Ex-military machines are usually set up to run on a wide variety of fuel types. The Wasp would run on just about anything they could find in the field.
Don't think your 'fellow pilot' was doing you much of a favour. It wouldn't even occur to me to run my machine on heating oil. If you're tempted by a site bowser and running your machine on heating oil...remind me never to buy your machine when you're done with it.
My bowser has water traps and filters to make sure that the fuel that comes out of the end is reliable. My central heating tank has none of these
