Mk 2 Carrier water can

[Ed Storey]

The colour of water cans has nothing to do with camouflage, it has to do with being able to distinguish water cans from petrol cans. These colours were specified by the War Office at a time when the British Empire and Commonwealth troops based their training and doctrine on those of the British. I can see grey as a more practical colour then white for camouflage purposes which may have been the reason for the colour change in 1943.

Locally produced, how, by a team a navvies stamping them out of tinplate? Canadian and UK 2 Gallon cans were produced in the thousands, to a pattern established by the British, so locally produced is kind of a misnomer. GSW was the manufacturer of Canadian cans, a well established firm that specialized in many types of metal products. I will admit that I have never seen an Aus, NZ or Indian manufactured can so I have no knowledge of those cans although I am speculating that they were also mass produced to UK specifications.

Great photo of the green can; what was the date and manufacturer and more importantly has the can been repainted?

As for Jerry Cans, the US produced two distinct types, one for fuel and the other for water, confusing the two would be difficult as the water can has a huge spout.

German fuel and water cans were similar in construction although the water cans are embossed with 'Wasser' and it was common to paint the stamped reinforcing ribs white.

British cans were copied from the Germans, and I cannot say with any certainty if those used for water were embossed as such although again painting the reinforcing ribs white was a common practice to distinguish water from petrol.