Advice: Best US one-man vintage Army stove?

The M1950 is available w/o a great expense, neat engineering, and cranks out the heat. I have two, and just sold two. I have never seen one with a real issue, like stress crack, although I am sure others have.

The 530 is pretty, but not stable and bigger than the others.

 

A local friend was Airborne. He brought his Whisperlite with him, he still has/uses it.

 

It’s a great stove, Harder, and reasonably controllable. A possibly leaky base seam is something to be aware of when purchasing. Next time I’d avail myself of Murph’s suggestion in that thread I posted of the repair to seek out a more suitable brazing metal if I came across one again with that fault.

John

 

I don't know where it can be found currently, but some years ago there was an excellent and inspiring documentary on the formation of the US 10th Mountain Division. As the 10th Mountain was formed of hard-core mountaineers, skiers, loggers, forest rangers and the like, it is a great insight into the a lot of equipment of that era.The GI mountain ration had to be cooked, as portions of it were dried soups. (It helps to consider that a normal "wet" ration would have frozen hard as a brick in the -40 temps the men trained in. -40 F = -40 C.) This didn't make the ration particularly popular with the troops, as they felt that need to melt snow and cook their food exposed them to enemy observation and fire. As the 10th was, and is again a highly mobile force, it is likely that many of them used the 1942 model stove, and very likely a number of classic mountaineering stoves as well.

 

Found a good history of the 10th Mountain Division, Climb to Conquer by Peter Shelton in Google Books.

https://books.google.com/books/about/Climb_to_Conquer.html?id=yCNkPwAACAAJ

Among other things, it references the M1942 stove directly, but not by official designation. They are called ". . . the ingenious little gasoline stoves that Bestor Robinson and the Quartermaster General's Office developed." (page 60) The 10th was an early adopter of the pattern.

It also notes that the troops initially tried to use them in tents, and suffered the effects of CO poisoning, but no fatalities. (page 40)

As I also suspected, Primus/Optimus and variants were used early on. The author notes on page 23, "The only lightweight camp stoves, for instance, which were essential for melting snow for drinking and cooking, had to be imported from Sweden."

Ain't stove collecting edumicational?

 

If I recall correctly.
Jim and Lou Whittaker were involved with the training of the 10th.
And, IIRC, they were fond of the Optimus 00.

 

Greetings, All,

Many years ago, SB and I attended a couple of slide show/lectures by one of the Whittaker Brothers. I think it was Jim, but can't recall, for sure. He and I spoke on both occasions about stoves, and when he found out that I collected them, promised to send me one of the M1942 stoves, which he had used when training members of the 10th, as he told me that this Division did use those stoves, and that he had quite a few of them, personally. I was exceedingly excited about receiving one of those stoves from him, but alas, he never fulfilled his promise to send the M1942. I'm sure he was just too busy, and probably forgot all about it soon after we talked. No matter, as I have a few of that model, now, including one that I got in mint condition, which will remain unfired, and another one that I've fettled and have used. Works a treat, that stove!! In this photo, you can see the original Mountain cook set that was designed to be used with the <1942, and yes, a can of Spam, for a tad of color and spice!!



For the life of me, I can't find the photos in my computer, which I took and posted here on April 21,2007, and which shows my user/workhorse M1942 in action after my fettle!! I KNOW they have to be here on my computer, "someplace", but so far, they have remained hidden. So, if you click the link below, and scroll down to post #7, you can see my working M1942, just for fun.

https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/help-m-1942-fire-bomb.5267/#post-46242

Great stove, the Model 1942!! Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

 

From various sources I've read, the inspiration for the 10th Mountain Division was the effectiveness of Finnish ski troops against the Soviet invasion. The army decided that the US should have such a division to counter the numerous German mountain troops and Italian Alpini, if the war ended up in the Alps. My understanding is that the M-1942 stove and cookset was designed by Bestor Robinson especially for the 10th, and I've not found any evidence it was issued to other troops during the war. (Post-war was another matter.)

I'm making some assertions here, and would be interested in observations by others, either pro or con.

....Arch

 

The M1942 surely was issued to the 10th, but also others. It was mentioned by war correspondent Ernie Pyle as being as critical to the war effort as the Jeep.

Also, in terms of sheer numbers produced, the stoves would have greatly outnumbered the men.

While inspired by the Finns and other European troops, the 10th faced unique challenges. Finland, for example, is largely flat. The Rockies are larger than the Alps. The 10th was initially concieved as a defensive force, as the US was genuinely concerned about invasion.

