Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent rare example of an experimental Ethylcellulose (Ethocel) Canteen, complete with an original WWII dated infantry carrier. The canteen itself is marked on the bottom with U.S. / 1943 and a small maker logo that reads P.I. The included carrier is fully functional, and faintly marked with an illegible maker and barely legible 1942 date. These canteens are very rare, and this is only the fourth example we have had.

This canteen comes complete with the chain attached to the cap, and amazingly no stress cracks. The cork washer inside the cap is present. Overall condition of the canteen is very good, and from the looks of it, there are remnants of the baking powder that soldiers would put inside the canteen to combat the taste the plastic imparted.

The carrier is also in very good condition, with some wear and a few stains on the outside. The snaps both work correctly, and there is a lot of the original felt padding intact inside, with a few areas of mothing.

A very rare WWII canteen set, ready to display!

In an effort to manufacture a non-metallic canteen during World War Two, the US government attempted to manufacture a plastic canteen using Dow Chemical's Ethyl Cellulose Plastic. The canteen was manufactured by several government suppliers, of which ANOS was one. Canteens started to be manufactured in the middle of 1942 and were discontinued by 1944.

The canteens were typically issued to Pacific Theater Forces. This was a common canteen to find on the USMC web belt or discarded along the route of the Marine advance. The problem with the canteens was that they tended to eventually develop heat stress cracks. They also made the water they contained taste like bitter plastic. In order to combat the horrible taste of the water, soldiers routinely mixed baking powder in with the water when filling the canteen. Later plastics would not have this problem, but this design was unfortunately ahead of its time. The canteen is made of a two part mold, with each part being attached to the cup ring.