Grenade Can odd colour
 

I found this 1943 dated Hand Grenade Ammo Can in our shelving units at work along with another 25pdr can this week. What struck me about the Grenade can is the sticker and colours are still very clear.
My curiosity is the colour of the can. A bright green! It's obviously original as it had a 1944 inspection sticker for the hand grenades still attached to the top inside of the lid(it's since been destroyed by rain on the way home).
Has anyone got an idea of what colour this is?
The red stenciling on the front is about the only marking that isn't original I believe.
I am also looking for a replacement latch if anyone has one or can point me in a direction.

Sean

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psb952f144.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps27963c00.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps664e7440.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psbf4b850a.jpg

I have one the same colour, and it is also for smoke grenades.

Dean

I have one for 2" mortar smoke, also the same colour. The green denotes smoke though it is a different green than the smoke bombs themselves.

The No 77 grenade was instantaneous smoke being WP filled. All of the smoke grenade bodies (No 77, No 79, No 80, No 81 and No 83) where painted green. So the metal transit containers were green also to readily identify the contents as being smoke related. You'll see this with mortar bomb bodies and containers if smoke pattern as well.

Your box there isn't all that common today. No 36 "Mills Bomb" grenade wooden crates are far more available so don't let someone talk you out of it too cheaply.

Here's a 25pdr example, much brighter green than the standard containers.