The History of England’s Field Marshalls

By the 1930s, horsepower was sweeping across the English countryside, mostly being imported from continental Europe (particularly Germany) and the U.S. This assault did not miss the attention of the leading manufacturer of steam traction engines in England, Marshall, Sons & Company of Gainsborough.

That firm, which had been in operation since 1849, enjoyed enormous success with steam machines. Leadership at Marshall, however, realized the days of steam were fast dwindling.

So after years of experimenting, Marshall demonstrated a tractor operating on fuel oil at England’s 1930 World Tractor Trials. Marshall’s approach mirrored that of German manufacturers with tractors operating off of a single-cylinder engine. In the case of the Marshall demonstrator tractor, the power plant had a single 8-inch-diameter piston operating at a 10½-inch stroke.

Ignition Papers

Unlike the competition at those trials that used a hot bulb to cause ignition, the Marshall engine employed ignition paper placed in a holder that protruded from the combustion chamber. This eliminated the need for a magneto, spark plugs, and hot bulb to start the engine.

To start the Marshall, the ignition paper (containing saltpeter) was inserted into the cylinder head. The engine was then turned over with a starting handle placed in a starting dog on the flywheel. Starting was made easier with a decompression valve that allowed the engine to rapidly turn over. This, in turn, let the flywheel gain speed and inertia. This turned the engine through compression and ignition.

Marshall also offered a cartridge starting system with its tractors when so ordered. This approach employed a shotgun blank cartridge loaded into a breech on the engine’s intake system. The cartridge was fired by tapping the protruding firing pin with a hammer. This put a charge into the bore, sending the piston on its way. Unfortunately, this method put significant strain on the engine during starting and caused carbon deposits in the cylinder, resulting in a jammed decompression valve.

First Marshall Tractor

A year after its demonstration, Marshall entered the tractor market with its 15/30 model E. The tractor’s $399 sale price included a three-speed transmission. The tractor’s simple design and ability to run on fuel oil, as opposed to gasoline, caught the eye of buyers.

That success inspired Marshall to introduce an entirely new, streamlined tractor in 1932. The model 18/30 had been redesigned to look modern, but it was also made more stout. Increasing the operating speed of the old 15/30 single-cylinder engine boosted horsepower to 18 hp.

A year later, Marshall followed up with the model 12/20, which would put the company firmly into the horsepower competition. Striving to catch up to competition but also to establish a reputation, the 12/20 was of a completely new design, operating with a 6×9-inch bore-and-stroke engine. Marshall stayed with the use of ignition papers, eliminating the cost of a magneto and battery.

World War II would curtail tractor production in England. To celebrate the British victory, Marshall changed the name of its tractors to reflect the popularity of battlefield commanders. Thus, the Field Marshall tractor was created.

A series of tractor models would be introduced in the postwar years. First came the 40-hp. Field Marshall Series 1 MK2 (1945-1947), followed by the 40-hp. Field Marshall Series 2 (1947-1949), and the 42-hp. Field Marshall Series 2 MK2. Each introduction brought slight improvements in design.

Stayed a Single Cylinder

Marshall stuck stubbornly with its single-cylinder engine design at a time that multi cylinder engines were overwhelming the tractor market. For example, the dominating Fordson tractor was being offered with a Perkins diesel motor.

The 1950s brought the Field Marshall Series 3 tractors as well as the Fowler VF and VFA crawlers. (Marshall had come in control of the John Fowler company in 1947.) These machines all continued to run on single-cylinder, 6½×9-inch bore-and-stroke engines. Horsepower output stayed the same at 40 hp., although the company was offering, as optional equipment, lights, canopy or cab, a winch, and hydraulic power lift system.

Ownership Changed

Unfortunately, the agriculture economy stalled at this time in England as well as in the U.S. Thus, the fortunes of Marshall took a turn for the worse.

The company would be taken over by British Leyland. That firm went on to introduce the only Marshall brand tractor with a multi-cylinder engine. The model MP6, introduced in 1956, employed a six-cylinder Leyland power plant. Only 197 of these tractors were built, and most of those were exported.

In the 1970s, the old Fowler crawler line was still in operation and being sold as the Track Marshall. These machines used a four-cylinder Perkins diesel and were a success in oversea sales, especially to Australia.

The Marshall brand would be passed on to Bentall Simplex in the early 1980s, which tried to sell a Marshall range of Leyland-made tractors. This effort failed, and the Marshall and Field Marshall names ceased to exist.