British tank stowage item identification
 

Does anyone know what this item is that is seen hanging off a good number of British tanks in North Africa and Sicily?

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I’ve also seen it on some Crusaders, and it never seems to be rolled up more than in these two photos. I can’t work out what it is, or is for, let alone how it’s actually constructed. It seems to have two thin panels on one side and a larger, padded part on the side that’s always towards the tank?

Folding stretcher
 

Looks to me like a folding or ‘soft’ stretcher

I have seen one or two among AFV parts lots.

Said to be for removing injured crew members

Just my guess

Cheers

Phill

It looks like the canvas carrying case for the artillery plotting board with a couple extra large straps for securing it to the side of the hull.

Do you have any photos of one of those? I tried looking and can’t find any :(

The only photos I can find of such an item all show items like these:

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That doesn’t look like the item on the tanks to me, unfortunately.

I'm gonna throw in that it may be a sleeping bag - like a Mills Co "victory Kit"

That is proving difficult to find a picture of, because the combination "victory" and "kit" results in a ton of hits for model kits of HMS Victory while adding "sleeping bag" produces all kinds of modern ones :(

But I think a sleeping bag is unlikely. Somebody on Missing-Lynx suggested a British officer’s sleeping bag, and I don’t think it’s that because the shapes don’t match. Plus, it seems an odd place to stow a sleeping bag, right where it will catch as much dust as it possibly can.

Intriguing question. Looking at photos it seems to be approx the same width as a large pack?

I'd say the folding stretcher is a lead to research further.

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