1811 Mar. 387 Each officer, upon being appointed, should pay..an half-yearly subscription (somewhat similar to a mess fund).
1831 Sept. 395/1 A sense of guilt, as also..fears respecting the embezzlement of the Mess Funds caused his confession.
1970 V. Canning xii. 216 Ex-pilot officer Robinson, cashiered for fiddling the mess funds.
2001 J. D. Wright 190/2 They often collected a mess fund to supplement rations.