Prospect of Whitby Antiques - Fieldgear / Uniforms

CEF Officers Sleeping Bag/Bed Roll

Price: $350.00

Very cool officers sleeping bag used in both the First World War and reused in the Second World War. Thick brown canvas sleeping bag/bed roll is attributed to two officers. The first name on the sleeping bag is Capt. T.W. Walker 196th CEF. Captain Thomas Willoughby was born in Bethany , Ontario in 1877. His service file which I found online states he was a physician with the active militia. He went overseas with the 196th Battalion to which he was attached. The 196th was subsequently broken for reinforcements. He served in the No. 15 Canadian General Hospital.and subsequently with the No. 4 casualty clearing station. He passed away April 26th, 1963. Interestingly his wife received a memorial cross. Strangely the sleeping bag was used again in the Second War by Capt. C.A. Clendenning DGO(Distinguished Good Conduct Medal). Clendenning would join the Royal Canadian Signals in 1922. He would eventually become commanding officer of First Canadian Army Signals in April of 1942. Hard to say how it came to be used in two of the 20th Century's biggest conflicts. In any case a very unique artifact that is attributed to two Canadian officers.