Original Item: Only One Available. Early in World War II, aluminum was urgently needed for aircraft. Therefore, in 1942 stainless steel canteens were substituted for aluminum and alternative materials were investigated, such as plastic for canteens. Another idea for conserving the most valuable metals was to use a lower quality metal with a porcelain enameled coating.

The result was this, the M1942 Black Porcelain Enamel Canteen.  Unfortunately, this "experiment" was not successful at all, and there were numerous complaints from the field, as the chipped enamel inside from a dent would result in water contamination, and overall the canteens were just not very resilient. They were quickly removed from service, and replaced by the standard aluminum canteens that everyone is familiar with today. They are very scarce on the market, especially with the original carrier and matching enameled canteen cup.

This set is in very good condition, especially the canteen itself, which has no dents and only some moderate chips in the porcelain enamel. It still has the original stopper cap, retained by the correct galvanized steel chain, though the washer is missing.

The canteen is held in their correct WWII Issue USMC "dog eared" carrier, which is in very good condition. This is the 3rd version of the carrier, which is identical to the 4th version, except that there is no "drain hole" in the bottom of the carrier. The carrier has two very rare 1945-dated depot tags still attached to the back, one behind the belt hook and one under that. These are great additions. The carrier is very service-worn with verdigris on the metal fittings and some small tears in the material.

Overall this is a great & rare canteen set, ready to add to your collection and display!