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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Drinking Water tasting like Petrol!


findabetterole

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Anyone know what a British WW1 bulk Water-Can looked Like? What was marked on them... "Water" ?

Seph

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There has always been a problem with the abbreviation 'P' which means potable or drinkable. I wonder how much confusion that would have caused?

Mick

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Think I remember reading just a painted white W but not sure.

Thank's 'Wardog'. I watched the film 'Gallipoli' last night, as I know there are quite a few shots of the standard large portable water containers. Would you believe it.. just a few minutes before the end of the film, as 'Mel Gibsons' charactor is acting as runner, and comes up to the downhill death run in readiness to obtain confirmation before the final Aussie charge at the Turk's trenches.... there it is..... a large black 'W', hand painted upon the side of a white coloured water container.

What would those large squared contaners have held... 5.gallon?

Seph

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Look to be 2 gallon.

Yes.. that I fully understand. These were around from approx 1906 till well into the 1960's. Its the larger.. more squared items as in the Gallipoli film I'm refering to. They certainly do not appear to be the smaller x2.gallon examples.

Seph

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Ahh..I did wonder. The 2 gallon cans, one in each hand is probably all that could be carried by a man as part of a ration party.Though I think there have been posts on methods used of carrying items on the back. As you know a full container like the WWII 'Jerry' petrol can is hard to carry for much of a distance. I don't know of a container which might be used of a size inbetween a water cart/ bowser, and the 2 gallon can. Can anyone else help out on this?

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I think you've just hit the nail-on-the-head with your last post 'Wardog'. That WW2 tankie certainly seems to be useing a type very similar to the ones shown in the film Gallipoli. I wonder how many of those type of cans have survived into this modrn age?

That link you've posted.... my sytsem keeps informing me that it's only a 'Fun-site', and I do not have access to it as there are problems with it's softwear!!! *Restricted Access for "FunWebProduct" Browsers*

Seph :)

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very informative! one slight quible though, the 'cross like indentations' are not for expansion, they are for stiffening the metal, wide expanses of sheet metal are very wobbly and 'flimsie' a rolled indetation imparts stupendous rigidity. in this case I would suspect they were stamped halves with the stuffening pattern built into the pressing dies and mould, rather than 'rolled' technically.

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