As first issued, no provision was made for carrying water. It has been stated, elsewhere, that the Bottle, water, enamelled, Mark 7 was to be carried in the Pouch, rear. Clearly this was too tall to fit and the correct answer was otherwise. In the trial phase a green nylon bottle, of rectangular cross-section, was included, which fitted into a corresponding rectangular nylon cup, with folding handles. There was no separate Carrier which, as it was to be carried inside a Mess Tin half, in the Pouches, rear. After half a century of accessibility in a purpose designed Carrier, this seems perverse! It was never adopted. From the Thomas Riedel Collection. Photos © Thomas Riedel 2012.

 

 

Stores Ref. CN 0035 CANTEEN, WATER, Mark 1.
Stores Ref. CN 8465-99-973-6972 CANTEEN, WATER, Complete
Stores Ref. CN 8465-99-973-6972 CANTEEN, WATER, Plastic

Stores Ref. CN 8465-99-973-6665 Body, water canteen
Stores Ref. CN 1667 Cap, screw, water canteen
Stores Ref. CN 8465-99-973-6908 Cap, screw, water canteen
Stores Ref. CN 8465-99-973-6904 Cup, water canteen
Stores Ref. CN 0579 Cup, water canteen
Stores Ref. CN 8465-99-973-6971 Retainer, cap, water canteen

 

The Patt. ’58 LoC was approved on 20 February 1959. The 1960 edition of the C.C.N. was issued on 3 February 1960 and contained a Bottle, Cup and Carrier, which were asterisked as introductions since the previous edition. The new Bottle was in green nylon, of Patt. ’44 form, with a nylon Cup. Instead of nesting on the base of the Bottle, the Cup located on top of the Bottle, over the screw cap. A nylon collar around the neck of the Bottle, with a flexible link, was attached to the screw cap. The body of the Bottle had a moulded warning not to heat the Bottle over a fire. Duh!! In this example, the cap is a slightly darker green than the Bottle, whilst the Cup is black. The Bottle is NSN coded 973-6665, maker marked "F & G", and dated 1965. The Cup is NSN coded 973-6904, and also maker marked "F & G", and dated 1965. The earliest example of a Bottle, so far noted, is one dated 1962. From the Ric Stubley Collection, photo © Ric Stubley 2012.

 

 

 

 

Also dated 1962, the Bottle illustrated was made by Cascelloid and coded CN 0035, with a cap coded CN 1667. The black Cup, also dated 1962, is coded CN 0579. These latter two codes had not been previously noted. From the Richard Jones Collection. Photographs © Richard Jones 2016.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A replacement, but in black nylon followed very quickly, followed by a modified Cap, which permitted a connection to a drinking tube built into the S10 Respirator. In the 1990s(?), Special Forces also had a re-introduced new Patt. ’44 Cup, with indented capacity marks, which at least allowed snow to be melted over a fire. As with previous bottles, it held one quart (two pints). The switch from a British Bottle to an American Canteen is also noteworthy!

In the fiche of UK CRL Reference sequence, CN 0035 is matched to NSN 8465-99-973-6665 which, as can be seen above, is merely the Body of the Bottle – no Cup, Cap, Screw or Retainer! Another example of a Prime Source requiring a pinch of salt. From the Rog Dennis Collection. Photos © Rog Dennis 2012.

 

 

Stores Ref. CN 8465-99-973-6904 CUP, water canteen
Stores Ref. CN 8465-99-973-6904 CUP, CANTEEN, NYLON

Originally listed as a Component, the modern equivalent of the old Articles for Repair, by 1976 it acquired the second nomenclature above and was listed, along with all the other elements, (See Canteen above) in the body of Section CN. Loosely modelled on the Patt. ’44 Cup, it had a moulded-in idiot’s guide to KEEP AWAY FROM HEAT OR FLAME. Granted, the user no longer needed insulating tape on the rim, but he couldn’t melt snow in it either! The handles folded back around the circumference of the Cup, the “hinge” being a nylon block with clearance slots, set into a raised surround and “rivetted” to six nylon spigots moulded on the Cup. From the Rog Dennis Collection. Photos © Rog Dennis 2012.

 

 

 

Stores Ref. CN 8465-99-721-3131 CUP, WATER CANTEEN

This item is included for interest, this arrangement would have been impossible to fit in a Patt. ’58 Carrier, but by this time the Army had switched to Patt. ’90 P.L.C.E., though the Canteen, water was still in service with the new Pattern. Between 1991 and 1993, somewhat late in the day, a steel Cup was introduced. Of near Patt. ’44 form, the bottom section had a more defined taper. Described as “…Cres; matt finish…”, it is assumed MoD meant “crescent-shaped”, the matt finish being un-connected. The front of the bottle has indentations to mark 0.25 and 0.5 litre capacity, the cup holding 0.75 litres. Qualified as “… for Special forces only…”, the nylon Bottle was nested in the metal Cup, the nylon Cup being fitted on the top. Folding “butterfly” handles were fitted, similar to those of Patt. ’44. From the John Bodsworth Collection. Photographs © John Bodsworth 2012.

 

 

Stores Ref. CN 0036 CARRIER, WATER CANTEEN
Stores Ref. CN 8465-99-973-6666 CARRIER, WATER CANTEEN

In the early years, most soldiers carried the Patt. ’44 Bottle in its Carrier, but eventually a Patt. ’58 item was developed. The envelope was close-fitting – too close-fitting – and was slightly tapered in front and side elevation on its lower part. A box lid was secured by a turn-button, the underside of the lid having a small pocket, for a sachet of purifying tablets. The rear face carried two “C” clips for attachment to the Belt. The Carrier was made very tight and any shrinkage meant that it was difficult to locate the eyelet over the turn-button. The sealed pattern example shown here is maker marked "M.E. Co." and dated 1962. From the Allen Prior Collection, photos © Allen Prior 2012.

 

 

Details of the sealed pattern labels.

 

 

 

 

 

Another example, from the Rog Dennis Collection. Photos © Rog Dennis 2012.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stores Ref. CN 8465-99-973-6010 CARRIER, WATER CANTEEN [Issue 2]

The turn-button closure was exchanged for a ¾-in. strap and buckle, presumably to overcome the difficulty of fastening the turnbutton. Far better to have made the pouch cross-section large enough to remove the Cup easily.

 

 

 

The Carrier was made longer and the strap-fastened box-lid had sides twice the depth of the Iss. 1 Carrier, as these views show. The lid of the Issue 2 Carrier also carries idiot-proof markings of CARRIER, WATER CANTEEN – just in case the soldier couldn’t figure it out! It is typically illogical that the later Carrier has a far lower NSN. All examples in this section from the Rog Dennis Collection. Photos © Rog Dennis 2012.