U.S. WWII Normandy Gas Can Restoration - w/ pics

Manufacturers, production numbers, configurations, etc.
User avatar
Quest Master
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1791
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2003 5:33 am
Location:
Contact:

U.S. WWII Normandy Gas Can Restoration - w/ pics

Post by Quest Master » Wed Oct 09, 2013 6:26 pm

So, I decided to restore a few cans for the 1942 Ford GPW that I will be showing. The cans that will be with my Jeep are restored to match the ones in the famous LIFE magazine photo taken in Stratford-On-Avon in England prior to the Normandy invasion, 1944. These cans would have ended up in France during the invasion, so I've restored two to match the photo. The blue paint is much lighter in actual light than in the photos. The stencils were made on 3M sticky backed printer paper and hand cut by me (I make all of my own stencils). Let me know what you thing. Enjoy! :D
Image
Image
Image
Image
Thanks,
Van
Kosovo, Afghanistan (x2) and Iraq Campaign Veteran
"If the DUKW was introduced in 1944 it would have been called a FUKW."
45 GMC DUKW (105mm)
42 Ford GPW
44 Willys MB
44 Clark CA-1
43 Studebaker T-24
42 Harley WLA
44 Cushman 53
42 Willys MBT
44 Columbia F-92L
43 Huffman G-519


User avatar
lucakiki
G-General
G-General
Posts: 17578
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 7:18 am
Location: Torino, ITALY

Re: U.S. WWII Normandy Gas Can Restoration - w/ pics

Post by lucakiki » Wed Oct 09, 2013 11:13 pm

The answer is simple:I think you made an outstanding job!
Luca

WillysMB#344142 6-19-44 Navy N.S.Blue Grey
45 Bantam T-3 #57248 1-10-45
42 Willys MB-T #13560 11-42
43 Willys MB-T # 25417 4-43
Way too many WWII military tools,hopefully thinning down,and way too many posts...

__________________________________________
_____________________________________________
__________________________________________

User avatar
gerrykan
G-General
G-General
Posts: 9303
Joined: Fri Apr 07, 2006 3:37 am
Location: Ozark Mountains, USA

Re: U.S. WWII Normandy Gas Can Restoration - w/ pics

Post by gerrykan » Thu Oct 10, 2013 3:24 am

Your work is excellent!
Roy

User avatar
lightningdivision
G-First Sergeant
G-First Sergeant
Posts: 133
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:44 am
Location: Belgium
Contact:

Re: U.S. WWII Normandy Gas Can Restoration - w/ pics

Post by lightningdivision » Thu Oct 10, 2013 4:12 am

wow,nice job!!!
never noticed the little triangle
78th INFANTRY DIVISION
310th INFANTRY REGIMENT

Owner of "the bug mobile" '44 jeep

User avatar
REG
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 3986
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2005 11:34 am
Location: South Wales, UK

Re: U.S. WWII Normandy Gas Can Restoration - w/ pics

Post by REG » Thu Oct 10, 2013 9:32 am

lightningdivision wrote:wow,nice job!!!
never noticed the little triangle
Ditto - fantastic job - I'll delete my photos of my pitiful attempt!! :wink: :wink:

Great stenciling - I gave up and used a water decal!
REG
________________
GPW 7448I: DoD 10/42
Engine 11/89
Bantam trailer DOD: 12/44
Image

"Million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten."

User avatar
gerrykan
G-General
G-General
Posts: 9303
Joined: Fri Apr 07, 2006 3:37 am
Location: Ozark Mountains, USA

Re: U.S. WWII Normandy Gas Can Restoration - w/ pics

Post by gerrykan » Thu Oct 10, 2013 5:45 pm

Image

I did not mention this before, because I did not want to detract from Van's excellent restoration.

Although it is hard to tell from the photo(even enlarged), but the triangle is likely light green, and not blue.
The one NOS can I have and the very few photos I have seen of originally marked cans have light green triangles.
This is the only color war-time photo I recall seeing with the triangle, and although I think it is probably green, it may in fact be blue.

