2 Gal Petrol Can

Bill Alexander · #1 02-03-03, 20:23

Recently picked up a 2 gal petrol can with some interesting stamping on the top. Does anyone know details about these? Is an early can harder to find?

chris vickery · #2 02-03-03, 20:48

Bill, you've got the classic petrol, oil or water container for cmp vehicles. I see that yours is marked flammable spirits. I have several different ones in my collection. All mine carry C broad arrow marks on top as well as a date, my earliest is a 1942. GSW is stamped on the bottom of all of mine. There are also English made examples out there. One of the rarest to find are the 1 gallon size container.

Denis · #3 03-03-03, 00:00

Bill,

Here is a website that you may find interesting. Notice the author mentions the 2 gal. can but doesn't show a photograph. Perhaps you would consider sharing your execellent photo with that webpage. From the home page click on the "J" for jerry can!

http://www.jed.simonides.org/misc/je...jerrycans.html

I think I saw a report on jerry cans in Army Motor mag. not long ago but the author didn't mention the 2 gal. rectangular can.

Denis

Bob Moseley (RIP) · #4 03-03-03, 10:36

Hi Guys

I located this site a while age and it must contain almost every 2 gallon can (flimsie) known to mankind.

http://freespace.virgin.net/mike.tanner/cans_on.htm

Bob

Michael Reintjes · #5 04-03-03, 00:36

Hi Bill....I Have a couple of these...one very much like yours with "PETROL" painted on the sides and another with the sides painted red and covered in Russian writing?....C broad arrow 1941,but the lettering all in Russian....maybe some kind of lend lease item?..maybe someone else knows...recently found this at an atique store near Sunrays house.....sorry buddy!

Hanno Spoelstra · #6 11-02-04, 10:45

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob Moseley
...2 gallon can (flimsie)...

The 2 gallon can and the flimsy are two different petrol cans. See http://www.jed.simonides.org/misc/je...sy/flimsy.html for more information and pictures.

Below is a picture of two 4 gallon flimsies still in their wooden crate in the Libyan Desert:

Source: http://www.fjexpeditions.com/

Bob Moseley (RIP) · #7 11-02-04, 13:13

Hi Hanno
What happened, took you 12 months to find this thread. Point of interest in OZ the two gallon can is also known as a flimsie, amongst my crowd anyway. Will become a point of discussion with my network of contacts.
Bob

Hanno Spoelstra · #8 11-02-04, 13:36

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob Moseley
What happened, took you 12 months to find this thread. Point of interest in OZ the two gallon can is also known as a flimsie, amongst my crowd anyway. Will become a point of discussion with my network of contacts.

Bob,

Everywhere there is a confusion between 2 gallon cans and flimsies - see the discussions on the CMP mailing list, for example.

So when I finally found a picture of flimsies in a crate (first one I've seen), I thought that was good discussion item to revive this thread with.

Hey, maybe Lang Kidby can pick some up with his 1940 Dodge Staff Car during his trip from Tripoli to Tobruk?

Hanno

#9 11-02-04, 22:29

Quote:

Originally posted by chris vickery
One of the rarest to find are the 1 gallon size container.

Of which one awaits McSpool, when he decides to visit us or come to a Shirrell Heath LRDG supported show that is.

R.

#10 11-02-04, 22:47

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob Moseley
Hi Hanno
Point of interest in OZ the two gallon can is also known as a flimsie, amongst my crowd anyway.

I have noticed this from other lists and it causes a huge amount of confusion. The 2 gall can is certainly not flimsy at all and why ever the name has gotten transferred in the antipodes is perhaps lost in the mists of time now.

Although much ridiculed and hated, the flimsy was a sensible and logical course at the time, we had barely enough 2 gall cans to support the BEF, about 1 million at the time, and they were expected to forage for fuel.

It was obvious the smallish capacity plus work and material in the 2 gall can precluded any attempt to mass produce the thing with the war on as it were, so the flimsy was adopted as a bigger capacity container using the minimum of now scarce material that could be made by any semi-skilled blacksmith and needing no logistics for return; the shortcomings were well known at the outset.

Its well documented in the official history of the RASC.

R.

Jonnie · #11 12-02-04, 03:47

Quote:

Originally posted by chris vickery
Bill, you've got the classic petrol, oil or water container for cmp vehicles. I see that yours is marked flammable spirits. I have several different ones in my collection. All mine carry C broad arrow marks on top as well as a date, my earliest is a 1942. GSW is stamped on the bottom of all of mine. There are also English made examples out there. One of the rarest to find are the 1 gallon size container.

