Chaps, the favourite 96 in my collection. It is virtually untouched since birth and also has the owners name on the tin. S Le Sage / 29th May 1916 / RNAS. We did the research on Stanley who was a theatre manager from Brighton UK when he enlisted into the Royal Naval Air Service in 1916. At a guess, bought by or gifted to him to aid him in his service. Anyone know the equivalent cost for a 96 back then? He served on HMS President II which it turns out was a shore establishment or 'stone frigate' thus his service was infact office based, I believe at the Admiralty or similar in London. His name popped up on a poster in the IWM archives as the manager of a West End theatre that presented a show which was put on for the troops. I can't help thinking that his job and maybe more middle class orientation might have saved him from some of the horrors of war. They stationed him a stone's throw from theatreland, maybe so that the forces had a man 'in the know' to organise some of the R & R entertainment for troops on leave. Anyway the stove is just untouched and little used with a patina that's impossible to apply and that should never be touched with anything resembling polish..... On the back of the packing diagram the owner has reminded himself which fuel needs to go where! I have an ongoing and quite frustrating problem with the burner and tank joint leaking and I will post on fettling forum about that, hence no flame shots. As someone who participates in Great War Living History events (as unit cook!) I'm trying to garner a 96 from each of the war years. I have 15/ 16/ 19 (?) so far. Hope you enjoy the story!
I've been after all the 96's for quite awhile now. Just a couple left to get. The air release screw is a poor design. Many of the old ones needed a repair here and there. Duane
My (sold) 1917 specimen had two sheets of directions, printed on one side only as you have. While printing on both sides was of course routine, I like to think the illustration on how to stow the unit was an afterthought that was printed, logically, on a second sheet., only to be combined later. Great investigation on it's provenance by the way, and to me just as fascinating as these early stoves themselves.
Hi duane, i wish it were that simple. This early vapouriser has a loose nut and when placed over the tube for a visual comparison with a fixed nut vapouriser, has a very thin 'wall' which places the joint to washer at the very outside of the washer itself, so fuel may be sneaking around the side. I've spoken to Ross FB and he has sent various odd lead washers with a slightly larger OD but still no luck. It has worked perfectly and then when I run it again, will spring the leak. I don't mind too much, she's an old bird, I will occasionally use her at history events, chat to the public about Stanley and how only officers would really ever have got close to a Primus stove (more likely to be their batman and Stanley wasn't an officer anyway) but as with all stoves, they need to be in working condition. We're all in it for the fettle, some are more simple than others!
Greetings, @Nickyboy , I love the stove and the story, too! Excellent research, Good Sir, and many thanks for sharing both stove and information! I feel confident that you will eventually get the leaking problem sussed out. I have 96 Pocket Outfits from 1917 and 1920, and both are very special to me, as they were both gifted to me over the years, by friends. Some feel that the Pocket Outfits, and 96's in general, have too many parts to assemble and disassemble, but I've never found that to be a problem. And, since I keep the tin close at hand, when using these little wonders, I've not had a problem with parts going missing, either, though some report that they have experienced that. In case, many thanks for sharing the stove photos, and the outstanding provenance about your stove! it really doesn't get any better than that! From one reenactor, to another: HUZZAH!! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Thanks @Doc Mark, I love the pocket outfits, storage tabs, everything in its place. One of the things that I really like about the (pictured) 1915 is that the tin is exactly the same dims as the later illustrated, such as those from the '20s and '30s. Once the transfer tech was developed, that basic tin became the brightly coloured, graphic image which is now unmistakeable for the 96.
@Nickyboy A little more on le Sage: he was still there in the 1918 Royal Airforce Muster Roll. That document also records his original muster date, in the RNAS, as 1st Sept 1916, so I guess the May 1916 date on the stove tin must be from when he first entered training with the RNAS as the 29th May 1916 is given in his service record as his date of first enrolment. The service record also gives his date of birth as 19 Mar 1880, his place of birth as Brighton, and his wife's name as Ella. In 1918, after the formation of the RAF, he is shown as being placed at 'HMS Daedalus' i.e. Manston, Kent. (For those interested there is an extraordinary paper produced in 1939 which detailed and attempted to draw lessons from the development of British naval air resources during WW1 here)
@igh371 thanks for that. I knew he was s theatre manager from Brighton, I may well look him up on ancestry, always helpful having other names such as spouse etc as it narrows things down. However I think that there are not many Le Sage around anyway! I just love the stove, so untouched, never polished, complete, I had to have it!!!
