The Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection
355.2008.1
Aquascutum (Military) Bedding Roll
14/11/2008
Hermione Cooper
14/11/2008
Brown Aquascutum military bedding roll.Padded canvas with integral pillow.Three buttons across top and three down for access.Two leather straps with metal buckles lengthwise .
canvas, leather
82(w) x 280(l) cms
1
The name " W.R.S. SCROGGIE " inscribed on front. Also " ROYAL NORTH LANCASHIRE REGT. "
brown
Aquascutum
Bedding rolls in various forms have been around since time began. Early cave dwellers would wrap themselves in animal skins as would North American Indians. The Same (Lapps) of Scandinavia still use reindeer skins and the Scots famously wrapped themselves in a plaid, a form of kilt/blanket, before going to sleep in the heather.
Soldiers of the world’s armies would wrap themselves in blankets and bivouac for the night and capes and ponchos would also double up as groundsheets and/or waterproof covers.
Cavalry regiments would often carry rather grander sleeping systems,and,as usual, the officers would go one better.
The rather splendid bedding roll we have here in the collection would seem to be an officer’s version from World War Two or maybe even earlier since we know that Aquascutum began life way back in 1852 and provided officer’s coats in the Crimean War (1853/56) along with trench coats in both world wars.
Unfortunately, we don’t know who W R S Scroggie, whose name is on this roll, was, or who donated it. A wonderful addition to our collection whatever.
14/11/2008
28/04/2009
Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007
28/04/2009