Breast collar : General Service Pack Saddle Mark V

Breast collar for General Service Pack Saddle Mark V. The collar is made from three fold hide with the edges left unstitched. The straps, with buckles, which attach it to the pannels of the pack saddle, are permanently stitched to each end of the collar. The end of one strap is stamped 'JONES & ROWLEY WALSALL 1916' and bears a government disposal mark 'S' and a broad arrow. A long neck strap is attached to the right (off) side of the collar and buckles on to a corresponding short strap on the left (near) side.

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.