Original British WWII Vickers Machine Gun Water Shell Mex and British Petroleum Spirit Can - Petrol 2 Gallons
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Original Item: Only One Available. Original aviation can showing the SM and BP clearly stamped on each side. Originally these WW2 cans were manufactured to contain Petrol (gasoline) and were embossed on the top:
PETROLEUM
SPIRIT
HIGHLY
INFLAMMABLE
In short order, however, these were adopted by the Machine Gun Corp to be used as water condensing can with the water-cooled Vickers Machine Guns. The rapid Machine gun fire led to overheated barrels that were then liable to distortion so each gun was fitted with a water jacket as a cooling system. Used not doubt by the Roy Air Force (RAF) original painted RED (and now refreshed).
The water reservoirs were connected by rubber hoses to these condenser cans so that stream would flow out of the jacket and into a partially filled water can condensing and could then to be poured back into the water reservoir and recycled.
At the start of WW1 Vickers MGs were equipped with canvas water buckets but these were soon found to be unsuitable and these cans soon adopted in their place..
This can in fine condition for being 84 years old is stamped on the bottom:
VALOR 3S
Even comes complete with the original brass cap.
Measures 11x 9.5 x 6
- This product is available for international shipping.
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