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British Army Stoves


Surveyor

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No 1 was generally known as a No 1 burner as it consisted of a burner unit which sent a jet of flame out.  You needed several metal stands which were generally dug into a trench in a line.  The flame jet went along the trench through the stands.  Dixies stood on top of these.  Lethal bit of kit, but served the army for a very long time!

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Chris

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As long as the cook knows what he is doing no problem.

However on an exercise in Cyprus back in 81 one of our cooks decided the burner needed refueling.

So he took off the filler cap while it was still lit and under pressure. BIG MISTAKE.severe burns all over.

Luckily we were on the beach at Akamas and just picked him up and threw him in the sea.

Helicopter Casevac to Akrotiri or nearest Hospital.

When he eventually returned to unit many months later, the chief cook sent him on a training course for field cookery.

Appointing him as the unit field cookery instructor. You know the hazards already.

 

One other tip when using these burners, do not set them up in a roadside layby using a gravel chipping heap to bury the stand in.

Hard hats and body armour may be needed.

Edited by ploughman
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@surveyor

Agreed!  I was once, on attachment to a battalion other than my own, standing next to a No 1 burner in action.  The colour sergeant had, in a somewhat foolhardy manner, stacked jerricans containing fuel next to the trench.  The company were queuing for their midday meal.  The burner caught fire, and suddenly I realised I was the only one left in the queue.  All the others had legged it!  Fortunately the fire was put out and normal service was resumed!

Chris

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On 9/28/2018 at 6:32 PM, ploughman said:

As long as the cook knows what he is doing no problem.

However on an exercise in Cyprus back in 81 one of our cooks decided the burner needed refueling.

So he took off the filler cap while it was still lit and under pressure. BIG MISTAKE.severe burns all over.

Luckily we were on the beach at Akamas and just picked him up and threw him in the sea.

Helicopter Casevac to Akrotiri or nearest Hospital.

When he eventually returned to unit many months later, the chief cook sent him on a training course for field cookery.

Appointing him as the unit field cookery instructor. You know the hazards already.

 

One other tip when using these burners, do not set them up in a roadside layby using a gravel chipping heap to bury the stand in.

Hard hats and body armour may be needed.

There but for the grace of who ever was watching over you

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But, considering their length of service and the number of meals cooked on them, they were pretty reliable.  And, in the hands of a good cook , the No1 burner was superb.  The heat reaching each pan depended on its distance from the burner - so, if the cook knew what he was doing, then the one at the far end of the trench would be simmering while the one at the near end would be frying or boiling and he'd move them around according to what heat each one required. 

After a damp, cold night, interrupted by a 2-hour guard duty, there can be little else better than the sound and smell of a No1 burner preparing fried eggs, fried bread, sausages, beans... and steaming hot sweet tea!  No2 burners were good, but, of course, they meant doing the job yourself!  Talking of cooking, it's surprising that you never seem to see hayboxes coming up on eBay - plenty of Norwegian flasks, but no hayboxes.  So can't replicate range days with fish or pie and chips from a haybox...  and NAAFI bread wrapped with paper printed with the day of the week!

10 68

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  • 2 weeks later...

An ex-BQMS cooks for us at W&P, often up to 30 plus and uses a Hydra burner. I made up ww2 type pot supports for him, he also uses a ww2 oven and his roast beef is superb. Two of us took our seconds to the IMPS meeting at W&P, sorry Ross it was better than the Doritos. He produced a 3 course dinner for 48 people at W&P all cooked on a Hydra burner

Artifficer

cooker10.jpg

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The No.1 burner was an excellent item of equipment, IF maintained & looked after PROPERLY!

As an Armourer, all cookers also fell under our auspices of inspection & repairs Etc.  In practice however, if you had a good & experienced cook. They usually kept these things going in the Field very well indeed!

Only if they could nor fix/ correct a burner, would they come to us for assistance. IE: It then needed a repair necessitating a spare part Etc. Or they hadn't got the correct tools to execute an in depth repair.

The main problems with nearly all Petrol Stoves & burners. Was the main jet getting clogged up.

This was due in the main, to small bit's of debris being introduced into the burners main tank. When filling the tanks from Jerry cans. Small bit's of the red lead paint liner in these cans / containers. Were the main culprit! Easy rectified with a strip & clean & fresh clean petrol! ;)

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If anyone needs spares, info or repairs on any British burner or stove, there’s a good engineer friend of mine in Essex who’s obsession is these. What the guy doesn’t know, not worth knowing.  He’s called STEVE DARBY, if anyone knows him, if not PM me and can pass his details over. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi 10FM68

Wanting to make a model diorama featuring a mule carrying two hayboxes (That was what those huge rings on the side were for - to hook the thing on a pack saddle), I spent some time trying to find a haybox so I could measure it up.  No luck at first.  I made contact with the cook of a re-enactor group at the War and Peace Revival show (then at Folkestone Racecourse) who assured me that, while the 6 gallon dixies were still useful and thus available, the 6 gallon insulators were not, as better versions were used instead.  I dod eventually get the dimensions I needed from a helpful gentleman in Canada who measured one up for me at his local scrap yard!  I think there were several slightly different versions - not surprising considering how long they were in service.

