Buckets, tin cans and pots
IJAAF & IJNAF ground crews used various buckets to bring liquids near the maintained aircraft. They contained water to wash the dirt off the wheels or other parts of the plane, lubricant oil, gasoline and old oil to remove stains.
IJAAF & IJNAF ground crews used various buckets to bring liquids near the maintained aircraft. They contained water to wash the dirt off the wheels or other parts of the plane, lubricant oil, gasoline and old oil to remove stains.
The most common bucket is the one seen in the attached photos made of metal. The writing, whenever there was one, either said "防火用バケツ" (bokayo baketsu - bucket with water for extinguishing fires) or the name of the unit that used it.
The bucket in the photos is called "teoke" in Japanese and is made of wood. It is a more traditional way to carry water, now seen only in Buddhist temples when the Japanese visit the graves of their ancestor during Obon and clean them using water carried in these buckets available at the temple. In time the teoke became darker in color. Note the guy in the top photo using a teoke and a brush to wash the wheels of a "Lilly". Note also the metal ladder always seen with "Lily" bombers described in a previous posting.
Another means to transport water or other liquids like lubricating oil was with old tin oil cans with the top removed and either two holes on the sides and a piece of rope as a handle or a piece of wood running the length of the open top, again to use as a handle.
The two tin cans seen in the photos say "bokayo baketsu" (bucket with water for extinguishing fires).
This one says "3rd shotai". Note the tarp mentioned in a previous post beside it.
There was also a short open pot called "kanadarai" used to wash clothes by hand, as seen in the attached photo. It could be with short handles or without.
While all the previous photos featured IJAAF ground crews, the IJNAF maintenance guys used similar buckets and cans. In the photo, trainee pilots and maintenance crew members wash a Yokosuka/Kawanishi K5Y1 "Willow" belonging to the Kasumigaura Kokutai.
Similarly at the front, like in this case Rabaul, ground crews used any bucket, cans and pots available to service the aircraft.
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