Standard issue saddle used by the Australian Light Horse, artillery and transport units during WW1 and after (between the wars). The Universal Pattern saddles were designed to have interchangeable parts, making them easy to repair.1912 Universal Pattern steel arch brown leather saddle. Tree is made of wood with shredded cotton waste padding attached. Various brass rings are located on the saddle for attaching sundry equipment. No stirrups, stirrup leathers or girth. The leather seat covers the frame between the front and rear metal arches and is attached to them using linen webbing slings. Leather sweat flaps on each side.Stamped on the rear of the seat: 'S (broad up arrow)'australian light horse, military equipment, saddle, transport

The subject leather leggings are associated with mounted troops known as the Australian Light Horse that served in the South African War from 1899 to 1902. After the war, Britain wanted to use fewer mounted troops and restructured its force around a style of combat that needed more infantry. But the defence of Australia still relied upon mounted military units as these were more mobile than infantry and could travel faster over long distances. Light Horse brigades in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) mostly contained recruits who served in the Light Horse regiments of the Citizen Forces. Many young men from rural areas of Australia volunteered for the Light Horse regiments. They had to pass a riding test to join, this test was easier for men from the bush because horses were still the main method of transport on farms and in country towns. The army did not officially accept First Australians into the AIF until May 1917 when enlistment standards were relaxed to include 'half-castes' with a parent of European origin. Indigenous soldiers served as valuable members of the Light Horse and many possessed excellent horse handling skills and specialist tracking knowledge.The subject items are part of the uniform for the Light Horse Units that served in the Australian army from 1899 until 1918. These leggings were worn by soldiers on horseback and are significant as they represent a noteworthy time in Australia's early military history. It was a time when many young men gave their lives during the South African and First World Wars in the defence of the then British Empire as part of the Imperial Forces that were gathered from many British-controlled Colonial countries.A pair of two Leather Leggings used by Mounted Australian soldiers during the first world war. The leggings are dark tan in colour with stitching to attach buckles and fastener straps. The strap buckles are made of brass and the leather legging straps are of same leather as leggings. Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, leggings, leather leggings, protective leggings, protective clothing, australian mounted light horse units, military equipment

The subject leather leggings are associated with mounted troops known as the Australian Light Horse that served in the South African War from 1899 to 1902. After the war, Britain wanted to use fewer mounted troops and restructured its force around a style of combat that needed more infantry. But the defence of Australia still relied upon mounted military units as these were more mobile than infantry and could travel faster over long distances. Light Horse brigades in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) mostly contained recruits who served in the Light Horse regiments of the Citizen Forces. Many young men from rural areas of Australia volunteered for the Light Horse regiments. They had to pass a riding test to join, this test was easier for men from the bush because horses were still the main method of transport on farms and in country towns. The army did not officially accept First Australians into the AIF until May 1917 when enlistment standards were relaxed to include 'half-castes' with a parent of European origin. Indigenous soldiers served as valuable members of the Light Horse and many possessed excellent horse handling skills and specialist tracking knowledge.The subject items are part of the uniform for the Light Horse Units that served in the Australian army from 1899 until 1918. These leggings were worn by soldiers on horseback and are significant as they represent a noteworthy time in Australia's early military history. It was a time when many young men gave their lives during the South African and First World Wars in the defence of the then British Empire as part of the Imperial Forces that were gathered from many British-controlled Colonial countries.A pair of two Leather Leggings used by Mounted Australian soldiers during the first world war. The leggings are dark tan in colour with stitching to attach buckles and fastener straps. The strap buckles are made of brass and the leather legging straps are of same leather as leggings. Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, leggings, leather leggings, protective leggings, protective clothing, australian mounted light horse units, military equipment

‘A’ Squadron 8/13 Victorian mounted Rifles hosted a special screening of the movie “The Lighthorsemen” at the Regent Theatre Albury on 11 September 1987. The official party included the Area Commander Albury-Wodonga Military Area, Honorary Colonel 8/13 VMR and Officer Commanding ‘a’ Squadron 8/13 VMR. The VMR Heritage Troop mounted a Lance-Guard in the theatre foyer and the Albury City Band played prior to the screening. Proceeds from the function were donated to Legacy.Colour photograph of a horse with Light Horse saddlry and equipment. It was part of a static display at special screening of film " The Lighthorsemen " at Albury 11 September 1987.

