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