Can anyone explain what the Army Service Corps, Motor Transport, Floating Workshop No. 1. was?

CHALLIS, S W
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Army Service Corps
Unit Text: M.T. Floating Workshop No. 1.
Age: 25
Date of Death: 14/07/1917
Service No: M2/131787
Additional information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. Challis, of 105, Kent Rd., Dartford, Kent.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: VI. G. 10.
Cemetery: BAGHDAD (NORTH GATE) WAR CEMETERY

Regards

Adam

I think it was simply a workshop on a barge on the Tigres that accompanied the troops as they pushed into what we'd call Iraq. The road were pretty bad and the river carried a lot of transport (as had done in wars going back into ancient history). I suspect it provided servicing etc for motor vehicles in its vicinity.

Adam,

Centurion is basically correct. MT Floating Workshop No1 was an 80 ton Mahela (local type of boat) fitted out with basic kit (2 small lathes, grinder, electric drill and treadle drill +tools) to support the forward MT units. Initally deployed forward to Arab Village by the time of your mans death was based at Hinaidi.

Tried to upload picture but it is too big. If it loads it it is from With the M.T in Mesopotamia by Leland which i think has recently been reprinted by Naval & Military Press much cheaper than my original!

Mikemeso,
If the photo is too big for you to load directly, then you may wish to consider using Photobucket, or some similar service, which automatically re-sizes your photographs for you (it's popular with the forum Mods/Admin as it also saves bandwidth)


Adam,
There is a brief description of the vessel in Col Michael Young's history 'Army Service Corps 1902-1918' – "... A large river barge, converted by an ASC officer into a double-decker floating mobile MT workshop..." Mention is also made of (maybe the same vessel) "A 172 ft long Floating Workshop, fitted out by the MT Depot staff, was completed in mid-December 1916."
Col R H Beadon in his "The Royal Army Service Corps" Vol. II, implies that there was more than one such vessel; see page 271
"The two Ford van companies, Nos. 783 and 784, were on their arrival, kept engaged respectively in moving Royal Engineers stores ... It was the rainy season which made the going at times difficult or impossible; moreover neither unit possessed a workshop, and were thus entirely dependent upon spares, portable forges and such assistance as could be delivered by the floating workshops on the river."
However, at the close of hostilities, only one MT Floating Workshop is listed (see footnote page 287)

Regards
Michael