I just got a 1 gal. can at an military flea market this past weekend. It is marked 30 SAE OIL and is canadian '43. It is half filled with gas!

Jonathan

Tony Smith · #12 12-02-04, 09:58

see it at:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...8&category=584

25 pounds and a reserve price, too? Boy, these things must be keenly sought after in the UK!

Richard Farrant · #13 12-02-04, 21:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Tony Smith
25 pounds and a reserve price, too? Boy, these things must be keenly sought after in the UK!

Tony,
Note the date on it, Nov. 1918, I have never come across one that old before.

Richard

Marc Montgomery · #14 14-02-04, 02:19

These were featured in CONVOY MAGAZINE #5

The Canadian 4-gal tin was designed as a re-useable having a filler top exactly like the 1 and 2 gal tins (with the addition of a small air vent cap to facilitate pouring as in modern fuel containers)

Only the 1940 tins have the additional wording of "petroleum spirit" etc.

Cheers
Marc

Convoy Magazine for the enthusiast of Canadian heritage MV's and Canadian military history
http://www.geocities.com/convoymagazine
http://www.geocities.com/lga25ubique

Hanno Spoelstra · #15 18-02-04, 14:38

Quote:

Originally posted by Tony Smith
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...8&category=584
25 pounds and a reserve price, too? Boy, these things must be keenly sought after in the UK!

It sold for �77.00! Apparently to a collector of petrol cans, judging by the buyer's ID "petrol.cans". Like Richard said, being of WW1 vintage, it is a really rare example.

Currently there's another 2 gallon can up for auction: WWII CDN TWO GALLON PETROL TIN "FLIMSY" CMP

#16 27-02-04, 08:46

Quote:

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra
It sold for �77.00! Apparently to a collector of petrol cans, judging by the buyer's ID "petrol.cans". Like Richard said, being of WW1 vintage, it is a really rare example.

Currently there's another 2 gallon can up for auction: WWII CDN TWO GALLON PETROL TIN "FLIMSY" CMP

There are people specifically collecting these cans and indeed a WWI example is a rare thing; this comes from an era when cars were rare things too and often you needed to go to the local chemist for Motor Spirit, actual petrol stations were few and far between.

I'd guess the 30's were probably the heyday of the 2 (Imp) gallon can. Why ever they have become mis-named as "flimsies" is a real puzzle.

R.

Matt · #17 27-02-04, 12:11

The WW1 dated cans were not always for petrol,think of how many were used for the water cooled machine guns.I don't know if the water cans still had the warning on the top though....

Michael Reintjes · #18 23-04-04, 04:23

Here are a couple cans I have,The one on the right is dated 1941 and one to the left is dated 1943,both are C Broad arrow marked.Does anyone read Russian? I assume this must be a lend lease item?

mishka · #19 24-04-04, 03:54

Greetings Michael,

Russian can says:

distilled water
in cold weather do not fill past designated mark.

There must be some marking or indentation or something on the can indicating the fill mark.

Mike Aniol

Richard Farrant · #20 24-04-04, 22:20

Quote:

Originally posted by mishka
Greetings Michael,

Russian can says:

distilled water
in cold weather do not fill past designated mark.

There must be some marking or indentation or something on the can indicating the fill mark.

Mike Aniol

Mike,
I always understood that distilled water should be in glass containers (or plastic nowadays of course), else it would be contaminated. Maybe the Russians were desperate and glass was not a practical option for them when in the battle field.

Richard

Michael Reintjes · #21 26-04-04, 16:52

Hey..Thanks for that information Mike...I,m lost with the Russian language unfortunately.

Cheers,Mike Reintjes

Hanno Spoelstra · #22 20-07-04, 20:56

Up for auction: 1943 Canadian W/I\D Fuel Can "Original from Normandy"

Hanno Spoelstra · #23 09-08-04, 21:53

Quote:

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra
Up for auction: 1943 Canadian W/I\D Fuel Can "Original from Normandy"

Again, up for auction: 1943 Canadian W/I\D Fuel Can

Keith Orpin · #24 11-10-09, 22:08

Guys,
Attached are a couple of pictures of 2 x 2 gallon cans which I have recently purchased. Now, the one marked PETROL dates from 1942 and appears to have No 2 Brown paint on with white lettering (albeit over painted). The other one, from 1943 is in karki with the words OIL stencilled on it in black. As far as I can tell this can is totally original, i.e. not over painted .
My question is : Were the Petrol and Water cans marked/stencilled in white, whilst the oil cans where only stencilled in matt black ?
I await your learned responses

Keith