Unusual winching ground anchor.

[rustexpert]

I have this ground anchor. I am told this cast steel version (I don't think it is a forging) is most unusual in the U.K. although I don't think it is the only one I have seen.

I purchased it from one of the larger surplus dealers at Beltring about 20 years ago; I didn't pay a special premium on it, as I remember it was mixed in a pile of the normal folded plate version.

Can anybody tell me more about it?

I know someone wants to reproduce them and is looking for a drawing, if one should exist before I make a drawing for him to use to make a pattern.

[monty2]

this is a canadian wwii ground anchor.  comes with long pines to fix it to the ground 

[Tony B]

I know it was a spelling mistake, but visions of troops digging in trees to winch on, hell we don't use any Kraut trees! 

Edited February 27, 2018 by Tony B

[Adrian Barrell]

I don't think it's Canadian, just the earlier pattern. The wartime recovery manuals show this type, I think the folded plate came later.

[monty2]

we got a few sets complete from canadian f60l 

 

[Maurice]

They are British , and have when new a date casted in to them , Adrian is right , the folded ones are all post war dated , there was a welded box version as well , these are ww2 as well 

[soupdragon]

Thanks Rustexpert for posting your pic.. They look pretty much the same as the Aussie ones I am trying to find - (pic below also posted in wrecker forum), Probably have the same pin locations and cross section.  May have some casting differences - date location, part or FV number?, but probably not noticeable to the untrained eye.

Thanks all for the replies .

Edited February 27, 2018 by soupdragon

[Niels v]

I have a couple of each, that I got with my Scammell and my Gun tractor.

 

[Old Git]

These ground anchors were used quite a lot in Bridging operations with the RE, they are indeed WWII and immediate post-war. Interestingly enough Bassett-Lowke reproduced these in 1/6th scale as part of the Bailey Bridge training models that were made between 1944 - 1962

 

[Iron Mike]

This was still being used as a ground anchor in the Canadian military  in the late 90's by combat engineers, mountain operations, assault pioneers. I heard it referred to as the 'ordinance pattern hold fast' (OPH) or 'engineer hold fast'. Would love to get one or two.

 

[J Taylor]

Anchor Earth Holdfast, or AEH, used by Sappers for anchoring points on bridges and shorelines. also for vehicle recovery, can be set up in a crowsfoot configuration to increase tonnage that can be held. Pounded in a few while I was in and most Canadian engineer units still have a ton of them.