An Ingenious Field Oven

Wednesday 3rd November 1915: Captain H J Randall of the Signal Company, East Anglian Royal Engineers, now somewhere in Gallipoli, sends the above sketch of a field oven which he has constructed by condensed milk, biscuit and other tins and a fire-brick. His “specifications” are as follows: - Field oven made of biscuit tins opened out and riveted up four thicknesses thick. The bottom of oven has a firebrick along the whole length, in contact with the fire. This is made of tinplate separated 1¼ inches with rivets and distance pieces and filled up with clay. The hobs are tin boxes filled with clay. The top of oven is prevented from sagging by a tin “box girder” filled with four empty condensed milk tins, the oven top being riveted to this. The oven door has a double thickness of wood non-conductor between – cleaning door at side to sweep the flues – hot closet at top, adjustable door for regulating draught in front of fire. It is filled with flues to bottom sides and top of oven, and to bottom and back of hot closet. It cooks well and never burns

Source: Bedfordshire Times 22nd November 1915

East Anglian Signals in Gallipoli

Scenery near Suvla Bay 

Monday 13th September 1915: Sapper R Gardner from Bromham, who is in the 54th Divisional Signal Company(1) at Gallipoli has contacted us: “After waiting  a year, the East Anglian Signal Company, from Bedford, under Captain Randall, Royal Engineers, have got on active service. We are somewhere on the Gallipoli Peninsula. We landed here after being on the ship three weeks. Our ship was shelled as we were disembarking and was hit once on the deck while other shells fell unpleasantly near. It was no light task to land men, horses, mules and wagons on the lighters, thence on to land. Three of our men were hit, but none seriously. Shells burst near us frequently but snipers seem to be the chief danger. We are well fed, quite a change from the conditions aboard ship, which were far from pleasant”.

“The 5th Beds have been in action and, I hear, have done well, a good many casualties, though. As I write this our party is sitting in dug-outs in communication by telegraph with the trenches and Divisional Headquarters. Seven of us are here acting as linesmen and operators. All water has to be brought ashore from ships, so has to be used very sparingly; cannot get a wash unless we can get to the sea which is two or three miles away”.

“We are longing for news of England and the war, as we have had no mail since we left England a month ago now. We hear all sorts of rumours about the war; one that there has been a big battle in North Sea(2). Any papers will be welcome”.

“The conditions here are not so bad considering the circumstances. The weather is trying in the day time but pleasant at night. Scrubby trees and plants are the only vegetation and species of holly and berberis. There are also some sedums. Everywhere very dry. There are some warships in the bay which are continually shelling some point on land. Our horses are not much good here, all our work being done on foot as there are no proper roads. We shall certainly have something to talk about when we come home again”.

Source: Bedfordshire Times 17th September 1915

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(1) And thus serving in the same Division as 1st/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment.

(2) Untrue