Original Item: Only One Available. During WWII is when "Air Ambulances" first started making their appearance, being used as a way to get injured servicemen back to more well-equipped hospitals for care. During flights or on the ground cooking might be required, and that would be the purpose of this lovely cooking case, labeled on the side:

CASE
AIRPLANE AMBULANCE

It measures 24"W x 17"H x 11 1/2", and used to have leather handles on many sides, however most are now missing. The case actually unfolds into a meal preparation area, and there are drawers for flour, sugar, meal, pancake, which look to be made from early acetate type plastic, and are now empty. There is also a larger fold down top level container with plates, a cup, and some cookware located inside. There is also a container for matches on the bottom left, which still has a good number inside, and next to this is a U.S. Issue two burner stove, still faintly marked on the side with:

Coleman
MODEL 523
U.S.A. M.D.

This model of Coleman stove was apparently developed for WWII, and used for decades as a part of sets like these, along with many other uses. The last line apparently stands for "U.S. Army Medical Department", and these stoves were used for cooking as well as for sterilization purposes, as they had autoclaves that could be mounted on top. The design is fairly standard, with two burners and a tank on the bottom for leaded or "white" gas. Two sets of controls allow the burners to be used independently. We have not made any attempts to test the stove, but there does appear to be spare parts in the two containers under the top.

Overall condition of the entire set is good, but definitely shows long use in service, and probably afterwards, as older types such as this were undoubtedly sold off as surplus decades ago. Most of the hinges are present and functional, however some of the metal latches that hold it closed as well as open are missing. That does not however detract much much from the great display potential that the set has.