Steam Traction Engines Used by the British during WW1

[Hedley Malloch]

During WW1, the British armed services requisitioned numbers of steam traction engines for military use. I should like to know how many, from whom, and to what use they were put? Sources and citations most welcome.

Many thanks for any help received.

Hedley

Edited 27 June by Hedley Malloch

[ianjonesncl]

Hedley

According to Michael Youngs Army Service Corps there were 57 Steam Tractors in use by the Army in August 1914:

Southern Command - 13

Eastern Command - 6

Aldershot Command - 22

Irish Command - 9

Malta Command - 7

TOTAL                  57

Ian

 

 

[Hedley Malloch]

Ian,

Thank you very much. Does Young give any figures for later in the War? 

Many thanks

Hedley

Edited 27 June by Hedley Malloch

[ianjonesncl]

1 hour ago, Hedley Malloch said:

Thank you very much. Does Young give any figures for later in the War? 

I can not see any other tables relating to equipment numbers.

I will have a look at the Listing of ASC Company Information to see if that gives any clues. 

[CorporalPunishment]

Traction engines used by the British in WW1 were made by Aveling & Porter, Burrell, Clayton & Shuttleworth, Foster, Fowler, Garrett, Mann, Marshall, McLaren, Robey, Ruston Proctor, Tasker, Thornycroft and Wallis & Steevens. Numbers used ran into thousands.      Pete.

[Phil Evans]

Back in 2014, Tomo and myself put many hours into this thread: 

I still have various snippets of research sitting on my computer, including this extract:

 

Appendix P.pdf 

[Moonraker]

A well-used example, with Canadian soldiers in the Lark Hill area of Salisbury Plain, winter 1914-15:

[IRC Kevin]

The photo below (which I believe is an IWM one, though this copy sourced from the family of one of those in the photo) is pretty well known and shows one near Fouchy Wood in 1917. The engine on the right was driven by Tom Featherstone, my wife's Granddad. It was brought in to unbog the other which had been towing the 8" howitzer. One of Tom's sons made the sketch and labelled it at some time in the late 1960s. The man labelled 'Dad' is Tom Featherstone. Tom, James W., Bill Sligh (and I believe the CO) were all employed by the same Yorkshire firm, crewing Fowlers engines pre-War and had been enlisted as a group to basically do a similar job in uniform. Tom Featherstone's post-War Fowler road rollers, 'Ralph' and 'Dorothy' (my wife being named after the latter!) still survive and can be seen at various steam fairs.

 

Edited 27 June by IRC Kevin

[Old Forge]

A wonderful photo, @IRC Kevin, and the sketch brings it to life! Thanks for sharing. I’m pottering about at the Chalke History Festival at the moment, with a very elegant traction engine on display. I’ve come to check it out but, sadly, it’s not Ralph or Dorothy ☹️. It’s a Burrell Patent Engine, BJ-7155, made in Thetford, built 1909.

As well as towing heavy guns and tanks, would traction engines have been used to power machinery? Building works for railways, camps etc. I guess they could have helped in the fields as well, given the BEF needed its daily bread. Any other tasks?

Cheers,

Richard

[IRC Kevin]

Two more from the family archives, though the provenance of the one photo towing the tank is unknown I suspect it's both 'official' and in the UK (profusion of flat hats). The second one, is soon after the War (apologies for drifting off on a tangent) and shows Tom Featherstone (on engine) and his crew on a contract threshing operation. Bill Sligh and James W. from the 1917 photo were both with him, though can't tell you which ones they are in the photo.