BACKGROUND: Personal field equipment for all EM/NCO’s included a standard issue entrenching tool that was issued with a carrying case to be suspended from the individuals waist belt. Originally the non-folding entrenching tool utilized by the Germany army in WWII was a carryover item from WWI. During the Weimar Reichswehr era a new, slightly modified, non-folding entrenching tool with a pointed tip was introduced and saw limited production and issue. On November 12TH 1938 a new improved, folding shovel was introduced to replace the earlier non-folding pattern entrenching tool. When issued the folding shovel came with a specific carrying case. Originally the carrying cases included a metal reinforcement panel and a single large strap that secured the shovel in the carrier but later production models, (second pattern), eliminated the metal reinforcement panel and added a fold back top lid. Of Note: Although the new folding shovel proved more practical and popular with the troops the earlier entrenching tool was utilized right up until the end of the war. Also Of Note: In an attempt to conserve leather, regulations of January 26TH 1938 dictated that all newly manufactured entrenching tool carrying cases were to produced in simulated leather, (Presstoff), and it appears that the regulation applied to the later introduced, folding shovel carriers. The entrenching tool was a very valuable piece of kit enabling the individual soldier to dig in for protection as required and was also utilized as a close combat weapon.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The folding shovel consists of a lathed hardwood construction handle with an enlarged ball head for ease of handling and a slightly curved, pointed tip, tooled steel construction shovel head. The shovel head has three, evenly spaced, embossed, reinforcement ribs and is affixed to a hinged bar by eight, small, dome headed rivets. The hinged bar is secured to an internal steel retaining bar which is fitted into the wooden handle and secured by dual, extended sheet metal sleeves with two flat headed rivets. The shovel has a vertically ribbed, molded brown bakelite and steel nut with internal screw threads that allows the shovel head to be adjusted into three different positions as required. The bakelite nut still functions. The three different positions consist of the open position for use as a shovel, the 90 degree angled position for use as a pick, and the closed position for transportation and storage. The shovel head is manufacture marked.