I have just purchased a "checkered" bed sheet and pillow case ,but I have no idea what kind of cot I need to display it on! I am looking for any pictures,dimensions,etc., of the cots that the waffen SS would have slept in during WW2 in the barracks. I am fairly new at this,so any answeres to my questions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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In barracks the Waffen SS did not sleep on cots. The slept on bunk beds. Examination of original photographs shows a wide range of beds. They have either 2 or 3 tiers and are made out of metal or wood. The "bed sheet" is really a Bezug, to be placed over the wool blanket for sanitary reasons. The bed sheets, generally speaking, were white.
Cots were almost never used by the Wehrmacht. When emergency bedding was needed, say for garrison forces in rear areas where beds or civilian billets were unavailable, straw matresses or wood pallets covered with blankets were used. In the field, soldiers slept in outbuildings, homes, foxholes, in the open, or sometimes on the ground in a Zeltbahn tent. They also had a "feldbett" which was a kind of low wood bed that may have been folding, use of this seems to be limited to field hospitals. In my life I have seen one original cot that appeared to be WWII German in origin. I have also seen a Third Reich advertisement for cots that mentions military uses. However I believe this was a private purchase item and was probably used only by officers. Some officers even had air mattresses!
If you are a reenactor, unless you are portraying a sick soldier in a hospital, using a cot is not authentic. I would be happy to discuss this further if you have any questions. -
Thank you
Thank you for the answer to my german cot question. I joined the 10'th SS Frundsberg re-enacted in july of this year and have attended one 3-day public event/battle,and a one day tactical so far. We are located in the mid-west. I have been having a lot of fun with it and hope to keep it going for years to come! I have my basic impression,field gear,personal items,etc. pretty much all purchased and know how to use them properly. I have already hit that plateau where I just about have all my gear,now I want more,but that is looking to be rather costly.Comment
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While I agree that cots were rare, I have a pic of three Wehrmacht officers in Russia, and one is sitting on a cot.
http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...t/Feldbett.jpg
I sincerely doubt that officers serving in forward areas would sleep on the ground. Within the Wehrmacht, officers were essentially royalty - sleeping on the ground would be bad form.Comment
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great picture of illusive cot. ww2 brit camping beds arent bad and can be seen as captured if in the correct theatre of reenactment. otherwise, lots of straw under you and a greatcoat on top. flaps down on the m43 field cap and goodnight. in winter of course, all the above plus reversible suit and hood should just about do it. the feet are often hit the worst.Originally posted by leebrandt View PostComment
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Here's a pic showing cots being used in Nordafrika:
http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...AKFeldbett.jpg
This is a different style of cot than the one seen being used in Russia - more akin to US cots. All three cots are the same, suggesting standardization.Comment
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Nice DAK photo, Leebrandt. I was thinking these could be "liberated" cots - either British or American.Comment
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I found this pic and it looks like the type my unit uses...It has all wood legs and a "hemp" type woven material for the support portion. These come from Surplus stores in my area.
Not sure but I think they are french. They are comfortable.
BR, fischer
0307_4.jpgComment
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White Reenactment Cots
I've seen these before. They are favored by German reenactors because they have a vintage look, but the white canvas makes them look different than US cots. They were manufactured for the US Navy. One sold recently on eBay still in the cardboard box. It clearly had Navy supply markings on the box and also came equipped with 4 vertical poles that attached to the corners to support a mosquito net. You can find them on eBay routinely under "army cots".
Unlike the Army cots which had the canvas sewn around the wood frame, these navy cots are stapled to the wood frame underneath.Comment
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Soldier-Made Cot
Here's a pic of a soldier-made cot used in Afrika:
http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...afrika_cot.jpgComment
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