Any idea as to what this is

[harley1962]

Found in field near Devonshire Cemetery and wondered what it is / was. 

Approx 6" in length. 

Also found a nice horse shoe and a mule shoe so wondered if the object could be horse related. 

 

[KGB]

for fastening gates? 

[Interested]

A bit to go in a horses mouth, I think.

[reese williams]

Definitely not a horse bit.  It could be from a harness but that's just a guess.

 

[303man]

Probably part of the breast stap that connects to the Hame. 

[tootrock]

What are the dimensions?

Martin

[harley1962]

18 hours ago, tootrock said:

What are the dimensions?

Martin

I've currently got it de rusting again via electrolysis. When i first found it, all of it was rusted solid into each other. My mission to get it apart has worked. I have only measured the length which is 6".

I found it in the field where on the Somme film they brought the horses and guns down across the road from the dead Gordon Highlanders. 

Along with the horse and mule shoe i thought maybe horse related. 

[Chasemuseum]

Its a link from horse draught harness pattern "Royal Artillery 1904". RA1904 became the General Service pattern after WW1 and continued in use through WW2.

 

The linkage is a quick release system, the L shaped link goes through the large oval ring and a captive leather strap passes through the end of te L-link to lock it in place.

Below is a set of traces "short" and "long". The short traces havea ram's horn buckle on one end.

 

[Chasemuseum]

Of the various quick release fittings for RA1904, the part in the original post is from the "Pole neck straps" used by the "wheelers" to attach to the pole support bar. That is the by the two horses nearest to the wagon or limber, to attach to the cross bar that attaches to the timber pole that comes from the wagon/limber between these two horses

The group of fittings with the leather still in place

Showing how the quick release fittings work. In this case they are being attached to the leather "pole piece" that could be used with a GS wagon as an alternative to using a pole support bar.

 

 

 

[harley1962]

7 hours ago, Chasemuseum said:

Of the various quick release fittings for RA1904, the part in the original post is from the "Pole neck straps" used by the "wheelers" to attach to the pole support bar. That is the by the two horses nearest to the wagon or limber, to attach to the cross bar that attaches to the timber pole that comes from the wagon/limber between these two horses

The group of fittings with the leather still in place

Showing how the quick release fittings work. In this case they are being attached to the leather "pole piece" that could be used with a GS wagon as an alternative to using a pole support bar.

 

 

 

Oh wow thank you so much Chasemuseum you have solved the mystery for me and with a very detailed description.