One of my Specialities..WW2 OD beer cans

In addition to collecting 82nd airborne memorbilia, I also save WW2 Olive Drab beer cans and photographs of WW2 soldiers drinking beer in cans. Beer in cans was a relatively new phenomenon (introduced in 1935). Production of cilivian use of beer in cans ceased in 1942. After that, beer cans were only produced for overseas consumption (and US military bases) and had to bear the words, "withdrawn free of internal revenue tax". In July of 1944, Olive drab beer cans made there appearance in the ETO, the Pacific followed shortly after that. I have a guy in Italy who digs an old American base dump and found a great deal of beer cans....of course coming from underground the condition is not so good. It wasn't until 1948 that cans were available in the US again. Attached is a picture of the cans and also a photo of servicemen drinking from OD cans (anyone remember Schlitz...the beer that made Milwaukee famous? )

out

Dan

 

Dan, I reckon that's a very original, unusual and interesting variant of 'militaria colelcting'.....

 

Some of the OD cans came home as souvenirs. In recent years a great deal have been coming out of Italy, Iceland, Greece and most recently New Zealand. My buddy has a "withdrawn-free" non-OD can that was claimed to be from Wake Island via Japan. Japan was where it was listed on ebaY. I have a decent size collection of GIs drinking beer photographs and Im always wondering if the guys in the pictures we heading toward a big operation or coming back from one or if they ever made it back to the states. I have read in numerous books that they had a 2 can ration in the rear areas.

out

Dan

 

Dan, That is one nice collection of cans! Like that Pabst can on the end.

 

hello Dan....pretty cool collection you have there!


(my beer can collection got some additions last night ....im still feeling it alittle now)

 

Fascinating stuff there Dan! Thanks for sharing the collection and information..

 

Thanx for the nice comments........Heres a couple more.........the generic "propellor" can, one government design but at least 5 different brewers used it. This can came out from a dump outside a US base in Fairbanks Alaska. They were perfectly preserve under a permafrost layer of tundra

Next is a Miller OD can, unknown until a few years ago when someone was going through their fathers footlocker and discovered it. Brought home as a souvenier. Being a Miller can , one can presume thousands upon thousands were produced but this is the only example and brought in 4 figures.

out

Dan

 

I used to collect cans too and had one painted in OD green, that was made in 1965? and came from Vietnam. This can was brought back by an Airborne Vet who had participated in Operation Ripcord and the fighting in the Ia Drang Valley. However, back in 1994, someone broke into my home and stole this item as well as my Fathers set of painted metal toy soldiers that he inherited from his surrogate Father-who got these in a box as a set sometime during or slightly after-WWI.

 

The most rare collection i have seen.But very nice items!


Greets Thompson.