| Place | Asia: Burma Thailand Railway, Nakom Paton |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | RELAWM31377.001 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Galvanized iron |
| Location | Main Bld: World War 2 Gallery: Gallery 2: Japan POW |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | Burma Thailand Railway: Nakom Paton |
| Date made | c 1944 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
Billy Can : Lieutenant Colonel E E Dunlop, 2/2 CCS
Description
Galvanized iron billy can with a top wired edge, a Pitsburg vertical seam and a hand hammered knocked edge for the base. It has a wire handle.
History / Summary
This tin can was made from a piece of scrap metal, believed to have come from ashot down Japanese plane. It was originally made in an oval shape with a flat bottom and used as a billy can for boiling water, as it had been made waterproof without solder. The can was used by Colonel Edward 'Weary' Dunlop to hide his prisoner of war records and diaries while at Nakom Paton, Thailand. Colonel Dunlop arrived at Nakom Paton from Chungkai, Thailand in May 1944. His records were buried in the can in 1944 and were later dug up after peace was declared in August 1945. As there were no water containers during that time it was made into a billy can.