The tank on this one is all steel, the filter gauze and its housing is steel. Cant make out clearly, on the side wall rim, either side of the handle, something is stamped - looks like the RD but not the numbers on the left hand side. Cant make out whats stamped on the right hand. What do you chaps reckon on date ? My way of thinking, it is no earlier than 1941, no later than 1942. Have got stoves with brass tanks dating from 1939 up to early 1941, but nothing from later 1941-1942, until 1943. Have got several steel tank stoves and blowlamps, dated 1941-1942. Once America came into the war, do you think we got supplies of brass from the US, to start producing brass tanks again ? Cheers Ian
Tilley started making steel tanks in 1938 and continued to do so right through WW2. However wartime metal supplies were erratic and some brass was always available. Metal supply seems to have been better managed after about 1942 but Tilley still sometimes used steel as an alternative for the fittings. If your lamp is all original then the control cock is 1940 or later The pre 1940 cock required a much deeper socket and it is a good date indicator to see how deep the socket in in the tank. The only stamping normally found on 1930s lamps is "RD681681" which is the designs registry number. That became obsolete by 1937 but we think that some product may have still been marked after that so it is not a reliable dating pointer although it does normally indicate pre 1940 product. ::Neil::
