Interpreting:
Nellie, one peerless mole!
125 ton heavy. Digging capacity: 100 ton/min. Power: 1200 hp. Length: 25 meters. It deal with one peerless shooting trench and ditch digger as was constructed during WWII as a commissioned work of Winston Churchill. Of booked 250 units only 3 was developed at the Ruston factory of Lincoln.
Winston Churchill was of that option the armed forces needed a powerful shooting trench and ditch digger. With a large fleet of those large machines was the strategy to dig shooting ditches near the Maginot line. Under defence of the dark the infantry and tanks should surprise the German soldiers.
Despite Churchill had no technical knowledge he demanded a “digger†as should be able dig up enough wide ditches so tanks and troops could move forward and be defended from hostile fire. The design engineers Goodall and Hopkins started that project as was called “Naval Land Equipment†1940. Soon it become named Nellie only. Several secret names such “White Rabbit 6†and “Cultivator 6†was artifices all because make spies confused.
Ruston Bucyrus got the assignment to develop the machines. Already after 6 weeks they launched a working model as performed its task well. Under great secret a box of wood was conveyed to the test place. It tells that the box of wood resembled a chest. The box was conveyed by train in a first class passenger vehicle and the other passengers of the train took their hats off and lowered their heads when the chest was carried onboard. On the Lincoln factory was the demand of secure rigorously. Walls was build and all design drawings was stamped “Top secretâ€. 350 under suppliers had no idea what they developed was to.
The specifications stated the machine digging capacity to 100 ton/min, the speed to 8-12 km/hour. One water-cooled 12 cylindrical V-diesel engine of 1200 hp was drive power. The planned Rolls Royce Merlin engine was replaced with a 2 Paxman engines of 600 hp each one to the digging aggregate and the other to driving aggregate. A more wide variant was also drawled. Despite it worked to Churchills satisfaction there was a few technical problems to solve. High motor warmth, high noise, exhausts and steering problem when the machine run emty. Obstacles as barbed passed by without problem and mines was shovel at the side without detonate.
250 machines was ordered and 20 per week should be developed. But no one had been thinking how it should be when they begin move in the evening with soldiers and a number of other equipment behind. What a noise! And where should these 200 machines be hidden during the day? How should these 25 meters machines be conveyed during that period? The solution was to split it up in 3 parts. With help of 50-tons trailers and 5 heavy hauler tractors as move it at a speed at 6 km hour. (I believe it was the famous Scammells as had to move it. My note)
May 1 1943 the production was interrupted due to the war as had chance character. The last unit was alive 1952. Today many being sorry because no one of these unique machines have been saved at Imperial War Museum.
Picture 1: Winston Churchill inspect Nellie’s test run at Chamber park of Lincoln sometimes during 1940-41.
Picture 2: The navigator had his place on the tower as was fitted on the back part.
Enjoy!
Lars-Gunnar
