads, and the U.S. military.

• They were one of the largest suppliers of mess hall and wardroom china to the U.S. Navy during World War II and into the early Cold War.

• Their heavy-duty pieces were designed to withstand hard use at sea.

Key Details:

• Anchor Marking: The blue anchor was the Navy’s official insignia for general enlisted dining ware.

• Design: White ceramic with a blue double-line border and a smaller form factor than the dinner plate you showed earlier. This size was typically used for salads, bread, or desserts.

• Durability: Heavy-duty ceramic made for shipboard use, designed to withstand the rough conditions at sea.

Context:

• These plates were standard issue across Navy vessels, especially during World War II through the Cold War.

• Part of the Navy “anchor china” set, which included dinner plates, bowls, cups, and saucers, all marked with the anchor.

• Officer tableware generally bore crests or gold trim, while enlisted ware like this used the simple anchor symbol.