Research regarding Cookers, Portable, No. 2

[Ed Storey]

Colin, that is a thorough piece of research on the Cookers, Portable, No. 2 and thank you for posting it. Here is a report that was written on the Cooker, Portable Mk II, No.2 following a cold weather test that was conducted in Canada in 1944.

[Colin Alford]

Jesse,

Understood. I have been in Sexton but I did not pay any attention to the area in question and you are definitely better qualified than I to speak about the challenges of trying to accommodate a British Cooker in the available space.

During the research I did look through some files relating to the Sexton that included documents about the stowage but they all seemed to relate to the changes that happened between Sexton I and Sexton II. I did not find any mention of changes desired or implemented regarding stowage of the Cooker.

I presume that the field expedient would have been to find a different place to stow the British Cooker.

Colin

[Colin Alford]

Ed,

Thanks for your comments and for posting the report.

The report seems to help confirm that the British Cooker was not the type that was in common use in Canada at the time.

Attached is one page of the long list of items that were tested during those cold weather trials. If you follow the link you can scroll through the other pages of the document.

http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oo...7/2436?r=0&s=1

Colin

[Jesse Browning]

The stove described, and pictured appears to be a No2, or a No2 Mk1. It is refered to as a No2 mk2. I do agree with the findings.

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Colin Alford

This seems to indicate that these stoves were still in use into the 1980s.

My reading of the above is that the above comments specifically relate to the Coleman 500 in CDN service, but you haven't mentioned the post-war service of the No2 mk2.

After looking on Ebay UK, I see a New Old Stock cooker in the bag with a manufacturing date of 1993 (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Army-stov...kAAOSw-uNaS9YW). When did they phase them out of service, or is the No2 Mk2 still in use?

If the stoves were modified originally to become the Mk2 due to the introduction of leaded fuel, were any subsequent modifications required to run them on modern unleaded fuel with it's additives of ethanol, toluene and benzene (and who know's what else?) I see the ebay version I've linked is now called a No2 Mk2 Modified. Do these stoves run OK on modern fuel?

(PS If the seller would post internationally, I would not have linked this item! )

[Jordan Baker]

Here is my Coleman stove with the pot/pan as described by Colin. This one also came with an original 1942 instruction booklet.

[Jordan Baker]

One of the Coleman 500 aluminium cooking pots showed up in this film.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ect/1060023954

[charlie fitton]

For 105.80 (pounds) I'd take one...

[derk derin]

After reading this post Colin I was on the lookout for one of the Coleman 500 stoves and a couple of weeks ago I finally came across 3 that were scrapped as they were stripped of their valves & generators but what peaked my interest is the 42 date on 2 of the tanks. It was a start so I cleaned up the best tank and made one fairly complete one out of the 3 stoves. I’ve been trying to find a valve and generator to complete it but so far there has been no luck finding any. I hope to find more next spring that may have the parts I need to complete it but for now it will fill the spot in my carrier.
Thank you for doing all the research on these stoves.
Regards,Derk

[derk derin]

The tank had a couple of hammer marks, I popped them out with air then bondoed up the ripples. Turned out ok. Don’t want it to look too pretty otherwise I would worry about it getting scratched!
Derk

[Jordan Baker]

Looks great. You just need the wind shield that fitted around the burner.

[Colin Alford]

Derk,

Thanks,

Yours are the first images that I have seen of a leaded-fuel warning plate on a Coleman 500. Very interesting!

Colin

[derk derin]

Well I had enough parts left over to put another stove together. I’ll put it in my carrier for display so didn’t worry about fixing the dents in it.
I’m also making heat shields for them for now until I find originals.
Derk

[David Dunlop]

Nice work, Derk.

And I suspect if the last one is cleaned up, it will make a great plant stand in the living room!

David

[derk derin]

So I finally finished my reproduction heat shields for my stove. They will have to do until I find a set of originals. Thanks to Rob Love for giving me a lead on a generator for the stove. Now I just need to find the fitting to hold it in place and also a valve assembly. There’s always something to look for!
I’m also looking for my No 2 cooker a grill and one of the folding legs if anybody have in their spare pile of parts??
Thanks,Derk

[derk derin]

I no sooner finished replicating the heat shields for both my Coleman stoves when on Saturday I find 2 more stoves and they are complete with heat shields!
I went through a lot of trouble making them but the nice thing is I now have originals and I no longer have to look for valves & generators for the ones I have. In fact the one good stove doesn’t have a dent in it anywhere! The other dented one will be for parts to complete my stove with the warning plate strapped to the tank. It just proves if you look long enough, the parts eventually show up!
I even found an aluminum Wartime dated mess tin that I have been wanting to find for some time now. Only the large outer one but I’ll be hunting for the inner one! The looking never ends!
Derk

[Rangie (Alec)]

Older thread I know but I thought i would pop in and say thanks for a great job on the timeline/history

I've dipped in to it a few times over the years and some of the links have been a great back-door into my own research

I am on a similar mission with the No.1/Hydra, been working on a working history for a few years now, more info and photos come to light regularly as collections are scanned, its great!

Cheers,
Alec

[derk derin]

Found this one last weekend at an antique sale in Winnipeg. It’s 1940 dated but Crome finish and made in the United States of America.

[derk derin]

I’m still looking for the Hydra cooker folding stands and that elusive cooking pot & lid with the strap that the Coleman 500 stores in for my Mk1 carrier!
I know they’re out there somewhere!
Derk