ww2 british kitchen and equipment

[Surveyor]

On 9/28/2009 at 11:35 AM, armycook said:

Cooker Petrol No.1

Introduced in 1939 the Cooker No.1 or Hydro burner as it was known became standard equipment for the next 40 years until health and safety ruled them unsafe for use.

Consisting of a 2 gallon petrol tank pressurised by a foot or built in band pump, it fired a jet of flame along a trench covered by metal plates. These interlocking plates had holes to accommodate camp kettles (left of photo below, or the stainless centres of hay boxes as being used above (Hay box outer extreme right

 

Cooker Petrol No.2

This is a single burner cooker in a folding case, powered by pressurised petrol from a small tank at the front. It has its own windbreak as part of the case. Maintenance tools are attached to the side of the windbreak and a funnel supplied for filling.

This cooker was introduced during the Second World War and mainly issued to crews of armoured vehicles. It is issued with a stainless steel cooking vessel whose lid can be used as a frying pan. The cooker and pan are held together with a leather strap and are normally found fastened to the outside of a fighting vehicle as they were part of the CSE (Complete Schedule of Equipment) issued to a vehicle.

They remained in use until the 1980's when due the change from petrol powered vehicles they were replaced.

Care has to be exercised when using these cookers as the leather gaskets dry out if not used and petrol can leak from the pressure pump and ignite.

 

Cooker petrol No.3

This is a two-burner version introduced during World War Two. This version could be used by a Section or Platoon of soldiers. It could also be used with a standard oven for baking.

It folds away to the size of a small suitcase.

 

Field Oven

This small portable oven is designed to be used with the No.1 and No.3 Petrol cookers. It has two shelves and sits directly above the No.3 cooker, or on the plates of the No 1. There are two opening vents on the top to control airflow which also can be used to heat pans.

 

 

Cooker, Field, Triplex, No.4

The Cooker Number 4 is a portable oven (according the Civil Defence manual all parts could be lifted by two WVS ladies) with a cast iron range on the side. The fire is set up in the end of the range and the heat drawn along the range and around the oven. The earliest photo showing one in use is at a camp in 1914 and was still in the 1956 manual as well as the 1960's Civil Defence manual. Our example came from these stocks, although we understand that examples were still held as late as 2005 (RAF mobile catering stores)

 

The Cooker Number 4 is a portable oven (according the Civil Defence manual all parts could be lifted by two WVS ladies) with a cast iron range on the side. The fire is set up in the end of the range and the heat drawn along the range and around the oven. The earliest photo showing one in use is at a camp in 1914 and was still in the 1956 manual as well as the 1960's Civil Defence manual. Our example came from these stocks, although we understand that examples were still held as late as 2005 (RAF mobile catering stores)

 

No 4 Cook set MkII

 

The cooking Outfit Field No4 MkII is designed to provide a mobile kitchen facilty capable of producing meals for up to 150-200 personnel using fresh or composite rations, or emergency meals of stew, soup and tea for up to 300 personnel in the field. Sufficent equipment is provisioned to enable baking, roasting, frying and boilling operations to be undertaken simultaneously.

 

The Outfit is mounted on an in-service 3/4 tonne wide body two-wheeled trailer with a special cookset body and canopy and frame. Fuel supply can be Combat gas / Civgas or LPG (Propane) but on our cooker we can only use LPG. It opens out to a full kitchen with five work tops- three are for food preparation surfaces and two for food service tables- all are made in stainless steel. There are also 2 fire extinguishers and a fire blanket fitted in brackets on the rear of trailer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have just found this post

Do you still have the pictures to go with the post

I have a No2, No3, No5 and No 12 stoves, I was looking for the history of them and this is the best I have found so far only just started

[Mark Ellis]

On 9/29/2009 at 8:20 AM, REME 245 said:

The war-time Number 2 Cooker has a detachable fuel tank rather than the pull pattern.

 

The later pattern appears in the 1945 manual but quite if they saw any war-time service is questionable.

This 1944 letter suggests that the No. 2, Mk. 3 was about by 1944. The No. 2, Mk. 2 is in the 1939 VAOS. 

[Mark Ellis]

On 11/13/2009 at 7:58 PM, Davey War Years said:

I have a field kitchen called the little corporal dated 1941 you can see pics on the webiste under restoration at

 

http://www.waryearsremembered.co.uk

 

cheers davey

@Davey War Years Do you still have pictures of the Little corporal, please. I can't see it on the website

[Mark Ellis]

"Borrowed" this off the CCS forum.

The Hydra No. 1 Type "F", which I think is for the No. 4, Mk. 1 petrol powered Cooking trailer.

Which I guess was originally just called the Cookers, Trailer, Hydra Type in 1939.

Must be some photos somewhere of the British 1940s cooking trailer

 

[Mark Ellis]

I forgot about these.

In 1937 Dinky released some Royal Tank Corps tank sets, which included a Cooker trailer.

 

[Mark Ellis]

So following my research attempts - these images have cropped up on a Facebook forum. The original prototype that the 1937 Dinky model is based on. I've also found images of the relevant Water bowser, which I guess has a proper tow hook on the rear.

Interesting that the trailer has the following points

• Each corner has a canopy support, with the superstructure stowed underneath the rear of the trailer.
• The Oven and Stoves are all operated from within the narrow galley, rather than stood outside.
• The Stoves and Ovens have fold down flaps, which I presume are to access controls and connect the Hydra 4 way units to.
• The Ovens have latch bolts half way up, to secure a safety bar across the gap when in transit.

If anyone has any documentation or photos on these, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[MatchFuzee]

20 hours ago, Mark Ellis said:

I've also found images of the relevant Water bowser, which I guess has a proper tow hook on the rear.

No rear hook on these 2 bowsers. 

The first photo is supposed to be the 180 gallon bowser. 

[Mark Ellis]

3 hours ago, MatchFuzee said:

No rear hook on these 2 bowsers. 

The first photo is supposed to be the 180 gallon bowser. 

I think the 180 gallon is more obvious by the wide Brockhouse wheel arches.

I seem to recall that some trailers had a stowed tow hitch, that could be swung down by removing and reinserting a pin in the relevant hole.

 

 

The problem with the 200 gallon bowser was that they weren't balanced. Having nearly taken my chin off when unhitching once, I know it's always important to drop a rear leg before opening the tow jaw. Because there's not a chance in hell of a single person pulling the towing eye back down again on their own.

 

 

 

[Mark Ellis]

@Rangie this truck or trailer body appears to have individually controlled cooking units for each 6 gallon container position. It's not a MEXE shelter.

Do you think these are the same gasoline, controllable units used on the 1930s Cooker Trailer, and the No. 4 Mk 1 trailer, please? 

Thanks

[AlienFTM]

Wot no mention of a Benghazi burner?

https://www.google.com/search?q=benghazi+burner&oq=benghazi+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgJEAAYgAQyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQABiABDIHCAIQLhiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQLhiABDIHCAUQLhiABDIHCAYQLhiABDIHCAcQABiABDIQCAgQABiLAxiABBjuBBjGBTIHCAkQABiABDIHCAoQABiABDIHCAsQABiABDIHCAwQLhiABDIHCA0QABiABDIHCA4QABiABNIBCDQ3NzVqMWo3qAIAsAIA&client=tablet-android-lenovo-rvo3&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8&chrome_dse_attribution=1