Another Wiles Cooker Recovered

[Keith Webb]

Good save, Robert!
Looks to be in very good shape for something as old as that.
Also good to be able to read the ARN.
Does it have it's insides?

[Mike K]

The auction LOT nr. is still on it . That's in amazing condition for its age .

Mike C will have the reg. nr details, maybe

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi all - firstly well done on the save. I restored one of these under a Work For The Dole program in 2003. Always being a stickler for originality I had the pipework repainted in the original colours. However some stupid old fart did not like that and threatened to quit the museum if the pipework was not finished in brass as he remembered it in his National Service days. Anyway the committee agreed with him and once again the restoration was incorrect. Anyway I quit that lot as they all had their own agendas and politics.

Image depicts the original colours.

Bob

[aj.lec]

Nice pickup
Looks to be in pretty good shape.
Very glad it was saved before a horrific chop

[Mike Cecil]

Interesting ....

Bob's image is one converted to liquid fuel (by Army). Later conversions were to LPG (bottled).

Robert, what are the boiler numbers (stamped into the face of ther boilers) and, if the nomenclature plates survive, the Wiles manufacturing number, please?

Mike C

[Mike Cecil]

Robert,

As you would already know, the baking dishes were heavy duty black steel with rolled and wired top edges and tapered sides. They are a difficult item to manufacture. However, I am aware that Cecil & Company in Bayswater, Melbourne, have made at least one set, so if you want accurate replicas, then Chris Cecil is the man to talk to. Yes, I am related: he is my nephew. The company was started by my grandfather in 1922, and is now up to its fifth generation of family tinsmiths (Chris is 4th gen, his son also works there).

You mentioned another working Wiles in your area: could I ask you to provide me with the boiler number, ARN, etc if you could manage it, please? I'd appreciate it greatly.

Regards

Mike C

[Mike Cecil]

OK: now you have my attention, Robert.

You have one of the really, really rare 'Wiles' cookers .....because it wasn't built by Wiles. It was one of less than 200 built by a company called Boyded, located in NSW. The Army were so frustrated with the slow rate of production from South Australia that they had the NSW Board of Business Administration award a contract to Boyded to build Army Steam Kitchens to the Wiles basic design, as improved by Army. Wiles were not amused. There was all sorts of problems with the contract, and not due to Boyden, either, if you get my drift. Certain assemblies were Wiles patents.

I don't know much about the Boyded companmy, but would like to find out more, as I'm sure you would now, too.

I'd be really interested to know the boiler details and any info from the nomenclature plate, please: this would be a rare find in any condition, let alone in the condition in which you have found it.

Regards

Mike C

[Keith Webb]

Interesting to see the boiler numbers are sequential.

Originally Posted by Ghost

ARN - 123508
Serial No. - 174M
Boiler Serial No. - 2600

ARN - 44113
Serial No. - 749
Boiler Serial No. - 2599

[Mike Cecil]

Yes, Keith, the chances of that are pretty slim. The boiler numbers 2599 and 2600 actualy correspond to boilers manufactured in the late 1950s/early 1960s after Wiles did their last batch of complete Wiles 4 wheel steam kitchens in 1958-59 (which all have boiler numbers in the 2400 range), so I suggest they might be replacements? Hard to see how that could be, though. The critical number listed by Robert is the Oven assembly numbers - 174M and 749.

Wiles numbered their boilers and ovens sequentially at manufacture, commencing at assembly no.1, and reaching more than 2600 by the early 1960s. The same boilers were installed in static oven assemblies for fixed camps, Wiles 4 wheel and Wiles Junior steam kitchens. Hence, the actual number of 4-wheel Wiles is only about 1,000 or so (hard to tell, as RAAF and RAN records are pretty woeful)

The manufacturer's serial numbers for these two complete trailers were:

123508: Boyded serial 508.
44113: Wiles serial 340.

These numbers should have been stamped on the nomenclature plate, afixed to the rear panel, low down in the centre, but being bronze, are usually well gone by now.

Robert: thanks for the numbers, and look forward to receiving the numbers from the other one when you get around to it.

Regards

Mike C