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Information wanted re; WWII marquee GS Double


Meekumslr

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Good evening all, 
Although not vehicle related, I thought I’d ask as tents usually accompany vehicles.
I have just acquired some canvas, fly sheets and a marquee to use the canvas as I restore military and campaign items.
I got the marquee out and it’s too good to use for material with all panels clearly dated as 1944/ 1945.
I know that, although I have the inner roof, I don’t have the outer roof and cannot work out the main poles and believe some may be missing.
The tent (according to my 1946 Handbook of Tentage) is a Tent Marquee, GS, Double (Cat No JA 5693).
Does anyone have one that they show during the season or know someone who does so that I could look at it, have a measure up and plan on making panels and fully restoring the tent?
I know it’s a long shot as I haven’t seen any about but worth a try.
someone may even have a roof for one of these (the part number printed is JA 1588).
Please see the photo from the book. The maker of mine is Waring & Gillow LTD.
Many thanks, Neil.
 
 

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Dear all, 

unbelievably, I have picked up that the 1946 War Office ‘Handbook of Tentage’ is actually incorrect (in a big way according to my marquee) so no wonder that I couldnt work it out.

The equipment list states enough poles for three centre poles but mine has two and on further reading, it gives instructions to hoist the three centre poles together, however, both my marquee and the photo in the book clearly show only two poles.

Therefore, when publishing the book, the War Office typist has ‘cut and pasted’ from the instructions of another marquee.

I cannot believe an error of this nature could occur in such a manual but there you have it.

This sorts out my pole problem but still looking for an outer roof (JA1588) if anyone has a lead (even in disrepair to copy).

Neil.

 

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2 hours ago, Meekumslr said:

Therefore, when publishing the book, the War Office typist has ‘cut and pasted’ from the instructions of another marquee.

I cannot believe an error of this nature could occur in such a manual but there you have it.

Still goes on!

The Handbook of Army Materiel Tentage Supplement No.2 describes the 9x9 Mk II. It was the lightweight version of the original Mk 1 needing four poles less as well as a few subtle changes. 

When the handbook was reprinted, instead of using the details of the Mk II, a nit-wit used the photos & diagrams from the Mk I.

A bit later it was updated into JSP361/2 & another nit-wit failed to check the relevance to the actual tent in use & rehashed all the wrong images, which by now were of pretty poor quality.

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Clive,

It is so annoying and frustrating when you’re trying to assemble and work out something quite rare and I (naievely) took the manual as a ‘Bible’.

Tentage is so poorly covered in literature, considering it was a massive section of military history, that I’m even considering completing the collection, photographing them and working on writing a book along the same lines at the “equipment of the WWII Tommy” publication.

Hope to retire in under 2 years (at 52) so I may have found my vocation.

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Does it make more sense with the instructions for its replacement Tent, Marquee, Universal, GS, Double, JA 2069 on page 73?

Does your book have Amendment No.2 Special Note Dec 1951?

The replacement morphed into 8340-99-942-4590 & appears in the SCRDE catalogue July 1973 & incorporated in JSP 361 March 1981.

I have some pictures somewhere including one still in use as a cider tent.

I agree with you that there is poor coverage of tentage. I try to take pictures at shows when I see an interesting example. Quite funny really when I ask if I could get closer to take a picture, the owner of the restored vehicle proudly stands back & a little surprised when I say I'm not much interested in the vehicle, I want a picture of the tent!

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MatchFuzee/ Clive,

I did look but it’s definately the round ended type with two poles.

Clive.... The description on page 80 states three bottom poles and three top sections and then goes on to say “it is important that the three centre poles are hoisted together”, yet the photo of the tent on the page opposite to page 80 clearly shows only two poles.

Im going to have to come to terms with the fact that there aren’t many left which is going to be a mission to get it up and usable.

Below are photos of roof (inner) folded and sides.

 

 

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03B3F442-33CF-4484-918C-949EEFC76760.jpeg

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I think this is them, you could even book them for an event. It's potent stuff, my memory is rather hazy but I think the seats are bales of straw, so if you fall & hit your head on the furniture it doesn't do too much damage.

http://bridgefarmcider.co.uk/?page_id=245

I have more external pics if it helps but none of the inside I'm afraid.

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I’ve just got the roof out and it is definately the older type with the round ends, not square. This type was apparently obsolete just after the war.

The inner roof canvas has an open hatch in the middle of the tent but been stitched up with a white bit of canvas, leading me to believe the inner roof was used as an outer roof.

ive worked out the poles and just need to replace two so no big deal and will continue to look for an outer roof.

MatchFuzee, I will have a look at armymarquees.co.uk to see if they have one to compare.

Here is the inner roof laid out showing the oval shape.

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Edited by Meekumslr
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