While I was looking for an image for yesterday’s post on camp stoves, I came across this photo of WWII GI’s using a specially made “Pocket Stove” that was designed and manufactured for soldiers by Coleman. And I learned this interesting historical tidbit from the Coleman’s site:
“Less than twenty years later, World War II swept across the globe. Like many companies, The Coleman Company did its part to support the war effort. Allied munitions and air forces contained parts manufactured in Kansas by The Coleman Company. In June of 1942 the Army Quartermaster Corps issued an urgent request to the Coleman Company. Field troops were in dire need of a compact stove that could operate within a wide range of conditions in multiple theaters, weighed less than five pounds, could be no larger than a quart bottle of milk, and could burn any kind of fuel. And, the U.S. Army wanted 5,000 of the stoves delivered in sixty days.
Work commenced immediately to design and manufacture a stove that met the Army’s strict specifications. The end product far exceeded anything that the Army had requested: the stove could work at 60 degrees below and up to 150 degrees above Fahrenheit; it could burn all kinds of fuel; it weighed a mere three and one-half pounds; and it was smaller than a quart bottle of milk. The first order for 5,000 units was flown to U.S. forces involved in Operation Torch, an allied invasion of North Africa in 1942. World War II journalist Ernie Pyle devoted 15 news articles to the Coleman® pocket stove and considered it one of the two most important pieces of noncombat equipment in the war effort, the other being the Jeep.”
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I have one of those! It was given to me, and it works!!
Wish I had one! Where can I get one?
I think it’s accurate to say that this country would be a very different place if not for the Coleman company.
This was a product built by real men for real men and we would be hard pressed to find something built today of equal quality so it may be worth tracking down a vintage model.
And it was not made in China and sold at WalMart. This country has the talent, if only we would use it. Give the other Colman’s a chance. I have 1 of these stoves and it is the best.
Being compared to the jeep? That’s high praise. As a soldier of the modern age, I can say that the ability to efficiently cook my own food is a great advantage. MRE’s aren’t all they are cracked up to be.
I think my friend got a stove a lot like that for primitive camping and it has saved us many times. Coleman is a top notch but inexpensive outdoor equipment company
The stove in the picture is an M-1941. There is a civilian model numbered 520. Both are available on ebay on a regular basis. After the war Coleman modified it somewhat and sold it as the 530. Among other changes, the 530 is plated, and although only produced for a couple years after the war it is often confusingly called the G.I. stove. It looks great though.
Coleman and several other companies also produced a model M1942 which was a lighter more compact version. It is quite different looking but also a nice little stove.
All these stoves run best on Coleman fuel or similar camp stove fuels. They can be run on gasoline but that will eventually do more damage. Running them on heavier fuels like diesel and kerosene would be difficult (and dirty) but it might work for a little while if you preheated them well. In some ways the M1941 (&530) was better than the M1942 and the M1950 which replaced the M1942. The later two stoves used a simplified pump design, but in doing so eliminated the redundant safety features that Coleman used in most all its stoves and lanterns. The M1942 and M1950 stoves can and will leak at the pump check valve after time and this is quite disturbing when the stove is running.