Army Catering Corps

The cooks of the Army Catering Corps had an arduous task in the tented camp. Located in what had been paddi until allocated to the British Army, the workload must have been the biggest most of them had ever encountered in a field kitchen before. Catering for up to five hundred servicemen in the heat and dust of the dry season would not have been the easiest conditions they had worked under. In fact danger was ever present from the petrol fueled Hydro-burners used to project a high pressure flame along the metal tunnels upon which the cooking containers sat.

Sgt Coul ACC of 59 Fd Sqn stands at of the other ranks field kitchen. Behind the serving tables are the hayboxes and Hydro burners. Unfortunately the first serious accident of the Crown project occurred here. John Crouch a cook also attached to 59 Fd Sqn had to refill one of the burners. He was seriously burned as he opened a jerry can. Some petrol vapourised on to the red hot metal tunnel. He too had petrol on him and caught fire. His story is told in more detail on the RAMC page HERE

A group of cooks pose outside the kitchen door of the hutted camp, standing high at the back are two of the civilian workers. During the dry season the temperature in the shade can exceed 130 degrees fahrenheit. The heat in the kitchen with the burners working to cook meals for hundreds of men must have been extremely high .Seated front, hands crossed, is Rod Dann, to his right is Lenny Bruce and to his right on the end, is Mick Orr.

A shift of cooks take a break by the kitchen door as if to give weight to the argument of the trying heat inside. The doors are propped open by fire extinguishers to allow the heat inside to escape. Centered in the doorway in his beret is Sgt Coul on his left is Bob Nolan.

A group pose in the cooks basha wearing their pa-kao-ma's. Alan Myers, cigarette in hand supports Lenny Bruce another cook attached to 59 Fd Sqn.

Memories of Thailand 1964/65 by Alan Myers

It was way back in 1964, when I was posted to BFPO 656, a place I had never heard of? Even on the flight to Singapore, no one seemed to know where we were going.
When I arrived at Ban Kok Talat it seemed like the end of the world, but I and the other lads in the ACC soon got used to the heat and settled in well.
One of things I remember was that after a couple of months, Lenny Bruce, myself and a couple of other chefs started the radio station which was situated at the back of the church. Not long after we were broadcasting, an Officer managed to contact BFBS Singapore and they arranged for tapes to be sent up, with requests for the troops from the families back in Singapore. A good morale booster!
R&R at Pattaya beach was a respite from the life we encountered at Camp Doom, as it was affectionately known. I recall that we were issued with 10 man ration packs for our meals so no change of diet for us. The bungalow next door was occupied by Americans, I don't know if they felt sorry for us, but when I asked them if they liked corned beef, the response was an overwhelming yes. I negotiated a swap and gave them 10 tins of bully in exchange for 10 cooked chickens. The lads were chuffed at our gain and how well we fed well that week! I even had time to learn to water ski.
The children in the village loved the squaddies and especially an Engineer called Hippo Hall. Hippo would come to the kitchen at the end of the day to collect any left over food and take it to the kids, who formed orderly queues , so that they could munch on pies, pasties, sausages and anything else Hippo could scrounge from us. A daily ritual by a special man.
Christmas 1964, or early January 1965 was a great time for the village school. It was decided that the camp would put on a party for them and tins were put around the camp asking the blokes for all their spare Bahts so that gifts could be bought. Soldiers going on leave to Singapore would take the cash we raised with them to purchase presents and bring them back. When the day of the party arrived the schoolchildren were divided into two groups. Half would watch films in the school while the others would play sports and vice versa. Food was laid on by the chefs and when the time came to give out the presents a fully loaded ambulance arrived. All the children received a gift, a novelty and a hat. What a day and a credit to all who contributed or helped make it a success.
My involvement with the children, in teaching them the basics of scouting was something that will remain with me for the rest of my life.
It was a sad day when I finally left Thailand, but the 12 months I was there were some of the best in all the years I was in the army.

 

Alan Myers with civilian kitchen worker Samrit.

NCO's serving up food and gifts to the children at the Christmas party 1964. The party was held at the village school of Ko Kut Khan, the neighboring village to Kok Talat on Saturday 2nd Jan 1965. Left to right, Sgt Bamford REME, Cpl Myers ACC, Sgt Cull ACC and a L/Cpl of the RAAMC.

The children separate into groups to await their treats. These children will be in their early fifties now.