Stoves Circa 1950-53

[<AMPSOne@aol.com>]

I'm not sure what was available in Korea in 1950-51 for stoves anyway. There were only three that I know of around in 1950-53: the standard Model 1941 Field Stove, better known as the "Potbell", which only came with GP Small and larger tents and was too bulky to use in areas like the forward area; the little stove for heating C-rats, which used heat tabs, and later on, what has to be the most dangerous stove the Army ever fielded, the Model 1950 Yukon Stove. 

This latter wonder, supposedly a squad level stove, was designed to use MOGAS and as such was to be set up for running a drip of around 15-30 drops per minute. Too often it would run faster than that, overheat, and either turn cherry red or cause anything near it to burst into flame.

Other than stray fires with wood or scraps, I can't see what even would have been available for heating in the forward area.

There is another incidental problem which comes with cold weather I haven't seen mentioned: dehydration. Like frostbite, once you suffer from dehydration you are vulnerable to it for the rest of your life (I had a case in 1984 and still suffer from it today). Many of the troops I had would overheat if the temperature changed or if they did not watch their water intake in the dead of winter, so am curious if anyone ever had problems with that. 

Cookie Sewell
AMPS