Folding canvas buckets

[Great War truck]

I enjoy hanging kit on my Jeep, it makes it look a bit special. One thing that i see quite regularly on other WW2 vehicles is the folding canvas bucket hanging from the tow hook. Within the Devon MVT this practice was quite common, until a WW2 veteran (an ex MP) explained that during the war doing this would be a chargable offence for two reasons:

 

1). It exposes the bucket to undue damage from flying stones thereby causing leaks and rendering it unuseable. Wilfull damage to Government property.

 

2). It was used as a signal from soldiers with a certain sexual preference to other soldiers of a similar sexual preference as a method of contacting them (much in the same way as hanging a red bandanna from your back pocket is today - or so i am told).

 

Any thoughts anybody?

[Jack]

Fantastic question.

 

You have made me look as alot of my friends in different light :shock:

 

Seriously though, I can believe the first one as it makes perfect sense but I reckon he might be pulling your leg on the second, as how would you who was advertising their sexual preference or would it only be the driver who could hang it?

[whistlinwolf]

So the phrase "swings both ways " is refering to the motion of the canvas bucket? :oops: :lol:

 

Tim(1)

 

(this could be goodbye stripe) :lol:

[Guest matt]

It would follow that an MP could know about buckets being a sign of sexual preference as to "swing the other way" at that time was a criminal act and as such one would expect an MP to possibly know about the bucket thing.that said it does sound rather unlikely!!

 

This does beg another question,are there any WW2 photos of US vehicles with the water bucket being carried on the water can?? I only know of one.

 

Matt.

[Great War truck]

Very good point. I went through all my Jeep photos last night and found only one with a canvas bucket and that had replaced the jerrycan altogether although was still held in place by the jerrycan strap.

 

I can't quite understand the desire for canvas buckets as vehicle accessories, i mean what use are they? You are not going to fill the radiator with water from one, it is hard enough trying to get the water out of a jerrycan, and the war department always provides collapsible canvas basins to wash in for hygene. I do notice that you can now buy good replica canvas buckets for about £20, so perhaps it is just a clever marketing ploy.

 

From my brief examination of technical manuals the buckets seemed to have been mostly used in cavalry regiments for horses to drink out of. OK i know a great deal of cavalry regiments had their horses replaced with Jeeps and maybe the idea of a canvas bucket was too much to let go of. The buckets were never issued with the Jeeps so the driver had to obtain one for some reason or another.

 

As for personal preference the canvas bucket does look an interesting extra when folded and attached to the Jerrycan strap, but the photos would suggest that this was rare. However, they do still look slightly ridiculous when attached to the tow hitch, especially when on a bigger vehicle, except for gypsy caravans, steam traction engines and as photos would suggest anything of the Wermacht although their preference does appear to be for galvanised steel buckets (- now what does that tell you about the driver).

 

I would not necessarily dismiss the bucket tow hitch signal thing as a wind up as it may be possible. Homosexulaity was a very serious crime at the time and people have always looked to attract the interest of prospective partners in various ways. I presume that it would only be the driver doing this on empty trucks as the consequences of fixing the bucket to a troop carrier of 20 men could be unpleasant for any interested party. More research is required here and it might be best to ask veterans carefully if they ever saw hanging buckets, however for the more brave amongst us i am prepared to lend you my bucket and pay for your admission to "The Pussycat" nightclub to undertake more research.

 

Tim (too).

[Karoshi]

This does beg another question,are there any WW2 photos of US vehicles with the water bucket being carried on the water can?? I only know of one.

 

Matt.

 

I personally "DO" the bucket thing. In the early days of my present jeep I had an irritating pin hole leak, nothing serious but potentially harmful if not monitored. As a comfort I started carrying a canvas bucket of water with me, as I didn't have a suitable Jerry can for the purpose. Now canvas water buckets don’t stand well on their own, they have to hang. Where else but the pintle hook can you put it?

 

The radiator was mended long ago, but the habit of dressing with a water bucket remained.

 

This very topic was discussed at length over on the Gee forums and several WW2 era photos were posted to show that it was not an uncommon practice to carry a collapsed bucket on a water can.

