Water bottle : Trooper H S Dodds, 5 Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse

Place Africa: South Africa
Accession Number RELAWM14443
Collection type Heraldry
Object type Personal Equipment
Physical description Aluminium, Cork, Leather, Nickel-plated steel, Steel, Wool twill
Maker Unknown
Date made c 1900
Conflict South Africa, 1899-1902 (Boer War)
Description

Oval aluminium waterbottle with flattened sides and a cork stopper with an aluminium cap attached to a short length of nickel plated steel chain link. Much of the chain is missing and is now attached to a double length of string which is tied around the neck of the bottle, below the mouthpiece. The bottle is covered with fine khaki wool twill. One side is stamped in ink '12', and the remains of what was once '5 A.C.H.'. A band of brown leather is sewn around the neck. The bottle is contained in a brown leather carrier with shoulder strap and steel buckle. The strap passes through a leather keeper sewn to the bottom of the wool cover.

History / Summary

This water bottle was issued to 12 Trooper Herbert Sydney Dodds, who served with A Squadron, 5 Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse (5 ACH) in the Boer War. This squadron was raised mainly from members of the New South Wales Lancers, a militia unit. 5 ACH was one of 8 Commonwealth Battalions raised in early 1902. All arrived in South Africa too late to see much, if any, active service. Dodds left Sydney aboard the transport Columbian on May 1902 and returned to Australia in August 1902 aboard the Manchester Merchant. The water bottle itself is not a known standard military pattern.