Saddle tree : General Service Pack Saddle Mark V

Place Oceania: Australia
Accession Number REL33901.001
Collection type Heraldry
Object type Heraldry
Physical description Leather, Steel, Wood
Maker Commonwealth Government Harness Factory
Commonwealth Government Harness Factory
H Eastgate
Place made Australia
Date made c 1939-1943
Conflict Second World War, 1939-1945
Description

Adjustable saddle tree for the General Service Pack Saddle Mark V. The arches, hooks, loops and plates are of steel. The two side-bars, which are of curved and twisted wood, are attached by steel plates over the lower arms of the two arches so that they can swivel and adjust to the angles of an individual horse's back. Each bar is stamped 'H.EASTGATE 43'. The rear arch has a pair of front part leather crupper straps looped around it. One of the straps is stamped 'C.G.H.F.' (Commonwealth Government Harness Factory), and bears a disposal stamp 'S' and a broad arrow. There are two pairs of leather girth straps looped through slots cut in each side-bar.

History / Summary

In 1904 the British Army adopted a new General Service (GS) pack saddle with an adjustable tree, known as the Mark V pack saddle. The main innovation was the adjustable tree created by having the front and back steel arches jointed to the wooden sidebars, which allowed them to turn to adjust to the size of the back of whatever animal carried the saddle, from the largest horse to the smallest donkey, and eliminated the need to manufacture saddles in different sizes. The saddle could be adapted, by the addition of hanging bars, or universal slats, to carry a wide variety of stores, tools and equipment, and also wounded men. The GS pack saddle was used in both world wars by both the British and Australian armies. The use of pack saddles was especially important in the campaign in Palestine during the First World War where wheeled transport was often not an option. Each machine gun carried by light horse units was transported on a pack saddle, and was accompanied by a second pack animal carrying spare ammunition. During the Second World War pack animals were routinely used by patrols, and larger units such as Norforce, in remote areas of northern Australia. The saddle shown here has two separate girths, which crossed under the animal's belly. Most later versions of the saddle used a shorter single girth buckled to a 'V' attachment, which was in turn buckled to the sidebars. Use of the 'V' attachment gave greater strength and stability to the saddle, and decreased 'rocking' of the load.

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