Captured Senussi bridle : Captain Aubrey Sydney Nobbs, 13th Company, Imperial Camel Corps

Traditional bridle in the form of a single leather head piece, without brow band, nose band or throat attachment, stitched around a buckram core. The outer sides of the cheek sections are covered with cotton braid woven in a geometric pattern in black and magenta. The section of the headpiece that passes behind the horse's ears is wider than the cheek sections and is covered with black coarse weave cotton superimposed with another pattern of cotton braid, also in black and magenta. Each outer edge of the bridle carries three long and two short black and magenta cotton cords with tassels, placed at the level of the base of the animal's ears. The corresponding inner edges carry a similar single cord which extends in a 'V' from the base of the ears to the centre of the forehead where it is attached to a leather backed pendant supporting five short cords and tassels in the same braid.

The wrought iron bit has long cheek pieces with ornamental points and a high port or tongue piece attached to a large internal mouth ring. It is attached to the bridle's head piece with leather thongs. The lower arm of each cheek piece carries a short length of iron chain link to which the reins (now separate) were once attached with small iron buckles (also separate).

Although the cotton webbing reins are faded they were originally woven in an ornamental pattern in cream and purple. They are sewn together in the centre with a decorative cream and purple cotton knot. A small iron slide passes around the reins and holds them together near the rider's hand. Each rein is reinforced with a leather strip at the end that would be attached to the bit.

Born in England in 1888, Aubrey Sydney Nobbs was a Queensland grazier when he enlisted in the AIF at Warwick in January 1915. He had previously served in the East Surry Cadets for a year, and the 19th Alberta Mounted Rifles in Canada for 3 years, as well as the Citizens Military Forces in Australia from 1910 where he had served as a lieutenant. After enlistment in the AIF Nobbs applied for a commission. He was sent to the Royal Military College at Duntroon, Canberra to undertake a short officer course, was formally appointed a lieutenant in August 1915, and posted to the 4th Reinforcements for the 11th Light Horse Regiment. He sailed from Brisbane aboard HMAT A1 Hymettus in September.

In 1916 the 11th Light Horse Regiment was one of the units sent to patrol and defend the Suez Canal. Nobbs transferred to the 13th Company of the Imperial Camel Corps, as officer commanding, with the rank of captain, in July 1916, and until February 1917 took part in the successful campaign in the Western Egyptian Desert and in Libya against the Senussi. This tribal group waged guerilla warfare against the British forces in Egypt at the behest of the Ottoman Turks and the Germans. Nobbs collected this traditional Senussi bridle during the capture of the Baharia Oasis (now Bahariya) in December 1916.

Nobbs served with other Camel Corps units until they were disbanded in June 1918, when he was posted as a captain and honorary brevet major to the 14th Light Horse Regiment. The regiment took part in the battle of Megiddo and subsequent rapid advance to Damascus in September. In November Major Nobbs was appointed to command the regiment. He remained in command until the regiment was finally disbanded in July 1919. After a period of leave in England Nobbs returned to Australia in October.