Lid to close tanc, what origin of purpose?

[marc coene]

Hello,

I found the lid or closing device on our Farm in Flanders mud . It is like a closing cap for a tanc but it gives possibility for aeration to for instance the tanc it

• It is made of cupper but like painted in black colour.
  
• About the whole war our farm was occupied by British soldiers.
  
• There is marked: 1915, Burdon & son, Birmingham
  
• It is about 5 cm in diameter.On the underside there is no thread but it looks like it has to be pushed on the tanc. It is made that way that when pushed on a tanc or drum there can still enter air in it, but for instance in rain there could not direct enter water or liquid. It all looks like it has been a cap for tanc of a combustion motor?
  
• Somebody knows what this might really have served for? In each case war origin. Very curious as that time there were no much motors or engines with tancs certainly not ont the front, i guess
  

Kind regards,

Marc

Ypres

[marc coene]

Hello,

I found the lid or closing device on our Farm in Flanders mud . It is like a closing cap for a tanc but it gives possibility for aeration to for instance the tanc it

• It is made of cupper but like painted in black colour.
  
• About the whole war our farm was occupied by British soldiers.
  
• There is marked: 1915, Burdon & son, Birmingham
  
• It is about 5 cm in diameter.On the underside there is no thread but it looks like it has to be pushed on the tanc. It is made that way that when pushed on a tanc or drum there can still enter air in it, but for instance in rain there could not direct enter water or liquid. It all looks like it has been a cap for tanc of a combustion motor?
  
• Somebody knows what this might really have served for? In each case war origin. Very curious as that time there were no much motors or engines with tancs certainly not ont the front, i guess
  

Kind regards,

Marc

Ypres

Hello, I found a solution for the question above. It is the upper lid of the trench lamp.

I added a photo.

Somebody has an idea of the function of the vertical sleeve opening in the lid to shut off the light?

Was or could the lamp be used for signalling or was it only for lightning. Was it working on petrol refer the British petrol cans we have a lot in the region?

Thanks, kind regards, Marc

[RobL]

Fascinating, I did wonder when I saw this thread what it could be. For the narrow slit, I presume it's for when close to the front line or possibly during a black out, so make it less visible but still able to used, like the headlight covers fitted to British cars in WW2

[GRANVILLE]

Certainly well spotted coemar! From its size, I wondered if the lamp was used on the railways as it looks very similar to some types of 'headlamps' as used on locomotives. It's clearly designed to stand on a flat surface, but also the handle is desgined to socket onto a lug in order for it to be kep in place. The cover with slit is almost certainly a black-out cover preventing most light from being exposed, but creating a narrow slit of light which can still be seen - its more to do with recognition rather than illuminating the way ahead.

Dave

[centurion]

Very similar lamps were used on the railways - not on locomotives but for signalling/safety purposes when men were working on the railway tracks. They often had a fitting where the slit cover is on the one shown above so that red or green glass could be fitted.