DALESMAN (1909)

[yorkieman]

At Radcliffe on the Trent

Stranded in November 1913

[Bill Harvey]

DALESMAN (1909 - 1936) twin screw tug.
O.N. 128134. 43g. 18n. 77.0 x 14.1 x 4.4 feet.
Two, C.2-cyl. (8” & 16” x 10”) engines by Vauxhall and West Hydraulic Engineering Company Ltd., Luton. 21nhp. 170ihp.
1909: Completed by Henry Scarr, Hessle, for T. Gray & Company Ltd., Hull.
1915 until 1918: On War Office, Inland Water Transport Directorate service and possibly allocated an “A” & later “AS” number)
5.4.1921: Purchased by the United Towing Company Ltd., Hull.
1936: Sold to Thomas W. Ward Ltd., Sheffield for demolition at their Inverkeithing facility.

[Bill Harvey]

George,

I also have the bottom photo along with another view of the same incident and on the rear it states February 1913 at Stoke Bardolph, near Nottingham on the River Trent. Although possible, I doubt if she would have been left high and dry for 9 months so suspect one date as potentially inaccurate.

Bill

[Bill Harvey]

The other view mentioned earlier.

Would be interesting to know the circumstances of her ending so far from the river.

Also the outer casing of her funnel below the bands appears missing.

Bill

[les.nhbarge]

At that time the river was very different to now and no lock or weir between Holme lock (near Nottingham) and Newark. Regular floods across long low flood fields would have been common and combine this with fog. I hadnt realised she got involved with IWD --I just assumed she was on the Trent from Newark upstream during the two ownerships. I think the funnel looks a bit odd because of the steam blow off at the front instead of going up through.
Thats my interpretation--Les

[Bill Harvey]

At that time the river was very different to now and no lock or weir between Holme lock (near Nottingham) and Newark. Regular floods across long low flood fields would have been common and combine this with fog. I hadnt realised she got involved with IWD --I just assumed she was on the Trent from Newark upstream during the two ownerships. I think the funnel looks a bit odd because of the steam blow off at the front instead of going up through.
Thats my interpretation--Les

Thanks Les,

At the time of this mishap in 1913, it was 2 years pre IWD involvement.

Bill

[les.nhbarge]

Bill, so do we assume she went away to the front and then returned after or did IWD have control of vessels remaining in England, maybe under their control for war work--there is an old jetty in the area which was used for explosives.

Les

[Bill Harvey]

Bill, so do we assume she went away to the front and then returned after or did IWD have control of vessels remaining in England, maybe under their control for war work--there is an old jetty in the area which was used for explosives.

Les

Hi Les,

That is a question I cannot answer but perhaps David Asprey can advise as IWD, Army Dept etc are of specialist interest to him.

I'll ask the question when next talking to him.

Bill

[davidships]

The tugs allocated to the War Office's Inland Water Transport Directorate were dedicated to to the supply chain in support of troops in theatre - the small "A" (later "AS") were mostly in France on the river/canal network, and were fed by barges towed across the Channel by the larger "HS" tugs, mainly from the military port built at Richborough (though there was also a base at Southampton). IWT did have a few smaller tugs that were concerned with port operations at Richborough, mostly given "HT" numbers - of "DT" if they were on dredging operations.

But the War Office undoubtedly requisitioned other tugs, large and small, used for other purposes, and they already owned some used in armaments depots, for target towing etc etc. Their administration was quite separate from the IWT operation.

DALESMAN is listed as with IWT, though her "AS" number is not known, and it is most likely that she spent time in France. Unfortunately no complete official list of the "AS" fleet (which also included UK-supplied powered barges) has come to light, though something is known about at least three quarters of the range AS 1-336, but leaving quite a few gaps.