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.