Original Item: Only One Available. This is a scarce original U.S. WWII M1942 experimental canteen cup manufactured by Landers, Frary & Clark and dated 1942. Produced with a blue porcelain enamel coating over a lower grade metal body, this pattern was part of an early wartime effort to conserve strategic materials such as aluminum.

At the beginning of WWII, aluminum was in extremely high demand for aircraft production. The U.S. military therefore explored alternative materials for canteens and related equipment, including stainless steel, plastics, and porcelain enamel coated metal.

The result was the experimental M1942 porcelain enamel canteen and cup system. In theory, the enamel coating protected the underlying metal while allowing the use of less critical materials. In practice, the design proved unsatisfactory. Once the enamel chipped or cracked, the exposed metal underneath could rust, and the chipped interior coating created problems with continued field use.

Because of these shortcomings, the porcelain enamel pattern was short lived and was replaced by more durable conventional canteens and cups. Surviving examples are much less commonly encountered today than standard wartime aluminum or stainless steel equipment.

This cup is finished in the distinctive blue enamel associated with this experimental pattern.

Condition is fair. There is heavy oxidation around the rim and on the folding handle, along with substantial chipping and loss to the porcelain enamel across the body. These areas clearly show the weakness of the enamel system and help explain why the design was not retained for long term service.

The folding handle remains present but is very heavily oxidized. It is faintly marked:

U.S.
L.F.&C.
1942

The L.F.&C. marking identifies Landers, Frary & Clark, a major American manufacturer of military equipment and household goods.

Despite the rough condition, the cup remains an excellent example of one of the more unusual U.S. WWII attempts to conserve strategic materials. The blue enamel finish, 1942 date, and Landers, Frary & Clark marking make it an especially interesting piece for a collection focused on experimental wartime equipment or U.S. field gear.

Editorial Note: The original description states that these were replaced by the standard aluminum canteens familiar today. That sequence is somewhat simplified, as both aluminum and stainless steel canteen equipment were used during WWII. The important point is that the porcelain enamel pattern was an unsuccessful wartime experiment and did not remain the standard pattern.