WW1 Canadian Bell Tent set up, photos

[CampX]

Well I took the 1915/16 Canadian Army Bell tent to the cottage where there was room to set it up, took more time than I thought as I did not know the height, I bought a 10 foot 4X4, cut it in half to fit the SUV and started the job.

The info I have is that these tents came in 8, 9 and 10 foot heights, however mine turned out to be 12 feet high!!, so it is a little short in the photos! It also turns out that most of the wooden pegs and the mallet are 1915 marked also, however I did not use them.
The top of the inside of the tent, where the pole goes is very different than I have ever seen, this has a "cup" with a rope guide to fit the pole into, the tent is well marked with a very large C Broad Arrow above the door as well as a makers mark on the bottom flap.
I also saw, as I took it down a very faint marking that was written on by Soldiers sometime in the past that states "Kings Own Mess" the kind of thing we did when I was in the Canadian Army
Of all the things I have in both my collection and my hoard, this has a very special meaning, of the 10s of thousands made here in Canada, this is probably the only one left, I was at Canadas National Military Museum this past week as I donated parts to restore a WW2 Beaufighter, my reward was both a private tour of Aircraft not on display, and I could "play with them" ( they have the only known WW1 Forker low lever bomber with corigated metal wings ect", and a 20 page list of other things they need to restore the Beaufighter and another Aircraft, I do have some of it at least!! However they told me that the National Museum does not have one of these tents!!
If they would agree to set it up for a display, I would donate it..but I don't think that will happen, so I will continue to try to find this a proper home

Dean Owen
Ajax Canada

[harryamb2]

wonder it did not tear.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Dean, this is a great item. Hard to display but very nice to own. Yours is really complete. Has to be a one off.

I have several WW2 British tents, one is rare, marked up to 42 Commando.

Cheers, Ade.

[CampX]

Thanks Ade!! I have a line on a WW2 Canadian Bell, however it is just the tent, no bags or pegs ect.
The one thing that really intrigues me is the fact that this tent is so very strong, the threads are like new, and I was afraid that they would be rotten as happens with many tents..no rot or mold anywhere, and of course the dark marks on the photo showing the door, was caused by the trees, just shadows.
I picked up a lot of Military items on my trip to the cottage including a WW1 German Photo album, one large photo is of the trenches taken from an A/C.
Wish I new the German WW1 photo code letters so I could find out where this is.

Dean O
Ajax Canada