"Long Poles" Topic

Advancing SCW infantry units seem to frequently carry long poles. In the Portilo programs some chap was carrying two. Crossing the Ebro photo has one too. In the attached picture there is a man already carrying a flag which seems to discount the flag pole thoughts. bangalores??

Thanks for the input.

link

The 1939 pic shows troops about to enter a "liberated" part fo Spain entirely whithin France and after the end of the fighting so my guess is they are flag poles. Other options when poles are shown may be stretcher poles.

crossing the Ebro probably used to push barges or boats about in the river crossing.

They look rather thick to be flag poles. Having been given the idea of stretcher poles by the post above, my eye DOES seem to see hints that would support that idea: the poles look like they may actually be two adjacent, and you could infer something wrapped (the stretcher canvas, perhaps) around them from what appears to be a slightly changing diameter.

Doug

Yes good points. thank you. I shall await any further inputs.

No idea Martin, but I'll ask in a Spanish wargaming forum. Perhaps someone there knows.

Hi again Martin, I've finally got a couple of likely alternatives:

1 – As you already suggested, these might be bangalore shafts.

2 – However, as the two pole carrying men in the picture are at the column rearguard, someone suggests they could be stretchers --as stretcher bearers used to march at the rear, especially in mountain areas like that.

Wargames Spain original thread: link

Cheers,
Lluís

Thanks for the reply Lluis. That picture has the poles with attachments etc which might make them stretchers? The ones in the SCW footage by Portillo are all smooth. If i find out what they are for sure I will make a pack!

martin

Hi Martin, other Spanish forum users confirm these were stretchers. They even could be used as improvised field hospital beds:

Stretchers for the win???