I will try to take, and post some photos of my can before the weekend is over.
Roy

User avatar
Quest Master
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1791
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2003 5:33 am
Location:
Contact:

Re: U.S. WWII Normandy Gas Can Restoration - w/ pics

Post by Quest Master » Fri Oct 11, 2013 7:30 am

Roy,
It could be green...but I went with the most likely interpretation of the photo in that they were painting hundreds if not thousands of cans and using multiple colors for just gas cans seemed a bit inappropriate. There was after all a war on and they were not preparing them for a car show. :D
I'm going to stick with the the blue.

I've had a few PM's about how I do my restoration work and styles that I choose. I have been doing it for decades and my way may not be the easiest, but I like the way they turn out.

THE STENCIL: I use 3M or "Post-It" full sheet A4 adhesive backed printer paper to make all of my stencils. I just completed 2 German Panzerfaust's with this method if you would like to see pictures of that too. I choose the size and style of the font in Microsoft Word and print on the adhesive paper. Then...using a utility knife, hand cut each letter or number. Yes this takes HUGE time. For these gas cans...I had to add little "breaks" in each letter and number.
Image
When it came to the blue stripes, my best interpretation of them is 1/2" wide by 4" long. I tend to use modeling paint when I do some restorations as the quantity is smaller and the model folks are more snobs when it comes to color then the real car guys...so they really try to match the color exactly. I went with Model Masters "Big Bad Blue" for the stripes...which in natural light is much lighter than in the photos. I intentionally made the edges of the blue lines a bit "fuzzy" or sloppy because the marking would have been done quickly during the war...and not PERFECT! :D
Image
These are three of the four cans that will be displayed on my September 1942 GPW. This GPW is restored as a D+5 Normandy Jeep belonging to the 1st Infantry Division. She did not have a liquid container carrier on her rear. Spare gas cans are being carried on the front bumper for quick storage and movement into Normandy after the cross channel advance.
Image
Enjoy! :D
Thanks,
Van
Kosovo, Afghanistan (x2) and Iraq Campaign Veteran
"If the DUKW was introduced in 1944 it would have been called a FUKW."
45 GMC DUKW (105mm)
42 Ford GPW
44 Willys MB
44 Clark CA-1
43 Studebaker T-24
42 Harley WLA
44 Cushman 53
42 Willys MBT
44 Columbia F-92L
43 Huffman G-519

User avatar
Navarre
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1387
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 7:54 am
Location: Canary Islands, Spain

Re: U.S. WWII Normandy Gas Can Restoration - w/ pics

Post by Navarre » Fri Oct 11, 2013 8:24 am

Beautiful job!!!

About the triangle color, I´m with Roy...I would say it is green. What does it means??
Here you are a pic of mine:

Image

Regards
"Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition"
Ford GPW 86534 DoD 12-11-42...in progress!
Resto thread: viewtopic.php?f=144&t=198728

User avatar
Chuck Lutz
Gee Addict
Posts: 26829
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2006 7:00 am
Location: Jeep Heaven

Re: U.S. WWII Normandy Gas Can Restoration - w/ pics

Post by Chuck Lutz » Fri Oct 11, 2013 10:12 am

I would have to wonder where they got the WEIGHT (40.5 lbs.) on that stencil...

Gasoline weighs 6.073 lbs per gallon
Jerry Can holds 5.25 gallons
Weight of 5.25 gallons is 31.88 lbs
Weight of jerry can is 10.5 lbs

The Gross Weight should be 42.38 lbs.

What it appears is they simply said that the jerry can holds FIVE gallons of gasoline and gasoline weighs SIX pounds per gallon, which equals THIRTY LBS. If you add the 10.5 lbs of the can to 30 lbs of gas you get = 40.5 lbs

Uh-oh....
Chuck Lutz

GPW 17963 4/24/42 Chester, PA. USA 20113473 (USA est./Tom W.)
Bantam T3-C 1947

User avatar
REG
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 3986
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2005 11:34 am
Location: South Wales, UK

Re: U.S. WWII Normandy Gas Can Restoration - w/ pics

Post by REG » Fri Oct 11, 2013 11:00 am

I don't have your patience!!

Image
REG
________________
GPW 7448I: DoD 10/42
Engine 11/89
Bantam trailer DOD: 12/44
Image

"Million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten."

Dave M38A1
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Posts: 442
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:28 pm
Location: Fuquay-Varina, NC

Re: U.S. WWII Normandy Gas Can Restoration - w/ pics

Post by Dave M38A1 » Fri Oct 11, 2013 1:33 pm

Great Job, your attention to detail is outstanding. Did you sandblast the cans to remove the old paint? I have some to repaint and was wondering if I should also seal the inside.

