Screw or pigtail post

[devilsrope]

I need help finding out when and where these posts were used. I know they were used by the axis and allies during WWI and WWII. I have been told they were used by the US Calvary during the late 1800s. growing up around horses I have my doubts as to why would they cut the sharp angle on the top if they were used to corral horses as I have been told.

[Eric Zentner]

Here is a pic of a 'Pig Tail' Barbed Wire Spike from Bloody Ridge, Guadalcanal ,not sure where else they were used.

Eric

[Wagriff]

I've seen many of these from WWI as well and in several different lengths. They were, as Eric has said, used to string barbed wire. Hundreds of thousands-if not millions-were used in WWI alone. I've seen photos that defy description, of oceans of barbed wire. Indeed, one wonders just how, if ever, they managed to clear most of it after the war. One grand idea they had, I remember, was to shell it with heavy artillery to "cut up the wire and blast a way through it all", which, of course, only made it all the more worse.

[devilsrope]

thanks for the info. speaking of barbed wire I have over 100 types of military and prison wire in my collection, and between my brother and I we have over 600 types of barbed wire. what is fun is th go through patents for barbed wire destroyers. they had good imaginations back then.

[Spitace41]

There is a farm outside of Ypres in Belgium that has got to have over 100 of these stacked up outside, near the PPCLI memorial, I assume they are still there. Also, every now and again in France and Belgium you can see them still in use as fence posts. I took the pic near Ypres in 2008.

[Spitace41]

I also have a short one that I guess must have been used for catching people at ankle height that came off a British beach.

[Gustaf B]

This type of post was used as a picket for horses, but none of then had the pointy bit at the top, as that would have been a hazard to the horse. I have a bundle of the type shown in the first photo, they were used during the Viet Nam War, but may have been EEII surplus.
Best
Gus