Great War Leather Haversack

This Haversack is from the collection of my friend who lent me the gas mask in the previous post. His grandfather was in the Canadian artillery.

I'm guessing it is a private purchase officer's haversack. It bears some similarities to the canvas Oliver Pattern haversack that was used in 1900 and then at the start of the Great War. The leather is still very supple, though delicate. There have been some repairs made with care, presumably because in usage this leather did not stand up to the task. 

What is curious is the very hand-made addition of two straps with snap hooks onto the body of the haversack. These then clip onto the snap hooks of the shoulder strap. There is no evidence of any previous attachment points and I'm mystified as to why this is so. Was the haversack originally intended to be merely a carrying bag without a strap? There is an internal loop of leather with no apparent purpose, though one might pass a belt through it. However there is no wear indicating that, and it would be rather a strange system to buckle the haversack onto a belt in such a manner.

The inside has a divider made of a stiff oiled canvas. There are no dates or markings.

Once again I am taken by the simple beauty of personal items created for the business of war.