I'd forgotten about the Dinky Cooking trailer and Water bowser, which Dinky released in 1937. Dinky usually released things based on actual vehicles. Would anyone know how the real thing was fuelled, or know where there's any pictures or documents of the real thing
If the British Army field kitchens were anything like their German contemporaries, they could be operated with solid fuel, wood or coal, and perhaps liquid fuel, like parafin / kerosene. If seen German field kitchens working at reenactments. I believe they had three different kettles, one for stew / oatmeal / other, a second hot water tea / coffee and a third for anything else. I have several of the 1940s Dinky military vehicles, but not the field kitchen. There was a time I was trying to put together an armor / armoured battalion, but stopped actively collecting a number of years ago.
So following my research attempts - these images have cropped up on a Facebook forum. The original prototype that the 1937 Dinky model is based on. I've also found images of the relevant Water bowser, which I guess has a proper tow hook on the rear. Interesting that the trailer has the following points Each corner has a canopy support, with the superstructure stowed underneath the rear of the trailer. The Oven and Stoves are all operated from within the narrow galley, rather than stood outside. The Stoves and Ovens have fold down flaps, which I presume are to access controls and connect the Hydra 4 way units to. The Ovens have latch bolts half way up, to secure a safety bar across the gap when in transit. If anyone has any documentation or photos on these, it would be greatly appreciated.
Interesting! The trailer immediately reminded me of the Australian Army's workshop trailer- Australian Military Trailers for Land-Rovers -REMLR I think it's converged thinking not a direct link. But the reason I say it is that the workshop trailer formed a system with the towing vehicle (a Series II or IIa Land Rover), which had a workshop back on it. The cluster of tents on the descriptive page includes tow vehicle and trailer tents. What vehicle towed the kitchen trailers? The vehicle would have been petrol powered, probably leaded low octane. A sensible stove design would have used the same fuel.
