Can anyone ID this?

[Chuck Lutz]

Luke....the "X" indents are not the distinguishing factors....there are much BETTER features to identify the lineage of a "Mystery Can".

For instance, the front edge of the handle where it is attached to the top of the can....German is butt welded with a nice seam, the rear edge of the handle is also a nice bead of weldingthe hole in the lift tab is off-center.

The British can is similar to the German design, but the American "Mystery Cans" are not at all like them....set one next to a USMC and a later screw-in spout type and note the same features are exactly like the later American cans.

Very simply, if you line up a German, a British, an American "Mystery Can", a USMC and a standard American Jerry Can...you can see what I mean.

I don't believe for a minute the one I have posted was made by Britian, Germany or anyone else as it closely looks like later American cans. There would be no explanation for other countries to come up with the American style features, only to drop them in favor of going with the German features either...I believe there is a photo of an Mystery Can on some SoPacific Island that the Marines are using with the hole in the tab in the CENTER which pretty much nails that design as "American"....and the predecessor to the USMC style.

I also ain't buying the idea that those cans the Marines had were made in Britian, sent to Australia, given to the Marines and taken to SoPac islands. At least not with the American features on them!

[lucakiki]

Hi Luke! It has been a while since mistery cans have been discussed. To me they still remain a mistery.
It has also been a while since I last looked at my cans.
Maybe it is time I have another look.

Here they are:



http://www.surfacezero.com/g503/data/50 ... ge_030.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Robin]

This photo has been posted before, but here it is again. Those are US Marines sitting there.

[Robin]

And here are my cans. One is unit marked to the 5th US Marine Division.

[lucakiki]

Robin, do they all have a hole on the tab of the lid ?

[gerrykan]

Red paint(indicating that it is a gasoline can) in the strengthening x also seems to be a Marine Corps thing.
I have seen several USMC cans with red in the x. I own at least one.

[Silly's MB]

Mystery cans for air drop..jpg (223.83 KiB) Viewed 2899 times