Wavian News
Product of the Week: 20 Litre Jerry Can – RED
Jun
People shout ‘design classic’ these day for everything from a rich tea biscuit to a pair of wellies, but here at Green Valley we like to think that the 20 Litre Red Jerrycan IS a product that deserves the title.
The Jerry Can design itself has changed very little since German engineering firm, Müller first developed the can way back in 1937. It was known in Germany as ‘Wehrmacht-Einheitskanister’ and huge amounts of the cans were stock-piled in preperation for war. The first to use the cans were German vehicular troops, they were given the cans along with a length of rubber hose in order to siphon fuel from wherever they could.
It was something that significantly sped up the time it took Germany to invade Poland. Once British troops first saw the cans during the invasion of Norway they named them ‘Jerry’ cans after the Germans and immediately appreciated their design when compared with the fairly unsophisticated 2-imperial-gallon steel and 4-imperial-gallon tin containers British Army standard issue.
The three handles meant they could be carried by two people if full, or if empty they were light enough to be carried two in each hand. The side cross design allowed for expansion and increased strength, there was an air-pipe for smooth pouring and instead of a screw-top the cans used a cam lever release mechanism that was much easier to use.
It was quickly adopted by both the British and American Army and such was its importance in the war that President Roosevelt noted “Without these cans it would have been impossible for our armies to cut their way across France at a lightning pace which exceeded the German Blitzkrieg of 1940.”
Fast forward to today and in addition to the millions of motorists, boat owners and hobbbyists, the 20 Litre Jerry Can is still used by military personnel world-wide. What’s more. we think our Wavian branded 20 litre Jerry Cans are the best you can get.
For more info visit our Wavian Quality Jerry Can page, you can also follow us on Twitter
Are looking to buy a Jerry Can, but not sure of the legal requirements? We have a comprehensive guide “Are Jerry Cans legal? What is the law on fuel cans?”
