Possible ww1 sleeping bag

[rayoung74]

Going to have to post this in 3 parts to get all 3 pictures up but i have been given first choice on this and as I am not to well read up on 1st world war sleeping bags, I throwing it into the forum. That being said from what I have seen and read in the past I suspect this may be a 2nd ww bag but it would be nice to confirm it either way.

Youngie

[rayoung74]

picture 2

[rayoung74]

and finally.

[Ken Lees]

I have never heard of a Great War Soldier using a sleeping bag. I believe British soldiers were issued with a blanket.

[Gunner Bailey]

I have never heard of a Great War Soldier using a sleeping bag. I believe British soldiers were issued with a blanket.

I have what I was told was a WW1 officers sleeping bag that was re-issued in WW2 and is stamped 1941. It is basically a long canvas sleeping bag with a fold over opening. Inside is a blanket which opens down the middle. The whole thing is wrapped up in heavy leather strapping. It certainly looks nothing like a modern sleeping bag. It is also quite heavy. It may be the leather straps confirm it as WW1 as in WW2 I'm sure it would have had webbing straps.

John

[rayoung74]

I have never heard of a Great War Soldier using a sleeping bag. I believe British soldiers were issued with a blanket.

Yes soldiers were issued with a blanket but bags were purchased privately by officers. The sleeping bag wasn't issued to all ranks till 1944 in Italy due to harsh conditions.

[Andrew Upton]

It may be the leather straps confirm it as WW1 as in WW2 I'm sure it would have had webbing straps.

I've got a WW2 dated set of the luggage carrying straps used for Officers baggage - all leather, and otherwise identical to WW1 dated sets I've seen!

[tocemma]

Ray,

This is certainly a WW1 period sleeping bag. They were sometimes referred to as 'blanket bags' at the time. Officers could, and did, have any kit they liked as it was privately purchased. Such blanket bags were available well before the Great War. The Jaeger bags were available in several different layer combinations.

Attached is a photo of a virtually identical bag I have in my collection. This was used by Lt Henry (later Sir Henry) Brailsford Lawson,13th (Kensington) Battalion, The London Regiment and then 10th Manchester Regiment, until he was wounded in September 1918. It is of the three layer variety and is of an extremely warm and high quality 'camel hair' wool.

Also attached is an advertisement from an Officer's outfitters dating from 1912 showing this type of bag and the pre war prices. Also shown in the upper part of the illustration is a variation of the Valise that John (Gunner Bailey) mentions in his post. These had been around in one form or another from the earlier part off the 19th Century.

These were usually in the form of a thick canvas sleeping bag, often with a padded mattress inserted, and often a blanket bag or simply loose blankets inside. The whole shooting match could be rolled up complete and tied up with a set of attached leather straps, complete with carrying handle. This item was used until well after WW2, indeed I have had more than one over the years used by both Father and Son in consecutive wars!

I hope this is of interest.

Regards

Tocemma

The 1912 advertisement.

TM

Edited 3 August , 2020 by tocemma
Spelling

[Gunner Bailey]

'Also attached is an advertisement from an Officer's outfitters dating from 1912 showing this type of bag and the pre war prices. Also shown in the upper part of the illustration is a variation of the Valise that John (Gunner Bailey) mentions in his post. These had been around in one form or another from the earlier part off the 19th Century.

These were usually in the form of a thick canvas sleeping bag, often with a padded mattress inserted, and often a blanket bag or simply loose blankets inside'.

This more than accurately describes the bag I have.

John

[rayoung74]

Okay so here's the crunch question, how much would be a "Fair price" given age scarcity general condition? for a bag like tihs given it'd be getting on for 100 years old.

Youngie

[tocemma]

Ray

I take it there was a name tag on your sleeping bag? There seemed to be one in your photo. If so, and you have demonstrable link to somone who served, then I would expect it to be worth £60-80, maybe a little more to the right person. It is an unusual but specialised item, the link to a serving soldier is the important thing.

In my case the bag I have was one of many items in a complete kit, so easier to identify.