Sepia photograph mounted on card showing horses with light horse saddles and equipment being loaded, somewhat reluctantly, on to a rail wagon. Thought to be 13th Light Horse possibly at Warragul station, Victoria, c1938.Ink stamp on reverse "M Lowenhardt / Warragul"military, horse, light horse, warragul, gippsland, train

These images capture for all time Light Horsemen travelling through Geelong on their way to camp at Torquay for the last Group meeting in Australia . information following - details obtained from .........https://torquayhistory.com/light-horse-brigade/ On Australia Day, 1997, Sir John Young unveiled this plaque on Point Danger, Torquay. Torquay history, Light Horse Training Camp, WW2 Plaque at Pt. Danger Note----- (See images to view plaque) The plaque identifies a significant event in Torquay’s history and the sentiments of ‘change’ for the Light Horse Brigade – from horses to machines. In 1940 the four Light Horse Regiments (4th, 8th, 13th and 20th), some 5000 Light Horse and 2000 horses camped and trained at Torquay. Three other regiments, formerly mounted on horses, were also at Torquay ‘mounted’ on privately owned trucks and cars. Division troops included Artillery, Engineers, Signals, Field Ambulance and other branches of the Army necessary to enable a Division to function. It wasn’t just the sheer numbers of men coming to this little town that made the event significant, it was also the fact that the men of the Light Horse were dramatic, almost glamorous figures and it is easy to see their exploits as some splendid adventure. Horses have played a special role in the story of Australia. They were the only means of transport across this huge country, so it was necessary for everyone to have the ability to ride a horse. When war broke out in 1899 between Britain and the Boers of South Africa (“Boer” was Dutch for “farmer”) Australia sent troops to fight. At first Britain was wary of using untried, unprofessional colonial cavalrymen but soon saw that the slouch-hatted Australian “bushmen” were a match for the fast-moving and unconventional mounted commandos of the Boers. The Australians proved themselves to be expert rough-riding horsemen and good shots. Bush life had hardened them to go for long periods with little food and water. They also showed remarkable ability to find their way in a strange country and use its features for cover, in both attack and defence. By 1914, when Australia joined the war against Germany, there were 23 Light Horse regiments of militia volunteers. Many men from these units joined the Light Horse regiments of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Men were given remounts (if not using their own horses) – army horses bought by Commonwealth purchasing officers from graziers and breeders. These were called “walers” because they were a New South Wales stockhorse type – strong, great-hearted animals with the strains of the thoroughbred and semi-draught to give them speed, strength and stamina. On 1st November, 1914, Australia’s First Infantry Division and the first four Light Horse regiments sailed for England in a fleet of transport ships. The first of the Light Horse arrived at Gallipoli in May without their horses. Back with their horses after Gallipoli, they were formidable combatants across the Sinai and Palestine. Some British commanders observed that the light horseman moved with a “lazy, slouching gait, like that of a sleepy tiger” but described how the promise of battle “changes that careless gait, into a live athletic swing that takes him over the ground much quicker than other troops”. They had Light Horse, Torquay, training campdeveloped a reputation as formidable infantrymen. The Turks called them “the White Ghurkas” – a reference to their deadly skill with the bayonet. The Arabs called them “The Kings of the Feathers”. The plume had originally been a battle honour of the Queensland Mounted Infantry for their work in the shearer’s strike of 1891. During WW1 it was adopted by almost all the Light Horse Regiments. It was the proud badge of the light horseman. The most famous of their battles was the attack on Beersheba- the charge of the 4th Light Horse Brigade. Mounted infantrymen and their superb walers had carried out one of the most successful cavalry charges in history – against what seemed impossible odds. They surprised the Turks by charging cavalry-style, when they would normally have ridden close to an objective then dismounted to fight. The fall of Beersheba swung the battle tide against the Turks in Palestine; and changed the history of the Middle East. While 19 men from the Surf Coast Shire served with the 4th Light Horse over the course of WW1, only four were involved in the charge of Beersheba- John GAYLARD, Philip QUINN.