For sale four "flimsies" 2 Gal Petrol cans 1943

[Godwin Hampton]

The real 'flimsy' as seen in Hanno's photo, was sealed at the factory with the petrol inside, much like a tin of canned fruit. No screw cap was provided, and to get at the contents two holes would be punched at diagonally opposite corners of the top. After emptying the cans were either flattened for return as scrap or used for 1001 uses.....

In Malta they were filled with earth and used to build protective pens for the aircraft on the airfields. Other uses were as basins, cookers, ovens, showers etc. They were popular for these 'do-it-yourself' projects as the gauge of sheet metal used was really thin making it easy to cut to shape with an army clasp knife or a sturdy pair of scissors.

I doubt if they could be manufactured by 'Egyptian blacksmiths' as some claim, as the filling with petrol and the subsequent rolling of the edge over the top would have to be done by specialized machinery to avoid spillage and fire hazards.

The wooden crate not only protected the two cans but also made them more manageable as a shoulder load for port workers and other handlers.