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Army Air force High Altitude Heated Canteen Cover?


abranger
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Hello Again,

 

I thought this item might be of interest to many of the forum members. As I have been collecting mostly WWll military items for many years, I have yet to come across a AAF marked heated canteen.

 

I bought the canteen, and pretty much set it aside until I had a chance to give it a good look. When I originally saw it at an garage sale, I initially noticed it had a upside down AAF emblem on the front cover and some sort of odd internal lines within the fabric.

 

When I finally got a chance to give it a closer inspection. I removed the canteen and found a 2 button type electrical attachment inside with internal fabric wiring attached. Geez, never seen anything like this before. It became apparent this was to keep liquid warm at high altitude (coffee?). Upon further inspection, the brilliant Airman who had a need and solved it, left the manufacturers label inside. mystery solved...

 

My question to forum members is, were these fabricated theater made heated canteen covers fairly common, has anyone seen one before???

 

Again thanks in advance,

 

Davepost-172455-0-62494800-1508783885_thumb.jpgpost-172455-0-84397300-1508784199_thumb.jpg

 

 

( The label inside says Shoe-Insert; Flying, Electric )

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This is a first...and not sure it would work as a heater ... I am thinking the material would have been cut from a pattern, cutting the wires inside...or maybe they were able to sew the material without cutting the internal heating element...

 

still a cool piece...no pun intended

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All I can say is it looks as though they took great care in leaving the internal wiring intact. It would be kind of interesting find an electrician to give it a bit of a test to see if there is electrical continuity. However, very, very carefully...

 

Dave

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take a standard voltmeter, set it Ohms, and put red lead on one snap, the black lead on the second snap, and see if it reads any resistance...if reads "0" then the wires are cut or broken

 

would be way cool if it worked as a heater...it makes sense,,to have a heated canteen at 27,000 ft

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Thinking a surplus store conversion for an item not really sale able.Take a heated booties and resew into a cover.

 

Couble years ago saw several cases of these shoe inserts for sale.

 

If it were made to be plugged in a heated wouldnt the electrical connection be on the outside of the case?

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I lean toward the rigger idea....I once owned an AAF canteen cover made from the fabric of one of their WWII ballistic flak vests. Cant imagine canteen covers were so scarce as to require that, but it has the M2 vest label inside with the cream colored corduroy lining and was extremely well made. I have no idea why a collector would have done that either, so my sense is it was done during the period. Just my two cents. As has already been stated, at least with this one, there is a practical reason for keeping the bottle from freezing at high altitudes.

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Thank you for the information. It appears there were a few these theater made USAAF heated canteen covers made. I get the sense they were relatively rare as they really don't seem to show up that often.

 

I'll give the volunteer test a try...

 

Thanks again to all of you for the information.

 

Dave

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THinking about this from another angle why would there be a need for a heated cover?

​Typically thermoses were carried as far as I know as a standard in an aircraft.Plus what purpose would there be for a hanger on a cover when the air crew typically dont wear pistol/utility belts inside an air craft.Also when these were in use the aircraft of the 50s were pressurized were they not?

 

The B29 was one of the first aircraft to be pressurized.I would venture that most larger aircraft of this period were pressurized.I really don't see fighter aircraft having a canteen carried in them.

 

I really think this is no more than a surplus created item.Look at all the covers made in Japan(as well as canteens) and sold surplus in the 50s and 60s when there should have been a lot on the market.I usually see 4-5 canteens a year in Boy scout groups that are commercial made and we have had several posted here with someone calling it a rigger item when its was just a commercially sourced and produced item.

 

Be nice if it was a rare cover but I don't see it that way unless there is photos of one in use or conformation.In 47 years of collecting and buying a lot of vets groups and such I have never seen one come out of a vets items

 

Testing the posts would confirm if its circuit ready...no resistance no circuit.

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I think I've got a voltmeter buried out in the garage some where. Doyler's suggestion may be very well correct, simply a surplus store strategy to move boot warmers.

 

However, mine is the third one that has shown up, (at least on the forum). Either way, their obviously very rare. I'm not saying this just because I happened to come across one, but because it may be a little piece of mysterious history, a time and a place, a young Airman thinking " I can take this and do that ".

 

Back to the voltmeter...If you could see the cover in hand, you would notice its fairly well engineered and thought out. Kind of more than what you would think a surplus store might put together as a novelty item. I can say with almost complete certainty, a surplus store would probably not have made them functional. If the voltmeter shows the the cover is indeed functional, I would have to lean toward it being just what appears to be, a theater made canteen warmer. Possibly limited to a particular Bomb Squadron...

 

I'll will test the canteen cover that I have keeping in mind it has been knocked around for a very long time, but we'll see...

Would be nice to see if the other two covers could be tested also.

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Doyler makes very good points...from a realistic view.....there really would be no need....and I tend to agree, seeing the hook in the back...one needle through a wire is all it takes...and the hanger sewn on look like the needle/stitching went through the internal wire

 

as a GI that has been bored at remote locations, and nothing but time and piles of gear sitting around, I can see were a GI might be inclined to make one

 

I hope it works..or at least ohms out anyway...

 

keep us posted on what ya find out

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post-172455-0-92547800-1508871864.jpgDug out the continuity tester...Tested the tester...Check...Tested the canteen cover...Nothing, no continuity...0...Ok, lets take a closer look. Took a look at the seams. The picture speaks for its self, this cover has never been functional. At least the one I have.

 

Good going Doyler, when guys that have been collecting militaria for many many years say "Things just don't look right" chances are their not...

 

We may really never know the true story behind these canteen covers, I can certainly understand a surplus store owner with several cases of non selling boot warmers deciding to repurpose them. Whatever the case, I say it was very clever indeed.

 

Case closed?? Certainly appears it may be...

 

Thanks for the input guys..

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I

Since that one was made non working, unless any new evidence is unearthed, I would agree these are fantasy/fakes.

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I think the biggest factor here is the studs, they are inside of the cover. This would make it impossible to attach the connector to the electrical system at least with canteen in the cover. That was obvious from the get go, it simply would not work as a heated cover. Secondly, isn't it strange that there have been multiple examples that surfaced and each are fabricated the same meticulous way. The nicely centered AAF emblem and the nomenclature tag. FANTASY item all the way, stick your head in the rabbit hole of La-La Land all you want but these are just a novelty piece fabricated of what was an un-sellable item on the surplus market.

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I

I think the biggest factor here is the studs, they are inside of the cover. This would make it impossible to attach the connector to the electrical system at least with canteen in the cover. That was obvious from the get go, it simply would not work as a heated cover. Secondly, isn't it strange that there have been multiple examples that surfaced and each are fabricated the same meticulous way. The nicely centered AAF emblem and the nomenclature tag. FANTASY item all the way, stick your head in the rabbit hole of La-La Land all you want but these are just a novelty piece fabricated of what was an un-sellable item on the surplus market.

very good points

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