Fordson Auto Winch - Portland, Dorset UK

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1943 Auto-mower winch. This unit uses a Fordson Model N tractor for its power unit. The tractor was built in the 1940s and the winch built by The Auto-Mower Engineering Company Limited.

They were built for the Admiralty for hauling ships and landing craft up slipways and may be related to the Second World War loading and unloading of Motoro Torpedo Boats (MTBs) on the Breakwater. The winch could handle up to 600 tons.

Unlike its counterpart on Head A, you can clearly see the make, model and the classic Fordson front radiator.

The winch is on a diffrent alignment, which may suggest it has been moved or, more liklely, it served a different purpose.

The winch and other features on the Portland Breakwater were recorded in 2017 by staff and volunteers from the Maritime Archaeology Trust, as part of the Heritage Lottery funded, Forgotten Wrecks of the First World War project.