Hope this helps

Regards

Tocemma

[Wardog]

Just out of interest some pictures of the 'other' type of officers sleeping bag/valise with entry from Medical Officers in the British Army 1660-1960.

[GRANVILLE]

Wasn't sure which thread to post this picture on, but here is a picture of what I strongly suspect will be sleeping bags being used 'in the field' by OR's. Whatever has been rolled up and attached to the top of the Pack is too voluminous to be a greatcoat. As far as I can see every man has been issued with one. Picture can be found on p198 of WORLD WAR 1914-1918 A PICTURED HISTORY. The caption informs that the troops are engaged on the Salonika Campaign.

Dave Upton

[CroppyBoy1798]

Just out of interest some pictures of the 'other' type of officers sleeping bag/valise with entry from Medical Officers in the British Army 1660-1960.

We have a sleeping bag almost identicle to that in our museum, as mentioned, it was a private purchase by an officer and like that one has the leather straping and edging. Its made of a rubberised canvas material on the outside (which smells really bad!) and is lined with a softer, orange material on the inside. Pretty bulky piece of kit and I can confirm its ww1 vintage due to the fact its names to an officer of the Royal Artillery whose medal card I was able to obtain thanks to the fact his name was printed on the bag in rather large letters!

[Andrew Hesketh]

Youngie - email me as I have yet another person who's made contact with info tor you.

[Sinabhfuil]

Youngie - email me as I have yet another person who's made contact with info tor you.

Andrew Hesketh - Can you email me please? I've tried a couple of times to send you a message on this site, but get an automated message saying you can't receive any more messages. I assume you can get my email address from this site since you're an admin; if not, I'll post it up.

Your Derbyshire Lads site is down, and I very much want to read material on it, and also (if you would be so kind) to pick your agile brain.

[MartinWills]

Interestingly I know of a couple of people who have contacted Jaeger with regard to production of sleeping bags and in both cases Jaeger confirmed, quite categorically, that thay never produced any sleeping bags during WW1.

Like several others I do not believe this to be the case!

[Guest Twodogs]

Hello all first post for me so here goes

I have managed to pick up a Jaeger bag the other day and when searching for Information found this site .

I think mine is later than the one posted up top as the label is different

Three layer

Here is the label

Also picked up this , canvas outer filled with wool wading

Has an anyone got the wool hat ??

Cheers

Cliff

[Khaki]

Looks a little like an artillery pickelhaube

khaki

[Polar Bear]

Firstly welcome to the Forum.

 

Secondly as I think you suspect this isn't a WW1 sleeping bag and there's a big clue why. The zip (as we Brits say) or the zipper as you would say (I am assuming you are American and if you are not I apologize). Although technically in existence during the war (certainly the very late war) they weren't used in any great number until the early twenties... and even then only on shoes (so it's a close run thing timewise but still...). Personally I think it might be WW2 but I am no expert on that. It also makes it outside the remit of this forum.

 

Yours,

 

P

 

EDIT TO ADD - Now I think about it the colour also looks much more WW2 than WW1.

Edited 24 July , 2020 by Polar Bear

[GRANVILLE]

The condition of it is so good I find it had to believe it could be even WW2 vintage i.e. about 80yrs old.

David

[Tom K]

US M1949 Mountain sleeping bag, not even WW2 - Korean War era. 

 

You have both the inner and outed bags - excellent  sleeping bag for camping.

Edited 25 July , 2020 by Tom K

[thejungleisneutral]

On 25/07/2020 at 06:38, Sharon Christ said:

Over the years I was told that this was my grandfather’s sleeping bag from WWI. Can somebody confirm that for me? It doesn’t look like other photos posted on this site. I would like to find it a good home. 

 

Hi Sharon,

 

That's a WWII-era M1942 Arctic Sleeping Bag (right) and outer (left). Both are in amazingly good condition for their age. I own and use an M1942 Arctic Sleeping Bag Outer myself in my swag (canvas bedroll) for cold weather camping.