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Thanks Chris, and interesting stuff from Artificer and Ferret Fixer.  I hadn't known that the correct term for a haybox was insulator and I had forgotten the term "Hydraburner" as well.  I'm sure there were different styles over the years - the one in the photo, for example, appears to have a hinged lid, the ones I was familiar with, I seem to remember didn't.  I never came across 6-gallon dixies as, by the time I joined, the Norwegian Container had replaced them - though they were, of course, a lot smaller.  Interesting reminder about the red lining of jerricans as well - it was definitely their Achilles' heel, responsible for a lot of clogging in all sorts of places through the years, I'm sure, particularly with older cans.  An interesting thread, thanks.

 

10 68

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  • 3 years later...

A quick update, still looking for information but found a document with some information, think Clive but I cant find the reference, I have now got a No 7 stove and rumour has it that this was developed for the Royal Marines in the artic.

My hope is to get a description which kids at school and adults can read a description of them, I have No 1, 2, 2 modified, 3, 5 gas and petrol, and a No 7.

Also a AFV boiling vessel.

As an extra have a swiss army 2 burner.

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  • 1 year later...
On 10/16/2018 at 8:17 AM, ferretfixer said:

The No.1 burner was an excellent item of equipment, IF maintained & looked after PROPERLY!

As an Armourer, all cookers also fell under our auspices of inspection & repairs Etc.  In practice however, if you had a good & experienced cook. They usually kept these things going in the Field very well indeed!

Only if they could nor fix/ correct a burner, would they come to us for assistance. IE: It then needed a repair necessitating a spare part Etc. Or they hadn't got the correct tools to execute an in depth repair.

The main problems with nearly all Petrol Stoves & burners. Was the main jet getting clogged up.

This was due in the main, to small bit's of debris being introduced into the burners main tank. When filling the tanks from Jerry cans. Small bit's of the red lead paint liner in these cans / containers. Were the main culprit! Easy rectified with a strip & clean & fresh clean petrol! ;)

you mean REME main  Tool  the Hammer depending size depending on the size of the job ?? 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/22/2018 at 7:36 PM, Hoseman said:

I’ve spoken to my mate who repairs and refurbs burners and stoves.

hes asked me to pass on his info if needed

Steve Darby

grizzly.darbs@btinternet.com

or message him on 07771521115

paul

 

Does Steve have a list and photos of all the Army burner types ?

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2 hours ago, Mark Ellis said:

Does Steve have a list and photos of all the Army burner types ?

Have a look over on the Classic Camp Stoves forum, there's lots of photos of various examples, including the less common nowadays Hurlocks, Towson & Coxsons and other ones.

For some the Nomenclature has changed, ie the No.4 was a solid fuel type, but the No.4 Mk2 was the trailer mounted type. They in turn went from being petrol fuelled to being LPG fuelled so there were lots of subtle tweaks over the years. The No.2 for another example went through 4 variants in two Mk's for added confusion xD

Alec.

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13 minutes ago, Rangie said:

Have a look over on the Classic Camp Stoves forum, there's lots of photos of various examples, including the less common nowadays Hurlocks, Towson & Coxsons and other ones.

For some the Nomenclature has changed, ie the No.4 was a solid fuel type, but the No.4 Mk2 was the trailer mounted type. They in turn went from being petrol fuelled to being LPG fuelled so there were lots of subtle tweaks over the years. The No.2 for another example went through 4 variants in two Mk's for added confusion xD

Alec.

@Rangie WOW. Thanks. I hadn't realised that there was such a thing.

I'd wondered if anyone had put a PDF together of the different British military ones.

Site is here https://classiccampstoves.com/forums/military.202/

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Just now, Mark Ellis said:

I've thrown this document together, as a starting point.

British Military stoves

Does anyone know what Number 4, 8, 9, 10, or 11 looked like, please?

And does anyone have any documents on any of the files, please?

Many thanks

4 is a trailer, looking for the rest as well

Working on my document as well

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Just now, Surveyor said:

4 is a trailer, looking for the rest as well

Working on my document as well

 

2 minutes ago, Mark Ellis said:

I've thrown this document together, as a starting point.

British Military stoves

Does anyone know what Number 4, 8, 9, 10, or 11 looked like, please?

And does anyone have any documents on any of the files, please?

Many thanks

Just one thing there are 2 versions of the number 2, No2 Modified is in the picture, No2 is petrol

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