WW2 Italian oil barrels????? Need help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hibacusa]

Hello everybody! I just found these two barrels somewere in Greece. I think they are italian oil barrels. I need help to identify them!
The barrels are modified to be plant pots, so the are full of soil inside. The first one, is turned up side down, and it has a mark on the top: "G.M.E FIGLIOCI GENOVA G.MORGAVI E FIGLIOCI".
The other one also has a mark: "G - DE MICHELI - FIRENZE"
No dates at all!
Photos attached below.
Opinions please!

[hibacusa]

up

[big ned]

Guiseppe de Micheli of Firenze manufactured thermo-hydraulic coolants during WW2 and the company was a pro fascist business that did supply the Germans as well Italy's armed forces. Whether the barrels are of that time is debatable, but they would have contained either hydraulic oil or glycol, so it's a possibility that the barrels maybe related to the occupying forces. I can't help with the other named barrel, but it's probably a similar thing.

Regards, Ned.

[Jerry B]

And if they are WWII what can you do with them? You must have one hell of a collection space!

[hibacusa]

Guiseppe de Micheli of Firenze manufactured thermo-hydraulic coolants during WW2 and the company was a pro fascist business that did supply the Germans as well Italy's armed forces. Whether the barrels are of that time is debatable, but they would have contained either hydraulic oil or glycol, so it's a possibility that the barrels maybe related to the occupying forces. I can't help with the other named barrel, but it's probably a similar thing.

Regards, Ned.

Very helpfull information Ned. Thanx a lot. Do you have any sources to reccomend for further information?

[hibacusa]

And if they are WWII what can you do with them? You must have one hell of a collection space!

I do have!

[big ned]

Very helpfull information Ned. Thanx a lot. Do you have any sources to reccomend for further information?

Sorry I don't. You could try looking into the name on the barrel and see if you can find a link to the company (Local history, business directories, companies involved in thermo-hydraulics etc.) as I think it may be still going today or maybe amalgamated/subsumed into an Italian conglomerate. There are little bits of info out there, but it's all snippets and much is in Italian, so I didn't bother taking note of all the sources I looked at i'm afraid.

Regards, Ned.

[jterny]

Sorry I don't. You could try looking into the name on the barrel and see if you can find a link to the company (Local history, business directories, companies involved in thermo-hydraulics etc.) as I think it may be still going today or maybe amalgamated/subsumed into an Italian conglomerate. There are little bits of info out there, but it's all snippets and much is in Italian, so I didn't bother taking note of all the sources I looked at i'm afraid.

Regards, Ned.

I agree with Ned.

You must try to see the the botom side engraved name , such as "Regia Aeronautica", "RE" etc.
See below what i mean..
John

[hibacusa]

I agree with Ned.

You must try to see the the botom side engraved name , such as "Regia Aeronautica", "RE" etc.
See below what i mean..
John

Κύριε Τερνιώτη, ευχαριστώ πολύ για τις φωτογραφίες! Κατατοπιστικότατες! Μάλλον πρόκειται για τα ίδια βαρέλια. Το κακό είναι ότι έχουν κόψει το επάνω μέρος, οπότε πρέπει να τα αδειάσω απ' το χώμα και να δω το από κάτω μέρος! Ονομάζομαι Νίκος, σας είχα στείλει πριν 10 χρόνια περίπου (μικρό παιδί τότε!) και είχατε δημοσιεύσει ένα φουλάρι και μια κουβέρτα της Regia Aeronautica από το νησί της Λέρου. Διαμένω στην Αθήνα πλέον. Θα ήταν χαρά μου να σας γνωρίσω. Αν θέλετε, στείλε μου μήνυμα να τα πούμε! Ευχαριστώ και πάλι!

[Paul D]

Can you please desist with all the question and exclamation marks ? There is no need for them .