What is this object?

[rcathey]

Close but no ceegar.
That was the armor developed by British Medical Research Council.
Better pictures and description here:
MRC body armour in Canadian use during World War II | SpaceBattles Forums

Neat read but not what the OP posted.

[UNPROFOR1994]

Maybe the metal hooks and latch weren't used to attach gear to the breastplate, but to attach the breastplate to a vehicle of some kind. Maybe part of the kit of an armoured car crew? Some had open turrets so the gunner could use some extra protection.

[Gil Boyd]

Agree with Paul.S,
I think its a nose protector for a horse. Initially I thought it to be the plate to cover the family jewels but then saw the other welded pieces on the plate probably used for other Cavalry bits and pieces.

[jamie5070]

I thought I read somewhere that early machine gun crews had body armor.

[Gil Boyd]

Nay!!!.............only joking horse related, yes there was, it was the Germans who were more advanced in body armour for machine gun crews and had a system issued to them called 'Sappenpanzer' a steel body armour and 'Stirnpanzer' brow plate for their helmets adding yet more weight to carry. It was a veritable suit of armour produced for the
MG/08, which included shields shaped to fit the water jacket.

[Sunray]

Attach the breastplate to a vehicle and the troopie dies in the event of a simple accident.
The CEF used a shovel(MacAdam Shield-Shovel. $1.35 each x 25,000 = $33,750. $1,400 was recovered when scrapped. Typical Liberal incompetence.) with a hole in it as armour during W.W. I. One of Sam Hughes' stupid ideas. His secretary actually. Friggin' thing was no good for digging a hole either.
https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/...600.009-e.html
Vickers MG's had splinter plates too. So did the Russian PM M1910.
Don't think horses were armoured during W.W.I.

[Gil Boyd]

I designed a shovel once for Military use which was velcroed to your arm and had a decent cutting edge for trees or roots on one edge. That too was deemed a silly idea, but I could fill sandbags a darn sight quicker then two men could with a normal GS shovel, especially under fire!!

[Paul S.]

The first four chapters of Anthony Saunders book, Dominating the Enemy; War In the Trenches 1914 - 1918, Sutton Publishing, Gloucestershire, 2000, ISBN 075092446, cover everything from 'defensive loopholes' to armoured shovels. The Mac Adams was a British invention and was even granted a British patent.

[Gil Boyd]

So was mine......................, but it was still deemed "unecessary" by those at MOD who had NEVER filled a sandbag whilst taking incoming!!.

Having been diverted from a Jungle Warfare course in Malaya in 1974 and to be told we were stopping off in Cyprus to refuel ironically and immediately after the landings by Turkish Paratroopers in the north of the Island, we were quickly sheperded off the plane to fill thousands of sandbags by hand on what was to become the GREEN LINE at Famugusta to keep the two sides apart, that is what motivated me to design the arm worn sand bag filler unit.

[browningautorifle]

to fill thousands of sandbags by hand on what was to become the GREEN LINE

Yes, I did that too...