(Winchelsea); Wallace FINDLAY (Anglesea); Harry TRIGG (Bambra). After the war, Light Horse units played a key role in the Australian Government’s compulsory military training programme. The Citizen Military Forces (C.M.F.) thrived on the glamour of the wartime Light Horse tradition, ignoring the possibility that motor vehicles would soon replace the horses. When training was no longer compulsory, the C.M.F. regiments declined and horses became more of a luxury during the 1930s depression years of poverty and unemployment. Some regiments were motorised. Then, in 1939, Australia joined Britain in another world war. Training was increased for the militia at both home bases and regional training camps. The camp at Torquay in 1940, commanded by Major General Rankin, was at Divisional strength. By the end of the camp some felt that the Division was ready for active service. Gradually, over the next four years, the Australian Light Horse units were mounted on wheels and tracks and the horses were retired. Six men enlisted at the Torquay camp and another 57 men and women enlisted at Torquay for service in WW2. Those who served in the Militia provided valuable Officers and NCOs and men for the armed services during the war. Each infantry division of the 2nd AIF had a Light Horse regiment attached to it. But the day of the Australian mounted soldier hadn’t quite passed. During World War II, Australia’s 6th Cavalry Regiment formed a mounted unit they called “The Kelly Gang” which did valuable scouting work. In New Guinea, a mounted Light Horse Troop did patrol duty and helped carry supplies. Some fully equipped walers were flown into Borneo for reconnaissance in rugged mountain country. But by the end of the war, in 1945, the horse had disappeared from the Australian Army. References: Australian Light Horse Association www.lighthorse.org.au National Australia Archives Australian War Memorial Surf Coast Shire WW1 memorials www.togethertheyserved.com The Light horse- a Cavalry under Canvas Light Horse, Training Camp, Torquay, WW2 Late in 1939 it was decided to set up a Lighthorse training camp in Torquay to train both men and horses for the battles of the Second World War. Horses, men and equipment came on special trains from all over Victoria and NSW, and as you would expect horseman came from areas such as Omeo and Sale, the Wimmera and the Western District. They arrived at the Geelong racecourse for watering in the Barwon River and then were ridden across the ford at the breakwater and began their 11 mile trek to Torquay. Light Horse, Training Camp, Torquay, WW2 Tent city By the end of January 1940 the camp at Torquay accommodated some 5000 men and 2500 horses of the Second Cavalry Division. The rows of horses, tents and huts near Blackgate Road were quite a sight. While the cavalrymen engaged in exercises on the land and on the beaches, many of the troops took over the Torquay School for special training of men and officers. Mr Bob Pettit local farmer and Councillor for the Barrabool Shire, wrote about the Light horse in the Surf Coast Community News in 1985 saying “They used to travel about the district riding four abreast in one long convoy. To my annoyance they went through my property and shut all the gates behind them. I had certain gates open to let stock in to the water holes and it would take me three -quarters of an hour to follow the horsemen up and put all the gates right again” he continued “the men from the Light Horse were here when the fire went through in March 1940. He recalled an incident when early one morning, as some one blew the bugle, a soldier putting a white sheet on the line frightened the horses. They panicked and ran off in all directions. Six went over the cliff near Bird Rock, five were never found, and the rest were gathered up after nearly a fortnight in the bush around Addiscott and Anglesea" Light Horse, Training Camp, Torquay, WW2, Geelong Parade Geelong parade The training camp culminated in a parade through the streets of Geelong on March 12th 1940. The salute was given at the Town Hall and the troops continued on a route to the You Yang’s for a training exercise. Note-----(see media section for photograph) The Camp was abandoned in mid 1940 as it was deemed unsuitable for training during winter and the cost of a permanent camp could not be justified if it could not be used all year. Historic.......Rare,,,Interpretive.Sepia photographs.set of four ....post card size ....Horses &LighthorsemenNo 1, Lighthorsemen Regiment Geelong 1940......No 2 Light Horse at Breakwater Geelong 1938 to 1940....No 3 Light Horse at Breakwater Geelong 1938 to 1940.....No 4 Light Horse crossing Breakwater camped at Geelong Showgrounds. These markings are on reverse of photographs.light horsemengeelong 1940., world war 2

