Junior Wiles cooker

[Jeff Gordon]

Hi,
A friend and I just purchased a couple of Wiles junior cookers and am looking for some information on them.
Jeff

[Jeff Gordon]

I tried to post an Image of them
jeff

[oztankboy]

Hi there mate!

well i have the parts and opp manual for the 4 wheel cooker so may be of use to you mate. Also know a guy in Sydney that has one and did it up. Just be aware that the insulation is that nasty stuff

Phil...

Originally posted by Jeff Gordon
I tried to post an Image of them
jeff

Hi Jeff,

I'll send you a private message with my email address if you want to send me the photo and I'll try to post it for you, so check your PM's

Karmen

2

3

Wow. I did it!!!



Karmen

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Good lord, look at the bloody thing... it's positively... err... ancient! BTW Jeff which one are you, the short bugger behind the cooker or the fat shit behind the jeep?

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by Vets Dottir
Wow. I did it!!!



Karmen

Well done, Karmen! Thanks as always.

Originally posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball
Well done, Karmen! Thanks as always.

Thanks ... I got lucky I guess, as sometimes they'll resize and sometimes they won't, and I don't know why not when they don't

Karmen

[cliff]

were these the same as the units mounted in the 4 wheeled trailers during WW2?

Cheers
Cliff

[oztankboy]

Hi there Cliff!

Well the 4 wheel cooker was basicly the same thing just bigger to catter for more diggers at a time.

Phil...

[oztankboy]

Hey Geff!

The guy mentioned on your thread in G503 is the same guy in Sydney I was reffereing to.

Phil...

[cliff]

Originally posted by oztankboy
Hi there Cliff!

Well the 4 wheel cooker was basicly the same thing just bigger to catter for more diggers at a time.

Phil...

The reason I asked was I was after some basic measurements for model making but as the two units are different I will just have to keep looking for the right one.

Cheers
Cliff

[oztankboy]

Hi Cliff!

Well I have a fairly complete 4 wheel cooker here just some of the sheet metal needs replacing.

Phil...

[Jeff Gordon]

Hi all,
Geoff no thats a mate Nigel Ward. The short bugger is my son Will, I took the photo.
Phill does your manual mention the 2 wheel? I will definatilly contact that guy in Sydney.
They were made in the later part of WW2 and used by the Army untill 1980 (so I am told).
I dont know what years our 2 are.
Jeff

[oztankboy]

Hi Jeff!

Well my manual is for the 4 wheel cooker but a lot of the parts and proceedures would be the same.

I went to a auction at Morebank Army Camp in Sydney around 87~88 and they sold off about 6 2 wheel cookers. A couple of others, the pick of the crop were diverted prior to the auction and went to the RAE museum as well as a 4 wheel cooker.

Most of the 2 wheel cookers were all the same but some had different length draw bars.

When you talk to Tom R in Sydney say g~day from me!

Phil...

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi all
This site has plenty of information about the history of the cookers and the Wiles Family. I also have some images archived somewhere of one I restored for the Museum. I can dig them out if required but there is plenty of information around as are the units themselves.

http://www.nashos.org.au/wiles.htm

Bob

[Mike Kelly]

A VMVC member had , at one point in the late 1980's , a fully working WW2 Wiles cooker ( not sure if it was a senior or junior ) , he towed it behind a 1950's ex army Inter truck .

He used to cook up meals for the club on various club trips . Sadly, he passed away and he whole outfit was put up for sale . Don't know what became of it .

Mike

[oztankboy]

Hi there Mike!

Well i am betting it is the one I have up here in Qld as it still bares the VMVC logo in the tac plate holder.

Phil...

[Jeff Gordon]

Hi all,
I just discovered a photo of a restored one in my computer that was taken at Bandiana when I was there for Corowa 2005.
We are going this year so I will take a better look at it.

Phill, remember we had a good look at your cooker not long back, I recon it should be your next project!
Jeff

[Ian Pullen]

The unit in the 4 wheel trailer set up is basically the same unit as in the Junior but with additional plumbing for the Bain Maries ( I think the spelling is right!).
Bob would be keen to know that they were a South Australian invention.
As for the cooker on the floor at Bandiis, it has been temporarily relocated to another shed while the Catering display is refurbished.

[Les Freathy]

A good friend in Aus Laurie Wright sent me this photo a number of years ago. Laurie took the photo on 20.5.79 at Holsworthy range where it served with 23 field regt
Les

[Jeff Gordon]

Hey thanks for the photo Les!
Ian, are you saying the two wheel one is not there anymore because I have a photo showing all three, 4wheel, 2 wheel and the stationary one on the floor in 2005. I will have a look an a weeks time anyway.
Jeff