[REF] Outfit, Cooking Small Detachment

AMAZING thats fantastic good find!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WoW. i look forward to see it in all its glory!

hi guys ive seen it today its brill, and to think only a couple of people have looked inside since 1944 is a bit wiered, all the kit is still wrapped up and never been used. cant wait to see it in use.

riz

Thanks guys, I'm hoping it will prove as good as it should be, we might need to take it slowly at first until I can get up to speed on how it all works so we won't be depending on it just yet!

"Quartermaster Corps Organization, Supply and Services" dated 1953 (always good to know wot ye got, how and where it came from and where it fits within the timeline of yer displays ):

"Other cooking outfits for small groups of men operating away from organizational mess facilities were developed by the QMC. Among these was the 20-man cooking outfit, initially "developed under the auspices of Major Clements of the Storage and Distribution Division" and later taken over and modified by the Special Forces Section of the Research and Development Branch. Designed to be used particularly by antiaircraft and searchlight detachments, it was recommended for standardization by the QMCTC on 15 September 1942. The outfit consisted of two gasoline stoves of the two-burner type; two metal cases, one for each stove, which could be used as a cooking vessel and a frying pan; a set of nested cooking vessels including two coffee pots; and miscellaneous utensils, such as can openers, paring knives, and a ladle. The complete outfit weighed about fifty pounds and was packed in a canvas carrying bag. This 20-man cooking outfit was criticized in test reports because food, unless closely watched by the cook, burned easily. An intensely hot, localized flame was furnished by the burners, which were the same as those used in the M-1941 one-burner stoves. In addition, the frequent clogging of generators posed a maintenance problem. Within a year a considerable number of modifications had been made to overcome these difficulties as well as to redesign the components of the outfit.

Because of the inadequacy of the 20-man cooking outfit, a project had been initiated about March 1943 to develop a more satisfactory item. In the months following a considerable amount of research was accomplished, resulting in the development of the small detachment cooking outfit to provide hot meals for 20 to 30 men. Standardized at first on a basis of limited procurement, the new outfit proved superior in tests to the 20-man cooking unit. As a consequence in the summer of 1944 the QMCTC recommended its standardization and the reclassification of the 20-man cooking outfit as substitute standard. This small detachment cooking outfit weighed 80 pounds but was so constructed that it could be packed in two equal parts, which could be carried on pack boards by two men. When set up for cooking, the stove was a rectangular box measuring 18 by 24 by 12 inches in size, with a sectional stovepipe about 6 feet long. This stove was operated by a flow of liquid fuel from a 5 gallon gasoline can.

Components of the outfit included aluminum cookpots of assorted sizes, stainless steel frying pans, a sterilizing pan for mess gear, and various other small accessories.
For packing purposes, the cooking utensils fitted together in the upper half of the stove, while the stovepipe— telescoped into one short length— and the burner were packed in the lower half. "

Nice bit of background there.

I realise this thread is old but I figured I would post anyway, how did you go with getting your cooker to work?

I picked up 2 of these yesterday, one 44 dated with 90% of its parts and one 45 dated still in its crate, it was inspected in the 50's according to the box and I found a few of the parts inside had 50's dates so I suspect they exchanged some bits, anyway I found this video that is excellent reference, I hope to get mine going after work today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqin3qFe1Xc

Interesting clip there, I noticed though that they make no reference to what to do with the Gas can, looking at that footage it looks like it's just standing on it's own and not raised up to allow gravity to take affect.