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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Perplexing Pioniere


john_g_4472

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Following up the recent Pionier postings, would anybody like to say please what these men are doing? The only explanation that I can think of is that they are piling for a new bridge across the river. However, the machine does not seem well adapted for pile-driving.

Note also the dark-blue uniforms being worn on campaign - on the Eastern Front, I believe. (It is not a pre-war exercise. The next photograph in the sequence shows the mill in the background being blown up; according to a note on the back it had been damaged earlier and was presumably being demolished to make it safe.)

John.

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John,

Cannot think of anything else than pile-driving. Judging by the size of the post, it may have been for moorings for pontoons, with a pontoon bridge in mind. That said, if the next set of moorings are those in the background they seem a bit far apart, with each pontoon by necessity being much closer together than this view would imply. Also it would not line up with an obvious road or track on the river bank. But then maybe the mill was being demolished to make access to the river for such a bridge?

Ian

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Thats a pile driver. You can see the winding wheel on the left and the chap on the right is holding the line as it gets cranked back up again by the looks of things. They could be dropping in a bridge or a makeshift pier?

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Many thanks gentlemen. Pile driving it is then. Presumably the machine is driven by an internal combustion engine as there is no evidence of a steam engine. In which case, I wonder if the steel drum raised up on the wooden stool contains fuel?

This is the back of the photo, by the way, showing the mill being demolished by explosives. All I can read is "This is the moment of the explosion. The mill [?] was earlier ..."

John.

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