Saddle bag used during the First World War. This is presumably a dog saddle bag used to carry machine gun weaponry.This item is a piece of equipement that presumably was used as a dog saddle bag during the First World War. As a WW1 item which presumably would have been worn by working war dogs, this item has an unique history associated with it. It is a rare item, it has historic significance and good interpretive capacity as an unusual piece of war equipment.Fabric and leather saddle bag rectangular in shape with curved edge for the curve of the animal's neck. Fabric is beige-coloured on interior and a thicker woven layer on the exterior is brown with black and light green stripes; fabric remains on only half of the exterior saddle and holes throughout remaining. Saddle has leather binding along edges. Each side carries five pockets, the outer two on each side are fastened by metal buckle and the middle remaining unfastened. Pockets are lined with same beige-cream woven fabric. Leather strap fastens around the neck of the animal and is secured with a metal buckle which inserts through one of several punched holes. first world war, world war i, world war one, the great war, saddle, horse, mule, mounted infantry, equine

This bit was part of a bridle worn by a horse in a Light Horse Regiment during the Second World War. The style of this bit is similar to the British Universal Pattern (UP) 1902 bridle, as worn by horses in the Australian light horse, artillery, and horse drawn transport between circa 1902 and 1942.Dark metal horse bit constructed of four sections: two side sections, one middle section which sits between two sides and a chain which attaches to a loop on each side. Side sections have two large loops and a straight section with two rectangular cut outs. Middle section is straight with dip in centre, possibly for the horse's tongue. Chain is attached on the left side and hooks onto a hook on right side. Left side has "L" stamped into metal. Stamped on right side is "DEST S."horse, equine, second world war, world war ii, world war 2, 1940s, equipment

17th Light Horse Regiment, Bendigo.1) Stitched leather pouch with broken metal button fastener & leather flap. .2) Stitched leather pouch with metal button fastener & leather flap..1) "63 1 ( 10 VMR ALH" .2) "C5 1/10 ALH"trades-leatherworking, light horse, passchendaele barracks trust

Items from 17th Light Horse Regiment collection.Khaki canvas bag, cylindrical shape, khaki canvas strap with metal/brass buckle to bag, brass x 2 fasteners, black printed label on side of bag.Black printed label: "Carriers magazine Lewis 303 in. Gun Hampton & Sons Ltd 1918"containers - military, military history - army - equipment, passchendaele barracks trust

17th Light Horse Regiment, Bendigo.Canvas bucket round, with rope handle & metal eyelets.containers - military, military history - army, light horse, passchendaele barracks trust

Item from 17th Light Horse Regiment collection..1) Leather rectangular pouch, stitched seams, brass stud closer, leather straps at rear to attach to belt, stamped maker's labels. .2) Metal & brass tool, saw toothed teeth, linear shape, 2 brass eyelets on ends to attach brass & timber detachable handles, handles cylindrical shape. .3) Metal file linear, 3 flat sides.Stamped on belt strap: "Jabez Cliff & Co Walshall 1918"trades-tools-saws, containers, military equipment - army, passchendaele barracks trust

Length of hemp rope with a brass ring spliced into one end. The opposite end is terminated with cord whipping to prevent fraying.transport - horse, military equipment, light horse

Item issued to Frank Levy (Major) served pre WW1 and AIF in the Light Horse and Artillery. Refer Cat No 1924.2 for his service history.Horse Nose Bag made from heavy duty canvas, round shape, has 8 holes via metal studs. The bag has one strap combining a canvas section sewn to a heavy leather belt adjustable on the one end."F LEVY"transport - horse, military history, trades - leatherworking

17th Light Horse Regiment, Bendigo.Round leather carry case with strap & metal window, metal buckles attaching strap to case, metal studs fastening straps to case, gold coloured disc attached to strap.On carry case: “M.1” On gold coloured disc: “1”containers - military, trades-leatherworking, passchendaele barracks trust

17th Light Horse Regiment, BendigoTooled leather holster with brass button fastener & metal loop for attachment to belt.containers - military, trades-leatherworking, military history - equipment, passchendaele barracks trust

Equipment used by the RegimentBayonet and scabbard for 7.62 mm L1A1 Self Loading Rifle. 20 cm bladebayonet, slr

Standard field issue for treating woundsSterile compressed dressing for field use. In waterproof outer pack containing sterile dressing.CAPO V111531 6510-66-108-4140first aid, field dressing

Such items used by troops in field exercises. Known as "Choofers"Made of soldered tin plate. It has a central open column for fire of twigs and leaves, surrounded by a water jacket. Fitted with folding double wire handle. On top is a small fitted funnel to facilitate filling and a small vent hole. Traces of label adhesive on body suggest that it was made from a food can.Nilfield equipment, cooking

Personal equipment issueGreen plastic canteen with screw cap attached, capacity 1 litreFOR WATER ONLY DO NOT APPLY CANTEEN TO OPEN FLAME OR BURNER PLATES NYLEX 1995 Govt arrow 8465-66-086- 8349water bottle, equipment

Standard personal issue itemStandard personal issue item c 1960's +Set of two aluminium mess tins. Smaller fits into larger. Rectangular with rounded corners, Fitted with folding handlesGovernment broad arrow on eachsouvenir, equipment, catering equipment

Issue item c 1950'sSet of two steel mess tins, nesting - larger fits the smaller. With folding steel handlesWillow, "D (govt arrow) D", Australiasouvenir, equipment, catering equipment

Metal lamp, battery powered, with 60 mm lens on front, folding carry handle and spring clip on back for mounting on equipment. There are two 10 mm holes in the bottomD D broad arrow, maker's name, Lamps Electrical No 1lamp, souvenir, equipment