Sunday History Photo / SA

Submitted: Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 06:58
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The Wiles Army Steam Cooker was first made just prior to the 1914-18 war and was invented by James (Jim) Fletcher Wiles, Ballarat, Victoria. Australia.
The basic principle was a horse drawn travelling kitchen, being a combination of Steam Boiler. Roasting Oven, Hot and Cold Water Tanks and a Limber, which were connected by steam hoses and carried two large Steamers or Stock Pots.
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Well after the cessation of hostilities the Australian Army, owing to a decision to standardize all equipment to British Army methods, discontinued the use of the Wiles Cooker and reverted to the use of the antiquated methods:- Soyer stoves, (wash boilers) Dixies, Mud trenches and Mud Aldershot ovens.
Jim Wiles was very disappointed with this decision and sold his engineering workshops at Ballarat and purchased an irrigated fruit growing property with 100 acres of vines for dried fruit production located on the River Murray "New Era" near Cadell South Australia. Unfortunately the dried fruit industry collapsed owing to lack of marketing facilities between Australia and overseas countries. He lost everything and had no alternative but to abandon the property just prior to the "Great Depression" and settle in Adelaide April 1926 with his family.
In 1929 he decided to set up an Electroplating Plant in Adelaide. He had no capital and relied on his sons to support him.
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After many years of hard work, the company was successful and became well known in industry.
He was the first to introduce in 1930 a new development Chromium plating to Adelaide. Prior to that Nickel plating was the method used but with the application of chromium plating it set a new standard in Decorative Electroplating.
During this period Jim frequently talked with his sons on the advantage of an Army having good cooking facilities, compulsory military training was then a fact, Army cooking had not progressed. He hoped that some top Army officials would see the light and reintroduce his Steam Cooker invention which had been so highly regarded by the troops in the 1914-18 war. These talks became more intensive in the late thirties when it appeared that a war was imminent.
Early 1939 Jim became seriously ill. Just prior to his death on 11th August 1939 he requested that the four brothers, should war break out, again submit proposals to the Defence Department for the making of steam cookers.
They visited Keswick Barracks and discussed with Major Lenton the advantages of steam cooking. The brothers decided to build a cooker and submit it to the Army.
They had no working drawings so worked from photographs of a first war unit estimating possible sizes from these. The model developed had the basic design of the first war unit, but at that early stage considered the possibility that the idea could be used in static camps as well as in mobile form .
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They worked night and day and on the 28th November 1939 had completed the First prototype. The whole idea was submitted to officers concerned at Keswick Barracks 4 M.D.
Major Lenton was very impressed and arranged that the Base Commandant Brig Martyn give permission to it being tested with the Garrison Battalion then stationed at Keswick.

The battalion cooks became very enthusiastic and the message rapidly spread that they had a good piece of equipment for cooking. Colonel H. Tolley C.R.E. and Major Stevens Assist. C.R.E. were satisfied and reported that the steam boiler was a sound design and quite safe to be used by Army cooks. Reports were also being received by Major Lenton regarding the wood fuel economy. With this information we decided that I should visit Army Headquarters Victoria Barracks Melbourne and talk with officers likely to be interested.
Progress and interest was slow then at the suggestion of Major Lenton the cooker was moved to Gawler Camp where the l8th Light Horse Machine Gun Regiment was camped under the command of Brigadier Blackburn.
This Mobile Regiment gave the Cooker considerable tests, one being the movement of the complete regiment from Gawler to Kingston Park and back. Meals were supplied without any difficulty.
Arthur Blackburn had compiled a complete record of its performance. Its fuel consumption was only 30 per cent of the official issue. Within 20 minutes of lighting the fire it was ready to prepare a meal, and it could cook on the road whilst travelling at normal convoy speed, and supply a battalion with a two course meal. Four gallons of water could be boiled For tea in two minutes.
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'The demand for Stationary Units was considerable, also spare parts castings etc. All factories were flat out on production and the work force had increased to in excess of 300 men.
The urgent demand was so great that mobile units were placed where they served an urgent requirement. It was used on rail transport where it was carried in a truck at feeding points, beach heads. in sea transport where it was lashed on deck, in field hospitals, trans-shipment points and dock operating units.
With the acceptance of the large 4 four wheeled mobile cooker and because Army and Airforce Bases were located all over Australia and the Islands, Army Catering Corps suggested we develop a small two wheel cooking unit to cater for 100 to 150 personnel to be towed by a jeep or possibly dropped by parachute into inaccessible areas. weight not to exceed 1 ton.
The cooker was tested and immediately accepted by Army. Because of its size and possible confusion with the large 4 wheel unit it was named "The Junior Mobile Cooker". With good mobility considerable numbers were used by Army and Airforce.
Although its use did not become effective till the later stages of the war it was extensively used by Army until 1980.
The factory was still producing a large volume of mobile and stationary cookers and continued to do so until completion of the war. Over 3000 mobile and stationary cookers were made and were used continually by the Australian and New Zealand Army in Korea and Vietnam.
The Wiles Mobile Steam Cooker is a fitting tribute to the work of the Army Cook, and to the memory of its soldier inventor J.F. WILES.

REPORT ON THE COOKER



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Reply By: Ozhumvee - Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 07:58

Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 07:58
Doug
Another excellent history subject, your research greatly appreciated by myself and many others I suspect.
Thanks
Peter
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Follow Up By: Member - Ed C (QLD) - Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 08:17

Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 08:17
Ditto

:)

Confucius say.....
"He who lie underneath automobile with tool in hand,
....Not necessarily mechanic!!"

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Follow Up By: Member Brian (Gold Coast) - Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 08:51

Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 08:51
Ditto here as well!!


Cheers

Brian

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Reply By: Member - Toyocrusa (NSW) - Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 08:37

Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 08:37
Yep. Me too. Thanks again. Bob.
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Reply By: Member - swagman(VIC) - Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 09:27

Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 09:27
i went to the melbourne steamfest on saturday and they have junior steam kitchen there,so this info was very good
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Reply By: Member - Allan B (QLD) - Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 09:33

Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 09:33
Good one Doug. I remember Wiles Electroplating in Adelaide, Mile End I think. The factory was damaged by a fire in the early 1950's as I recall. We did some electrical repairs. Gee that was a long while back!

But I didn't know about the steam cooker. Thanks for that Doug.

Cheers
Allan

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Reply By: Member - Patrick (QLD) - Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 09:52

Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 09:52
Another great read. I really look forward to your history stories each Sunday morning.

Well done and keep up the good work. It is really appreciated!

Patrick


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Reply By: Member - Paul Mac (VIC) - Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 10:18

Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 10:18
Thanks Doug,

I learn something most Sunday's and always look forward to your posts.

Cheers mate.
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Reply By: keviny6 - Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 10:21

Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 10:21
a great and interesting read thank you
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Follow Up By: Member - Ann D (WA) - Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 10:51

Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 10:51
Doug,

As usual a great sunday read.

Thanks
Ann
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Reply By: Member -Toonfish - Monday, Mar 08, 2010 at 21:47

Monday, Mar 08, 2010 at 21:47
one of its succesors was the mk 2 kfm light
or kitchen field mobile whicj i had the pleasure of using many times and training others to use however mostly used standard army tents with an array of gas and petrol fired cookers ,can still remember peeling spuds for most of the day for our unit and most of the night on a killer cask,lol go catering corps.

not so sure you could get away with it now!

cheers
2013/14 around oz adventure bound

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