Original Item: Only One Available. Original aviation can showing the SHELL logo with wings and clearly stamped Aviation Spirit on each side. Originally these Pre-WW2 cans were manufactured to contain Petrol (gasoline) and were embossed with a large SHELL logo on the top and:

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. Pre-WW2 DATED examples are very rare, mostly post WW1 cans are encountered and many of these saw service in WW2.

This can in fine condition for being 84 years old is stamped on the bottom:

Even comes complete with the original brass cap also marked SHELL.

Measures 11”x 9.5” x 6”