The US military began to use the plastic water containers in the later 1970s, followed by plastic fuel containers about 15 years later. Steel US Gasoline Cans of World War II through the 1980s To the left is a British can, typical of more recent production, marked with the arrow and "1985" above the center, then "BSC" over "CPW" in the center of the cross. Water cans were sometimes painted with a white cross as an additional precaution against mixing. British cans of WW II vintage will be painted with the khaki or tan sand color of British equipment while the German cans will be dark green or sand color. Typical stamped markings included the British government "arrow mark" representing a sword, WD (War Department), initials of manufacturer and the date. These cans had the same small diameter spout with lever cap that set it apart from the US Jerry Cans. World War II British Jerry Cans dated in the 1940s were almost identical to the German Wehrmachtskanisteren, no coincidence since the British copied the design. The gas cans were also marked "Feuergefährlich" (flammable). Later in the war, German cans were stamped with embossed letters reading "Kraftstoff 20L" (Fuel 20 liters) or "Wasser 20L" (Water 20 liters). Additional markings were painted on to indicate contents, unit owning the can or other requirements. The word "Wehrmacht" was stamped on the side. The German cans, the original design, were called "Wehrmachtskanisteren", and were stamped with a date, starting in the late 1930s.
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