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Ethocel Canteen from vet estate


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Here is a recently acquired example of an " Ethocel" plastic canteen . The best thing about it is that it came with what I believe is its original cup. Its singular history can be summarized from other sources as follows: These were produced and issued early in WW2 as a way to conserve strategic supplies of aluminum. The inability to heat beverages in the canteen , the bad taste imparted by the plastic and a tendency of the plastic canteen to crack up when frozen were major faults. Along these same lines, the accompanying cup appears to be zinc-plated steel . It is magnetic and was a bit rusty inside. This tendency of the cup to rust made field use less practical. The later aluminum and/or stainless steel sets were much more widely used once material restrictions were lifted.

The canteen was marked with the mfr. but is now defaced. A 1943 date is barely there.

The cup is dated 1942 with a mfr. Logo of IO (?) within a diamond. The edge of the cup is only half rolled over. This seems to be an attempt to prevent the burns a fully rolled lip could cause when heated.

The canteen cover is marked on the left inside flap A.W. JOHNSON CO. 1942 . The snap closures are marked "star pull"

 

 

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Bill G.

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