nz2 Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 While doing some repair work yesterday on a wheel barrow, I wondered as to the design and type used by support forces during The Great War. I have located photos of hand carts for transporting fodder about horse stables and veterinary sites, but no signs of a wheel barrow.Also photos of sack barrows in use about wharves and whare houses. One of my sons collected up years ago cast iron wheels from different manufacturers as used on wheel barrows of the time. These are of local manufacture, being cast in New Zealand with a wooden frame and box. I assume those used in wartime Europe would be of similar structure. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally dugan Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Hi Doug On the subject of wheelbarrows used by British and Allied forces, during World War 1, the Chinese labour units in the British Army had their own single wheeled barrow. This had a wheel approximately 24" in diameter by 2" wide. This barrow was constructed from wood and the wheel itself was constructed the same as a cartwheel. This Chinese labourers used them to move ammunition on to the narrow gauge railway wagons used up to the trenches. An example was housed at the old museum of army transport, and I believe it is now in the collection of the national army museum London, and they may also have some photographs of them in use. Regards Wally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lardrover Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I jumped on this thread as soon as I saw it, thought it was EOD Wheelbarrows :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redherring Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 I wonder what the diggers would have thought of today's imported wheelbarrows? I have a good recycled plastic tub with a frame held together by its paint. The frame rusted out in one winter - thin!! - I reckon the paint was thicker than the steel tube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tootles Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 I wonder what the diggers would have thought of today's imported wheelbarrows? I have a good recycled plastic tub with a frame held together by its paint. The frame rusted out in one winter - thin!! - I reckon the paint was thicker than the steel tube. Well, I suppose that the common denominator between this and Wally's post is China???:angel: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 Some years ago I remember seeing in the Science Museum Reserve Collection at Wroughton, the Chinese wind-powered wheel barrow used by a priest to cross the Sahara in 94 days. Incidentally wheel barrows in Army stables used to have to be coated with tar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeePig Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 Incidentally wheel barrows in Army stables used to have to be coated with tar. Oh no, you can't not tell us why! Is it to stop the horses from eating them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 The tar does for horses what the creosote does for men. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redherring Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 Intrigued, I looked this up. Creosote, which we used to preserve fence posts before the days of treated pine, was used to mask the smell of the cesspits during the great war. They must have used a lot of it. Creosote (2%) was also found to make the best louse insecticide in combination with naphthalene (96%) and iodoform (2%). I have given you the formula because I know you will all want to go off and make some. The downside of its use was that apparently creosote is noted as causing cancer in the scrotum of chimney sweeps. Not sure how that translated on the western front. Just thought you might like to know all this... but not sure why. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 Not that the muck they sell nowadays is creosote. It was also used as an Anthilemitec (Wormer) in horses and for treating ringworm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 Getting back to the Chinese & their wheelbarrows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoseman Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 Intrigued, I looked this up. Creosote, which we used to preserve fence posts before the days of treated pine, was used to mask the smell of the cesspits during the great war. They must have used a lot of it. Creosote (2%) was also found to make the best louse insecticide in combination with naphthalene (96%) and iodoform (2%). I have given you the formula because I know you will all want to go off and make some. The downside of its use was that apparently creosote is noted as causing cancer in the scrotum of chimney sweeps. Not sure how that translated on the western front. Just thought you might like to know all this... but not sure why. Cheers. Thanks.....now im going to have to stop rubbing the stuff on my nuts and give up the sweep business.....!!!! So much for free enterprise!!!:nut: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 Thanks.....now im going to have to stop rubbing the stuff on my nuts and give up the sweep business.....!!!! So much for free enterprise!!!:nut: You wouldn't get Ringworm though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nz2 Posted March 16, 2013 Author Share Posted March 16, 2013 I take it the comment regards the Chinese wheel barrow with a wooden wheel used in moving ammunitions was a safety measure to reduce the explosion risk. This would be handling loaded shells. The use of the wheel barrow by the ASC and the Engineers I thought would have given us far more photos than the few available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 Not many photos in this 1911 ASC Manual I'm afraid. Note the narrow paths & the philosophy to get the people who are used to handling it to do the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 (edited) Didn't some have sail on them? Mind you looking at the rear frame if it nose dives....... All the old jokes about cross eyes? Edited March 17, 2013 by Tony B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally dugan Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 I do not think that the construction and use of the chinese wheel barrow had any thing to do with health and safety, more due to the fact that they were ideal for the terrian they were used on. just a few facts about the men that used them, the british goverment recruited 140.000 chinese labourers on vital work behind the front lines for which they were paid 3 francs a day. By 1918 the british goverment stated that 2000 had died from spanish flu and direct enemy action but later figures increased this figure to 10,000 chinese figures state that it was more likely that 20,000 had died. Some of these are buried at the french cemetery at noyelles-sur-mer, as to the lack of photographs most of the ones I have seen showing the chinese wheel barrow are at amunition depots with narrow gauge locos. regards Wally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redherring Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 After looking up "Great War" and "Chinese wheelbarrow" on the web, I discovered 39 interesting facts about the "great wall" but not a great deal about wheelbarrow use in WW1. Seriously though, the use of the large-diameter-wheeled barrow seems a good fit with the terrain behind the front line. Can we assume they were used to cart "ammunition and other stuff" to and from the front, as opposed to supplying heavy artillery units which were usually miles back from the front and often within reach of roads and narrow gauge railways. Having studied Australia's siege brigades over many years I have never come across mention of wheelbarrows or their use. I would be very interested to know of references to their use by any heavy artillery. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nz2 Posted March 18, 2013 Author Share Posted March 18, 2013 A more traditional type of wheel barrow. From the collection of the National Library of Scotland. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redherring Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Any idea where he's off to? i.e. what size shells are they? British? If so he might be pushing 130kg were they 4.5" How. shells, or pushing a hefty 220kg were they 60 pounder shells. (source - Ian Hogg) Thoughts anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garys39 Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Not strictly a military issue wheel barrow, but something I picked up at a local auction, here in Oxfordshire, can you identify the military part ? Regards Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Tail wheel? Reminds me of Fw190 but im sure its not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynx42 Rick Cove Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Slightly off theme true wheelbarrow story for you. I worked in the marine industry here in Victoria Australia for the Port of Melbourne Authority. One of the wharfies asked for and received written permission from Management to take home a wheelbarrow full of wood offcuts from the shipwrights shop each week. It only took 9 weeks before we ran out of wheelbarrows. True, Rick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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