OneGuyFromBarlick

Is it a spoon dredger?

Did it cut weeds on a canal?

It's not for cutting weeds, China. As Stanley observes, it's a dredger - but it's not a spoon dredger.

I took the liberty of breathing on the original image. It's steam driven from the funnel and so it is c.1900?
If that is the case all I can think of is some sort of Archimedian Screw lifting method or a chain conveyor. I see the crude tank moored next to it and assume that was for the silt. I note something laid on the deck that looks like a agitator but I can't see anything to convey it to the tank. The box further back looks as if it contains the controls.
The location? Gloucester, for maintaining the ship canal?

Is it Liverpool in the late 1800’s, and is that a sand dredger?

Another thing that struck me, whatever it was working on didn't have low bridges!

It's further south than Liverpool and it dredged mud rather than sand. It wouldn't usually have encountered low bridges but when it rarely did I guess the funnel/chimney would have been removable. It's still in existence and its design was created by a well known man.

The well known man is Brunel. Here is another image in a different setting. Bertha a silt dredger, A replica is now in Eyemouth Maritime Museum

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Well done, Plaques, I'm sorry to be late responding but things have been a bit busier than usual here. Yes, Bertha, which was built to attempt the thankless (and impossible) task of keeping the old Bridgwater dock clear of silt. Often said to be built by Brunel but I believe it was built by a different company using Brunel's design for Bristol Docks dredger. Bertha was well-known in Bridgwater and was eventually retired to the Exeter maritime museum but then got taken away and out of sight for a while before ending up at Eyemouth. The problem with silt at Bridgwater is that the dock is on the River Parrett close to where it joins the Severn estuary. The silt washed out to sea just returns to the river with the next tide and there is always more silt coming down the river from the Levels.

What is it?

A chain measure?

Ditto

Well, that didn't last long did it? You both have it right! A surveyors chain. Technically a 'Gunter Chain', have a look at this interesting LINK, I learned quite a lot from it.
Next one anyone?

What can you tell me about this fine body of men?

It looks like they've all got at least one stripe on their sleeves - and they need smartening up!

Here's a clue Peter. They are survivors.

Could they be all the soldiers of rank who survived the First World War?

That has elements of the answer but is not a winner Gloria. It's not easy!

Are they what is left of a battalion after one of the big WWI battles?

Maybe the ones that disobeyed the orders of the day at the Somme in 1917 and made gains by crawling across no man's land rather than walking headlong into machine gun fire?

You're getting close Ian! But in view of how fast the last two foundered I want and exact answer. Not exactly a battalion, survey the piste and find a different body of men.

Oh, are they a mining detachment? The ones that tunnelled and laid explosives under enemy positions?

PanBiker wrote: ↑01 Oct 2020, 15:15 Oh, are they a mining detachment? The ones that tunnelled and laid explosives under enemy positions?

Oh what a good answer.

Sorry no. Today's tip, read yesterday's clue very carefully.

Were they on Marmolada in the White War in WW1?

No Gloria. An even better clue for you, look at the last mystery object....