History of British Army Personal Cookers

[Toadflax]

Having just got myself one of the old brass Monitor Pressure Stoves and also being an on and off user of good old hexamine cookers, I started to wonder about the history of personal cooking in the British Army - and field cooking in general.

When was hexy introduced (it seemed well established when I served in the early 1980s and during my cadet force years in the 1970s)?

Where would the Monitor stoves have been used? They seem more of a section or vehicle cooker than a personal one.

What was used for personal cooking in, say WWII?

I do also remember some sort of pit based cooker (though this was a field kitchen), where a pit was dug, the cooker was put in at one end and spat out a jet of flame along the pit, above which was suspended the cooking pots.



Geoff

 

[johnboy]

A good starting point is over on Classic camp stoves..

here is a link to get you started

http://www.spiritburner.com/fusion/showgallery.php?fid/309/

Cheers

John

 

[rik_uk3]

I'll start you off

No3 cooker, petrol burner, type used from late 40's through to maybe the 80's

No12 stove, paraffin or diesel burner, current issue

The 12 is a big stove, not for backpacking

Army No7 Petrol/coleman fuel burner, in use until the 80's

 

[MrEd]

Rik

that No7, is that a one pint or two pint stove inside it? what sort of size are they?

 

[rik_uk3]

Rik

that No7, is that a one pint or two pint stove inside it? what sort of size are they?

Ed its very small thats a crusader mug on top.

 

[MrEd]

oh right tiny, cheers

 

[launditch1]

In WW2 we used the 'tommy cooker'...

 

[AJB]

What is currently used by HM forces when they are cooking for themselves as opposed to having the use of a field kitchen? The only stuff I've seen is on the news where ration packs go into a communal ammunition box full of water over a fire - I assume that is not the prescribed regulation method - is there an issued personal cooker?

 

[andybysea]

Tommy cookers where a basic x (looking down on it) two sheet metal pieces with a round disc that sat in the middle the hexi type fuel was also disc shaped and this sat of the metal disc the mess tins sat on top of the x, you can and i did have a replica one(well just modern made one exact same) but the humble modern hexi stove is more effective as it at least offer some shelter from wind and is more stabe.

 

[clcuckow]

Slightly OT I know but I once read, and I don't now how much truth there was in it but it was noticed during WWII that over time the effect of the gammon bomb went down and when they investigated it it turned out that the ever resourceful Para's had worked out that if they cut pieces of the PE and lit it, it burned so hot they could get a very quick brew on

Just shows how important a brew was, and what length's the squaddies would go to for a nice cup of char

 

[Toadflax]

it turned out that the ever resourceful Para's had worked out that if they cut pieces of the PE and lit it, it burned so hot they could get a very quick brew on

When we did demolition training in the Sappers, we were always told that you could cook on PE4. Never tried it though...


Geoff

 

[MrEd]

C-4 burns slowly when it is ignited with a flame rather than detonated with a primary explosive, so soldiers during the Vietnam War era would sometimes use small amounts of C-4 as fuel for heating rations while on long patrols. Burning C-4 produces poisonous fumes and should be avoided (see below). While many soldiers used C-4 safely in this manner, there are anecdotes about soldiers trying to put out the fire by stamping on it — causing it to detonate. These are untrue as a blasting cap is required for detonation.

Michael Herr in Dispatches, his book about the Vietnam War, relates that a soldier would occasionally ingest C-4 from a claymore mine in order to cause temporary illness and be sent on sick leave. Although the ruse might work with an inexperienced commander, experienced officers were usually aware of the trick and would keep the man on board.[citation needed]

These applications of C-4 are dangerous and could be deadly. US Army Field Manual 5-250, Explosives and Demolitions includes this bold print, block warning: "WARNING Composition C-4 explosive is poisonous and dangerous if chewed or ingested; its detonation or burning produces poisonous fumes."

EEK! wonder who was the first person to try it, they must have been gagging for a brew!

 

[AJB]

This is getting well off topic now, and I still want to know what squadies cook on now, but I once did a job with the bomb squad on a UXB Seadart missile. They took it apart with a shaped charge then gathered up the HE and burnt it in a hole in the ground. All good fun

 

[phill_ue]

In armoured vehicles, they use a BV, or Boiling Vessel. It is basically a square kettle. It is the Section Sprogs' job to ensure the BV is kept toppers with oggin, if the BV boils dry and goes boom then the old nasty cookers that nobody but Rik knows how to use have to come out, and then everybody comes off exercise without eyebrows.......


.....Or a face! O infantry type Ops, it's Hexi or personal cook systems bought from the NAAFI at over inflated prices.

 

[AJB]

Cheers Pill,

So they have to buy their own?

Is the "personal cook systems" the crusader, or is it whatever they choose to use?

 

[phill_ue]

Cheers Pill,

So they have to buy their own?

Is the "personal cook systems" the crusader, or is it whatever they choose to use?

If you want to use anything other than an issue hexy, you buy your own. And it isn't tax deductable!

ps. There are some units that operate in arctic environments that use pressurised stoves such as Peak stoves, etc. Naptha is the fuel of choice for those.

 

[AJB]

Hexy and square mess tins?

Jeeze we treat our troops badly!

 

[Nat]

In armoured vehicles, they use a BV, or Boiling Vessel. It is basically a square kettle. It is the Section Sprogs' job to ensure the BV is kept toppers with oggin, if the BV boils dry and goes boom QUOTE]

And trust me if they went boom in what i'm training in, you'd lose your legs.

 

[johnboy]

Hexy and square mess tins?

Jeeze we treat our troops badly!

Hexy and a mess tin is ok for reheating boil in the bag... Jetboils are on issue in Afghanistan along with Coleman peak stoves...

 

[w00dsmoke]

My grandfather was taught to use petrol in an empty tin can which was first filled with sand as a cooker. I've tried it and it works quite well. The other one was oil and water dripped onto a sheet but I never got my head around it as I wasn't shown it.

The guys I worked with all used either svea stoves or coleman stoves up north or the classic hexi. I love the hexi stove, it's an all time squadieproof classic.

ws