 

Why it's even caught on with the modern day Armoured lot

 

[ashley]

Once apon a time............

i used to carry four cans of beer packed in ice in my mounted (pintle hook) bucket for the `on site drink first drink` to wash away the dust, fumes etc in the throat !! on arrival at a w/e show !!. But a conversation with `no sense of humour type policeman` on a motorway one day caused me to cease this activity, but the bucket is still there.

 

Ashley

[Great War truck]

So when you drove with a bucket of water/ or beer and ice on the tow hitch, what proportion of the contents did you lose? Maybe the roads are better where you are than they are here, but i am concerned with bits of Jeep falling off with some of the bumps and could guarantee an empty bucket after travelling only 5 miles.

 

I do concur that the folded bucket looks good on the jerrycan strap and am sure that it could be put to a use even if just for hygene or washing a vehicle. However it is a free country (supposedly) and you can do what you want with your bucket as there is probably a photo of someone doing it somwhere.

 

Now does anybody know where i can get a black leather bucket with chrome studs?

 

Tim (too).

[ashley]

Hi,

most of the contents remained intact

but as for leather ?? try e-bay im sure they have one :lol:

Ashley

[whistlinwolf]

Just a quick shot of our bucket swinging last week as we unloaded at Pickering :lol:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tim(1)

[Great War truck]

I see that your bucket is so big that it almost drags along the ground. Now I am sure that means something specific as well in certain communities. I will just check exactly what with a work collegue of mine.

 

Very nice ride by the way.

 

Tim (too)

[whistlinwolf]

I see that your bucket is so big that it almost drags along the ground. Now I am sure that means something specific as well in certain communities. I will just check exactly what with a work collegue of mine.

 

Very nice ride by the way.

 

Tim (too)

 

 

I just can't wait :lol:

 

Does set me wondering what sort of people you work with that are experts on that??

[Great War truck]

Well it would appear that in certain circles you are trying to indicate that you have a very low tow hitch. Not very exciting really. Sorry.

[whistlinwolf]

Well it would appear that in certain circles you are trying to indicate that you have a very low tow hitch.

 

 

But is it treatable?

 

Tim(1)

[Great War truck]

I believe that there are certain places that you might go where it could be surgically removed and reattached at a greater height to prevent your bucket dragging along the ground, especially when you are going "off road".

 

I hope that helps

 

Tim (too)

[Great War truck]

Just seen a picture in the MVPA magazine of a restored Canadian Staghound in Holland with the canvas bucket hanging from the front tow hitch. I am not sure whether the Dutch have a different system of messaging but i would think that it would not last long in that location during a combat situation.

 

Has anyone seen any WW2 pictures of any Allied vehicle with a canvas bucket (hanging or not) apart from the Jeep one i mentioned previously?

 

Tim (too)

[Karoshi]

Yes Richard. This subject has run and run over on the GEE, and I've posted several archive references to this practice. It may not have been as common as we see today on the exhibition circuit, but it most certainly happened. I'll try to post up.

 

I also DEMAND to declare that my interest in buckets and their display is purely military and historical and NOT one of a personal interest!

 

Karoshi the hetrosexual.

[oddball]

Yes Richard. This subject has run and run over on the GEE,

 

Pardon me for being ignorant but I've led a sheltered life. What exactly is this GEE that everyone keeps mentioning?

[Karoshi]

Try to keep up Oddball.

 

http://www.g503.com.

 

Go see.

[demon]

Ron Fitzpatrick set up http://www.g503.com a few years ago, it's the best technical forum I have come accross. I made lots of friends across Europe, USA, Australia and Norway..... Jack found me there and emailed me about this site.

[oddball]

Oh THAT gee! :roll:

 

Why can't we have pretty little pictures of our rank insignia like they do?

[Jack]

 

Why can't we have pretty little pictures of our rank insignia like they do?

 

.....Iam working on it, learning about computers as I go, this is all pretty new to me

[oddball]

.....Iam working on it, learning about computers as I go, this is all pretty new to me

 

Well if you need any help with pictures & stuff you only gotta ask, only too glad to help.

[Karoshi]

S-A-R-G-E-A-N-T Oddball, Its too much work for the administartors when you get BUSTED again.

[demon]

Oh THAT gee! :roll:

 

Why can't we have pretty little pictures of our rank insignia like they do?

 

I had my rank and insignia taken off by the moderator on the gee at my request. If you are able to put them on this site I would like you to remove them from my post too please. Personally I just don't like them.