 

The stove Ernie Pyle wrote about was the M1941 (coleman 520) not the M1942 (mountain stove). Pyle was even gifted a special nickled and I believe engraved 520 stove. It was stolen from the museum honoring Pyle and is still at large, There are some posts about it on the Coleman Collectors forum.

I have copies of patents from both Aladdin and Bestor Robinson for very similar stoves. Robinson also filed the patent for the M1942 Two Burner stove which Coleman labeled the 523.

Heading on a road trip this morning but next week I'll see if I can post the patent drawings.

 

cottage hill bill,
I very much appreciate your familiarity with stove patents, knack for researching them and enlightening contributions you've made . It is much appreciated. Enjoy your trip, thank you.

all,
The historic development of the 520 was something that hooked me into our hobby. The patents are a main piece of US pocket stoves historical record. Early in this post inventors / patents came to mind for me as well. We might recall CCS comments re the 520 & 1942-MOD development, those people and their patents. I'm far less familiar w/patents than chb and others.

I also appreciate @toonsgt (absent as of late and he is missed). In 2010 he posted 520 patent images here scroll down the page to his link, unfortunately the link is kaput.
Credit Trojandog 2012 there are a couple 520 images in our patent section.

Re patents including (rare 1943 alladin) M1942 in 2010 toonsgt said "This stove was designed by Bestor Robinson, of Sierra Club fame, for the 10th Mountain Division. What's odd, is that while he was with the Army, he was awarded a patent for this DURING the war(1944) only 2 years after he applied for it. Boyd Tullis, of Coleman, wasn't awarded a patent for his 520/M1941 until 1946, over 4 years after his application. The 1941 was evidently too heavy for the mountain troops."

cottage hill bill, all,
Re toonsgt's link above to 520 patent, he mentions 8 page document was 14kb . I join fellow stovies hoping research again finds the 8 pages he refers to (already posted? would be even better!).
thx omc

 

Hi all,

I have a M1942 model marked US Aladdin 1944 , cleaned it , fettled it, but when I try to light it using Paraffine it does not worked !
OK , I know ,it is for gazoline ! But it should work with Paraffine ,no ??
I do not have a car anymore or a bike , and am not very inclined to use gazoline in my little kitcheen !
So any suggestions welcome .
Thanks a lot

Alain

 

Greetings, Alain!

Welcome to CCS! Sorry to disappoint, but the M1942 is not made to burn kerosene, or any other fuel than gasoline, or Naptha-based fuels. I can't recall if anyone here has tried to make the '42 run on kero, but I'm sure they will pop up and let you know what they did, and how it worked. You can get Panel Wipe in the UK, and the M1942 should run great on that fuel, too. Don't give yourself the headache of trying to make a strictly Gasoline stove, into something that it was never intended to be. Waste of your time, me thinks, and frustrating in the extreme, OMHO. Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

 

Thanks Doc .
Will look for Panel wipe , whatever that is ?!
Regards

Alain

 

Hi @Lannigdu

Panel wipe is used by vehicle repainting companies to clean the metal panels before painting.
It can be obtained from motor-factor dealers.
However there are two main types. One is water-based and is no use to you. The other is naptha based and burns really well.

 

Hi Trevor,

Yes, was on Amazon and see that there were 2 types .
Order 1LT of the naphta based one ! Should have it by the 15-17/03 .
If successful , will post pictures !
Thanks a lot .
Regards

Alain

 

My British Army No7 kicks ass! It's simple, small and packs a ridiculous punch for it's size.

 

On the M1942, there are several excellent and very detailed posts on the following blog, including how to buy one without getting burned:

https://sklcolorado.wordpress.com/2017/02/18/the-m-1942-mountain-stove/

Very well done research.

 

Harder, all,
@Harder D. Soerensen
Re OP "...old/Vintage US Army 1-man stoves since they are starting to be interesting for me."
For me my "old/..." interest went from
late 50s camp gear (used equipment then) that I used 50s - 70s. then
30s - 40s my Dad's US Army WW2 generation then
1910s - 20s my grand Dad's US Army WW1 (I kept going back to 1880s).

IF others find themselves, from WW2 then interested in older.
Here is WW1 "mountain division" [Italian soldiers in the Alps on skies where..] "Trenches lose their usefulness ... The snow makes necessary special uniforms and devices."


"Special devices"... maybe pack-stove ability to heat food & drink?
If so I would guess a storm cooker (with that, such example(s) may be among the oldest posted on CCS?)
thx omc
source Collier -break- 's the national abc weekly 123 March 1918
tag @afoton

 

I am particularly interested in what stoves the Alpini (Italian mountain divisions) troops used in both world wars. If anybody knows, I would like to see it here, or in its own post.

....Arch