AER food Container

Back in the 1970's a "vintage enthusiast" friend of the family found this while visiting one of the "old school type scrap yards" that use to be about and that you don't see so much of nowadays. Where you could visit have a wander round and if you fancied something make an offer and agree a price with the yard owner. He decided that it was too good to be in a scrapyard and lost to scrap metal and so purchased it for a small fee. He then thought that my parents may like it being as they were both interested in the "WW2 Home Front" and it's been in the garage ever since.

We thought that it may date to the 1940's and could be military but there appears to be no markings on it apart from the manufacturer's label.

Looking on eBayUS there appears to be similar, but slightly different, items for sale by the same maker, AER.

I wondered what the consensus is, if it is a vintage US military item or a vintage commercial use item made in the US? It has always been a bit of a mystery ever since it was found in the 1970's.

Many thanks for any information.

Honestly? It looks lots like our coffee urns that would come out to the field. They were all US marked and the ones I remember were stainless. They had a spigot up front with a spring loaded handle to pour. The top had a relief valve...that one's so close. I expect the ones we had were made to a contract by a civilian company...that could well have produced that one or it's just a different contract. This is ours, also an "Aero Void" container.

If it were military, it would be US marked. They marked almost everything. I have looked at a few food containers over the years and all are marked US. One of the rare things I didn't end up buying. I do have a ladle however, US marked.

These would be used by businesses, churches, organizations, etc. The military probably used them also but again, they would be marked as such.

Having grown up in dairy country, it looks like the standard 10 gallon cans that farmers brought their milk to the local co-op in...

Russ

Milk cans aren't typically insulated. It does look similar, but I've never seen that type of closure on a milk can either. I have a small collection of milk cans.

Thanks for the replies chaps.

The outer casing does appear to be made of steel as there are a few rust patches in places. The height is about 2' and the diameter is around 12" at it's base. Although it does look similar in style to a traditional milk churn it is smaller.

I do remember seeing, from the school bus, milk churns still in daily use on farms in the early to mid 1970's. It was quite a "labour intensive" way of moving milk about. The farmer often put/man-handled the churns onto a raised concrete plinth at the farm gate ready to be collected by a flatbed lorry.

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Originally Posted by RASelkirk

farmers brought their milk to the local co-op in

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Did those have a front spigot for the tap? And as suggested, I never saw insulated ones. I too was out in cattle country and there were milk cans around still. Could be it's just an industrial model of thermos container for liquids.

I actually have a milk can with a front spigot right beside me here while I type this. Only one I've ever seen. Had a rubber tube attached to it which deteriorated. Tube comes out the bottom of the can and then up the side in a protected steel channel/tube. It is gone where that ends so I don't know what was on the end of it.

Doing a little research yesterday, this type of container made by this company were used heavily in the restaurant industry.

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Originally Posted by Aragorn243

the restaurant industry

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Yes, that would make perfect sense. The one I showed you is what we used in the military but I don't recall if it had US markings or not.

Did much of your Canadian military stuff have US markings on them? US is typically an acceptance mark which unlike your broad arrow was not applied at acceptance but part of the manufacturing process. So I guess if there was excess to the US contract or it was surplused off it could have US markings on it.

Interesting Thermal can. I did a little research the AeroVoiD Company became the Vacuum Can company and did have a US military contract in 1984. The contract number is DLA400-81-c-3034. So the US military did use them. But as i remember the Mess Section just threw a #10 Can of coffee into a boiling 30 gallon pot of water. I am still trying to get the grinds out of teeth. So long ago. What winter fun in Graf.

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Originally Posted by browningautorifle

Did those have a front spigot for the tap? And as suggested, I never saw insulated ones. I too was out in cattle country and there were milk cans around still. Could be it's just an industrial model of thermos container for liquids.

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Jim I missed the spigot, the ones I remember were dumped straight from the mouth...

Russ

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Originally Posted by Aragorn243

Did much of your Canadian military stuff have US markings on them

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You'd be surprised, we had lots of it. I guess it was purchased through the system and just brought straight in. M37 truck, M135 truck, some of our tentage, our mountain stove M'51, Lots of our kitchen equipment...our M1919.30 cal, 106RR, .50M2...all the equipment pertaining to them and originally the publications...

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Originally Posted by fjruple

But as i remember the Mess Section just threw a #10 Can of coffee into a boiling 30 gallon pot of water. I am still trying to get the grinds out of teeth.

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I remember those times too, a large pot on an M37 burner and lined up in the field at first light for tactical feeding. Two hard boiled eggs, two toast, bacon to go and a canteen cup full of black coffee. Step on...rifle slung...next man...