British can color?

Manufacturers, production numbers, configurations, etc.
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Paul Smith
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British can color?

Post by Paul Smith » Sat Mar 04, 2017 6:20 am

I found a Brit can dated 1945 marked BMB and it is painted a very dark OD/green color. Is this the proper color for the ETO in WWII? It appears to have been repainted and I was wondering if that was a modern color. Thanks


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Silly's MB
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Re: British can color?

Post by Silly's MB » Mon Mar 06, 2017 2:45 am

I think it may be a postwar re-paint.

Most made were Tan or brown but a 1945 dated one may be an Olive Drab as the British had adopted the colour by then.
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Re: British can color?

Post by Paul Smith » Mon Mar 06, 2017 4:54 am

Thanks. Was that similar to the US late war ANA 613? This is a bit darker than that.

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Re: British can color?

Post by Silly's MB » Tue Mar 07, 2017 2:00 pm

Can you post a picture ? pop one in an email to me if you can't do it online.
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Empty vessels make the most noise .......

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Re: British can color?

Post by Paul Smith » Tue Mar 07, 2017 5:55 pm

Been cloudy last couple of days. I'll see if the light is good enough for a shot.

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Re: British can color?

Post by Silly's MB » Wed Mar 08, 2017 12:52 pm

Paul now has 2 British Jerrycans 1945 seen on the left and a 1943 seen on the right. The 1943 can has been used by the Swiss and has a modern sleeve fitted close to the spout for its Fuel Identity card. Both have been re-painted.
Too me, the 1945 is too dark and should be more of the colour of the 1943 can on the right for late war. The 1943 would of originally been painted service Brown or tan.
Paul Smith Jerrycans.jpg
Paul Smith Jerrycans.jpg (182.49 KiB) Viewed 2060 times
Paul smith Jerrycans b.jpg
Paul smith Jerrycans b.jpg (152.29 KiB) Viewed 2060 times
The 1945 can seems to have its original octane can for Grade 150 Aviation Fuel which is a nice touch . Is that 150 Octane ? It seems very high ? The marking regulations only seem to show Grade 130.
Paul smith Octane Tag.jpg
Paul smith Octane Tag.jpg (89.05 KiB) Viewed 2060 times
viewtopic.php?f=37&t=240344#p1407428

Anybody else have any thoughts ?
Last edited by Silly's MB on Wed Mar 08, 2017 1:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Empty vessels make the most noise .......

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Re: British can color?

Post by Silly's MB » Wed Mar 08, 2017 12:56 pm

Here is a Picture of his Piper L-4. Looks a great showpiece !
Rob&Jess1 copy.jpg
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Complete MVMTS 100% sourced in the ETO

Empty vessels make the most noise .......

Paul Smith
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Re: British can color?

Post by Paul Smith » Wed Mar 08, 2017 4:01 pm

Regarding octane rating for aviation gasoline, it is my understanding that there were two major types. 73 octane for smaller, low compression engines and radials and 100/150 developed specifically for the high compression engines such as the Merlin and the Allison. Mogas was 80 octane, and not to be confused with the post war 80/87 octane avgas. The Liaison and artillery aircraft could fly with 80 octane truck gas, but the higher octane content robbed them of power. The Continental engines lost about 10 - 15% of their output with truck gas. After the Bulge in early 1945, there was a severe shortage of 73 octane fuel and 30 weight non detergent oil. They were doing top overhauls at about 125 hours and valve jobs every 50 hours in the field. There was a sharp increase in the number of takeoff accidents from the lower power.

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Re: British can color?

Post by REG » Sat May 20, 2017 7:26 am

Hi, guys. I have quite a few British cans and you'll commonly see 1942 and 19433 cans in a yellow colour, brighter than but close to the desert tan shade.

The later war 1944/45 cans are mostly a dark green. Green dies were in very short supply until later in the war.

If you take the octane tag off you'll get a very good view of the original can colour and the octane tag colour which will be purple.
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Re: British can color?

Post by Paul Smith » Sat May 20, 2017 3:37 pm

Brilliant Reg,

That's just what I needed.

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Re: British can color?

Post by Paul Smith » Sat May 20, 2017 3:42 pm

Thanks again- Do you happen to know if the 1943 cans that were later used in Europe were repainted green or were they left tan? I've also seen winter pictures of cans that seemed to be painted white.

Any source of tags? I have two with no tags at all.

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Re: British can color?

Post by REG » Sat May 27, 2017 3:42 am

Not all had tags on but someone is selling the 80 octane tags as repros.

Here's an indication in this thread on yellow cans

viewtopic.php?f=37&t=228675

Another: (warning there are graphic images of jerrycans being badly handled!!)

viewtopic.php?f=37&t=229975

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British can color?

Post by Chance » Sun Sep 03, 2017 5:24 pm

About 10 years ago I bought five surplus British jerry cans all dated 44 and 45. The interesting thing to me was the fact that the cans at the time had just been released from the British Army! Further to that they had all been recently refurbished by (or via) the British Army to like new condition. Less the dents of course. Amazing the care of equipment they had taken.

They were all very dark green. So this thread in particular is of great interest.

Does anyone have a close approximation of the paint color that would have been used during those years?


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Re: British can color?

Post by Chance » Fri Sep 08, 2017 1:55 pm

ImageImageImage

I guess I had a '43 in there too.


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1943 - January | Willys MB "Skimpy" | Frame No. #203301
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