Field ovens 1910

[Moonraker]

Thoughts from the informed, please, about these two field ovens being used at summer camps on Salisbury Plain  in 1909 - and, no doubt, a few years later during the Great War.

Googling suggests that the top design was a variation on

that of Lespinasse

 

(though it does not have a chimney) but I can find no image to match of those in the lower photograph. They have something of an improvised look.

 

Moonraker

 

 

Edited 24 December , 2016 by Moonraker

[MBrockway]

The earthen Field Oven is well covered in the 1883 Regulations and Instructions for Encampments, which is available here.  These regs seemed to get revised fairly often, so this edition may have been superseded by 1909.

 

See pp.41-43 (of the PDF file, not the original document) on the construction details, baking capacities etc.

 

Plate XVII - arch formed using a wooden hurdle plastered in 'daub'

 

Plate XVIII - arch formed using iron sheeting (as in your example)

 

Can't quite see how the chimney flue is arranged in your photo.

 

HTH

Mark

 

 

[Moonraker]

Thanks for that, Mark. I've just come across this card:

 

 

Interesting design in the middle. There seems to a flue emerging from the one nearest the camera - and are those spare flues at the front? Seem rather many.

 

Moonraker