Stokers on the Ajax in 1941

[Rena]

I hope you don't mind me joining in?

I lived in a port and visited a steam ship when it visited the port.  It seemed like one level of the ship was taken over by goodness knows how many polished gleaming copper pipes that were the engine of the ship.  Somebody obviously worked hard at keeping the engine boilers spotlessly clean.  There must have been plenty of dials everywhere that had to be checked to see the steam pressure wouldn't get too high.

My dad was an engineer in a factory that built grabs, cranes and dredgers.  He once brought home a miniature donkey steam engine to show us what steam was used for.

Donkey engines apparently were used to hoist/lift heavy cargo, which in war I suppose would be heavy crates containing munitions, tanks, etc.