Thanks for posting, I really like the stencils.

Dave
Dave M38A1
1953 M38A1
1964 USMC M38A1
M274 A5 Mule (Pepe')
64 CJ5
97 TJ Wrangler (Son's Ride)

User avatar
Quest Master
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1791
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2003 5:33 am
Location:
Contact:

Re: U.S. WWII Normandy Gas Can Restoration - w/ pics

Post by Quest Master » Fri Oct 11, 2013 5:37 pm

If someone can show me definitive evidence that a green triangle is correct and what it stands for, I will repaint it. For now, my interpretation is blue, same as the stripes. It is an easy fix if I am wrong. The stenciling was the hard part.

No comment on the POM markings on the other can? I thought that was subtle restoration detail. :)

Thanks for the praise guys. I pride myself in my restoration efforts and details.

Yes, I sandblast everything to bare metal and prime with red oxide primer. As for the inside...I don't touch them as I don't plan on using them.

Again...enjoy. More to come! :)
Thanks,
Van
Kosovo, Afghanistan (x2) and Iraq Campaign Veteran
"If the DUKW was introduced in 1944 it would have been called a FUKW."
45 GMC DUKW (105mm)
42 Ford GPW
44 Willys MB
44 Clark CA-1
43 Studebaker T-24
42 Harley WLA
44 Cushman 53
42 Willys MBT
44 Columbia F-92L
43 Huffman G-519

User avatar
gerrykan
G-General
G-General
Posts: 9303
Joined: Fri Apr 07, 2006 3:37 am
Location: Ozark Mountains, USA

Re: U.S. WWII Normandy Gas Can Restoration - w/ pics

Post by gerrykan » Fri Oct 11, 2013 7:59 pm

I cannot definitively say the triangle should be green, and all the green triangles I have seen are the size of the one Navarre's can, not the smaller size seen in the now famous photograph.
I still feel that you did an excellent restoration of the cans and markings.

Regarding weight,
You would have to know what a gallon of 1944 80 octane gasoline weighs, which might be slightly different than what a gallon of 2013 gasoline weighs.
Regardless of the fact an American jerrycan is capable of holding 5.25 gallons, if the U.S. Army contract for prepackaged gasoline specifies the can to be filled with 5 gallons, the refinery is probably only going to put 5 gallons in the can, not 5.25 gallons.
Roy

User avatar
lightningdivision
G-First Sergeant
G-First Sergeant
Posts: 133
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:44 am
Location: Belgium
Contact:

Re: U.S. WWII Normandy Gas Can Restoration - w/ pics

Post by lightningdivision » Sat Oct 12, 2013 1:16 am

Reg,what are You talking about???Your can also looks great.
About the little triangle,if I should restore my can to this condition,I would also go with bleu.Why?
Remember the famous pictures about the 101AB paratroopers,the filthy 13.Most reenactors used white and red to paint up the face,but in '44 they used white and black,because the ground personal used that for the stripes on the planes
78th INFANTRY DIVISION
310th INFANTRY REGIMENT

Owner of "the bug mobile" '44 jeep

User avatar
REG
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 3986
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2005 11:34 am
Location: South Wales, UK

Re: U.S. WWII Normandy Gas Can Restoration - w/ pics

Post by REG » Sat Oct 12, 2013 4:07 am

lightningdivision wrote:Reg,what are You talking about???Your can also looks great.
About the little triangle,if I should restore my can to this condition,I would also go with bleu.Why?
Remember the famous pictures about the 101AB paratroopers,the filthy 13.Most reenactors used white and red to paint up the face,but in '44 they used white and black,because the ground personal used that for the stripes on the planes
Cheers! You can see the outline of the water slide decal but it'll do until I find the time to copy what you have done! :)

Great you mention the filthy thirteen - I met some of them in 2009
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39266475@N ... 503041894/

Image

I thought I was going to be driving the town mayor in the following ceremony - I ended up with the local chief of police - gold braid shoulder boards and all!!
REG
________________
GPW 7448I: DoD 10/42
Engine 11/89
Bantam trailer DOD: 12/44
Image

"Million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten."


Post Reply

Return to “Gerry Cans or Jerry Cans”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 55 guests