He needs Robert Ervine.

Imagine the look that would be on his face two years later as he tried to fry some spam and get the coffee to boil while in the rain on some Pacific island also occupied by the Japanese.

Not to pick nits, but it was Kitchen Police not Kitchen Patrol, and a brigade would have many more than 137 men.

Yes, 137 men is about the size of a company, way smaller than a brigade, but many companies of the day ran their own mess halls. That's probably what this is showing.

Here's a bit of Military 101: In the US Army of WW2, three line companies (plus a Hqs company) made up a battalion, three battalions made up a regiment, and three regiments made up a division (I'm talking maneuver units--infantry or armor (tanks)--and leaving out the numerous support units for the sake of simplicity). A brigade was usually a hybrid of one or more maneuver battalions of one type and an artillery or reconnaissance unit, and some support units, and was expected to operate independently. The modern army has reversed this nomenclature--divisions are made up of brigades now, while regiments (typically designated "cavalry") are independent combined-arms units.

If someone was an actual cook, he was not on KP; that was his job in the Army. The KPs were ordinary soldiers who were picked to help the cooks with meal preparation and cleanup for a specified period of time (a day, a week, etc.). It was always considered lousy duty, especially in garrison, since the work started early, ended late, and the cooks tended to give all the crap jobs they could to the KPs.

My sympathy was not with the Army cook, but with the poor bastard on KP who had "outside pots and pans". Been there. Done that.

My sympathy was not with the Army cook, but with the poor bastard on KP who had "outside pots and pans". Been there. Done that.