| Place | Europe: France, Picardie, Somme, Albert Bapaume Area, Pozieres Area, Pozieres |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL/00757 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Hessian; cotton tape; brass; nickel plated steel |
| Location | Main Bld: First World War Gallery: Western Front 1916: Pozieres Losses |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Date made | c 1915-1916 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Battle damaged stretcher bearers sling from Pozieres : Lieutenant K S Cunningham, 5 Field Ambulance, AIF
Description
Brown hessian stretcher bearer's sling lined with brown cotton tape. The top of the sling has a brass slide (grip plate), for adjustment of length, which has been damaged by high explosive shrapnel. The lower end of the sling has a loop with a small strap, 25mm wide, adjusted by a nickel plated steel buckle. The loop slides over the handle of the stretcher and the strap secures the poles of the folded stretcher together. A second sling would be used to secure the opposite end of the poles. The piece of shrapnel that broke the brass slide is included with the sling.
History / Summary
5 Field Ambulance stretcher bearer's sling damaged by shrapnel at Pozieres in 1916. Associated with Lieutenant Kenneth Stewart Cunningham, who served with this unit before he was commissioned. He enlisted on 6 August 1915 and returned to Australia on 20 May 1919.