Objects Database

Tent sheets

Accession Number

401.2008.1

Object Name

Tent sheets

Created

18/11/2008

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

18/11/2008

Brief Description

Green diamond shaped military tent sheets. Three holes and braided loops at each point. Fifty two studs and button holes round edges. Two holes with braided loops in middle of each edge. Pocket type hole in middle.

Materials

metal, cotton,

Dimensions

300(l) x 182(w) cms

Number Of Objects

3

Colour

green

Provenance

The Royal marines began a series of Mountain and Arctic warfare training Exercises in northern Norway in the Winter of 1970, and with them went large amounts of equipment. Tent sheets were part of that equipment, much of which was specifically sourced for this training. Diamond shaped and made of a green canvas material, they were designed to be 'buttoned' together in various configurations depending on how many you needed. In effect,they were pretty useless items which were very difficult to 'button' in the cold and often impossible to separate after the freeze-thaw of a night's occupation welded the buttons together in temperatures averaging -10 degrees Centigrade. The result of this was that instead of each Marine carrying his own tent sheet a whole 'tent' of 5 or maybe 7 would be have to be bundled up and carried by some hapless individual.
An extract from the Royal Marines Mountain and Arctic Warfare Manual from 1972 explains:
The Idea behind the Tentsheet
The tentsheet was originally designed by the Americans as a piece of equipment that could either be worn as a poncho or used by itself or with others to form a tent. It was a fine idea in principle but fell over in practice because once a man had used his tentsheet as a tent he could not wear it. So he finished up walking around the camp area getting wet. This problem has been overcome in the Royal Marines with the introduction of the smock and trousers
waterproof. It is for this reason that the new British tentsheet is only designed for use as a tent and the head hole has been dispensed with .
The most significant thing behind the tentsheet is that it may be joined with others to form tents of a variety of sizes. Troops using tentsheets can therefore alter their group sizes at will, even during an operation. This
arrangement offers a tremendous advantage over conventional tentage which is a most inflexible method of providing shelter. As such tentsheets are ideal for commando operations.
Mick Tighe acquired this tent sheet from Government Surplus.

Acquisition Date

18/11/2008

Condition Check Date

28/04/2009

Normal Location

Bohuntin

Current Location

Bohuntin

Rules

Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007

Modified

28/04/2009

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