21 replies to this topic

[b3rn]

Photo can be viewed larger on Flickr (magnifying glass)

Would like to know more about this railway on West Mudros - what are those carriages? the wooden structure?

(A few more photos of this area - hosted railway depot, Dept of Works HQ and base kits, plus jetties - here )

[centurion]

Sydney Mail April 5th 1916 in a section on Lemnos has the following
Egyptians constructing railways at Lemnos
When the British arrived Lemnos was quickly transformed from a sleepy little island into a place of intense activity. Railways and roads were constructed with amazing speeds and all sorts of difficult engineering feats were quickly accomplished




Nothing more unfortunately

[muzza]

Looks like a tramway, though those carriages look like they were for people.....

At this link there is a shot of a tramway on Lemnos being used for road making....in your photo there also seems to a tramway next to road.

[munster]

Hi b3rn the railwagons i am wondering are they in fact motor locomotives similar to the type in the link below. I would imagine the timber structure is a frame work for a hoist for lifting stuff out of railcars.john
http://www.flickr.co...der/6309972965/

[Terry_Reeves]

They are side-tipping wagons which appear to be moving or tipping rocks for  some sort of engineering project.

TR

[munster]

Terry_Reeves, on 02 January 2012 - 03:47 PM, said:

They are side-tipping wagons which appear to be moving or tipping rocks for  some sort of engineering project.

TR

I am refering to the picture in post 1.john

Something along this type post No 6 by centurion.
http://1914-1918.inv...howtopic=104050

[Terry_Reeves]

I was referring to the second of muzza's photographs which have a connection:  the Simplex tractor  would have towed the side-tippers

TR

[b3rn]

"An engine on the railway on the Aegean island of Lemnos, which was worked by the 117th (Railway) Company, Royal Engineers." AWM C01165

Not sure how I missed that photo previously. Thanks for the replies, a Simplex petrol locomotive.

EDIT: another AWM photo: "Soldiers operating an engine and crane while constructing a pier on the Aegean island of Lemnos." AWM C01170

[centurion]

This does raise a dating issue. According to the official company history whilst the prototype Simplex trench tractor was built in 1915  a contract to supply them was not signed until 1916. " In 1916 after a meeting with the consulting engineers of the War Office, Messrs. Rendall, Palmer & Tritton. The War Office required “Petrol Trench Tractors” of 600-mm gauge that were capable of drawing 10 to 15 Tons at 5 miles per hour and the MRTC tendered for and was successful in gaining a contract to build the Tractors."

[michaeldr]

The allies were on Lemnos right through the war, not just for the Gallipoli campaign
The armistice with Turkey was signed at Mudros in late 1918

[centurion]

michaeldr, on 03 January 2012 - 11:13 AM, said:

The allies were on Lemnos right through the war, not just for the Gallipoli campaign
The armistice with Turkey was signed at Mudros in late 1918

Well aware of that. I was referring to the dates of the specific photos.

[michaeldr]

centurion, on 03 January 2012 - 11:41 AM, said:

Well aware of that. I was referring to the dates of the specific photos.

So was I

[b3rn]

The photographer for "Inspection of transport' and 'Egyptians at work' was Albert William Savage who was with 3 Australian General Hospital on Lemnos from 5 August 1915 until January 1916.

[centurion]

b3rn, on 03 January 2012 - 08:47 PM, said:

The photographer for "Inspection of transport' and 'Egyptians at work' was Albert William Savage who was with 3 Australian General Hospital on Lemnos from 5 August 1915 until January 1916.

Which truly does raise a dating issue.

[centurion]

 However I note that many photos attributed to Albert William Savage are also attributed to Florence Elizabeth James-Wallace who was also a keen photographer and on Lemnos. Indeed looking at those extracts from her albums and those of Savage that have been digitised there are many photos that appear in both.  Florence also served with the  3 Australian General Hospital and it would seem that they were friends and swapped copies of photos. 

[b3rn]

Are you talking about the album held at the Fryer Library, University of Queensland? I'm positive those are all Savage's photos. There are numerous prints that, I guess, he gave to others in 3AGH and beyond. Hence his photos turn up in many places with different captions. AWM appears to hold a number of negatives by Savage - would love to have a look at those. There's a story in there ... I'm not having much luck yet tracing his life after WW1.

[munster]

b3rn, on 03 January 2012 - 11:41 PM, said:

Are you talking about the album held at the Fryer Library, University of Queensland? I'm positive those are all Savage's photos. There are numerous prints that, I guess, he gave to others in 3AGH and beyond. Hence his photos turn up in many places with different captions. AWM appears to hold a number of negatives by Savage - would love to have a look at those. There's a story in there ... I'm not having much luck yet tracing his life after WW1.

The very first picture on the site is attributed to Florence Elizabeth Wallace.john
They all are actually.

[b3rn]

munster, on 03 January 2012 - 11:53 PM, said:

The very first picture on the site is attributed to Florence Elizabeth Wallace.john
They all are actually.

The photos are scanned from an album donated to the library by the nurse; the individual photos state "Creator(s) A. W. Savage"... many of the prints are also in an album held at the State Library of NSW, which has a handwritten note on the front stating that the photos are by A.W. Savage. I'm not sure how that album came into their collection.

[munster]

b3rn, on 04 January 2012 - 03:24 AM, said:

The photos are scanned from an album donated to the library by the nurse; the individual photos state "Creator(s) A. W. Savage"... many of the prints are also in an album held at the State Library of NSW, which has a handwritten note on the front stating that the photos are by A.W. Savage. I'm not sure how that album came into their collection.

b3rn appologies quite right you are on that.john

[b3rn]

Railways on Mudros

Woolford, R., photographer
Views of Gallipoli, Lemnos and Egypt

[centurion]

Excellent pictures. Not it seems Simplex locos see

http://www.worldrail...rtle_cappy1.jpg

http://nationalrailw...07/dsc09999.jpg

The Simplex locos supplied to the WD had sideways facing radiators see

http://www.davesrail...r/IMG_4763w.jpg

the loco in the photo has a radiator on the short end Simplex were symmetrical and did not arrive until 1917 - These photos appear to be earlier than that.

[b3rn]

"By the end of December five miles of road had been completed, and twenty-three miles were under construction. A railway was constructed by the 117th Railway Company, connecting piers, camps and hospitals, but it came too late to be of use."
History of the Corps of Royal Engineers, Vol VI

Encapsulates the Mudros experience, no?