Austrian and Polish Shovels from Norway Capture Pile

[timothy]

Here is two that came from the Norway Capture pile in the 80's when they were released on the surplus market first one is pointed and has only RRES I think on the handle the handle is straight and has no ball on the end there is some Green Norway paint on it still. Second one is believed Polish with wolf dog head on blade and a Waa stamped towards the ball of handle it has some other marks in middle of handle. Both were painted Norweign army green when I got them and I stripped them of this. timothy

[MP44tom]

Nice shovels, now, find the covers for them

here a picture of a few of my spades

The top line are normal german ones

the bottom: from left to right

dutch - polish - austrian




btw, it is strange to find a WaA marking on the wood, never saw something like that before........

Tom

[Tomasz70]

Just for clarification - e-tools with wolf's / dog head were made for Polish army after the Second World War (it is not clear when production has started, but it is believed that it was in early 50's). Some sources say that the production was performed on machines / equipment acquired (liberated) from a German factory, so why on German war- and Polish post-war blades appears similar element - the head of a wolf.

[timothy]

How can it be post war when it came from a German capture pile in Norway? This discussion came up on other sites with the same question that went unanswered or non explainable how that could be possible. The only theory was that wartime Polish, and post war are similar and Poland made them post war and that is where the confusion comes from. Another theory a field gear expert I read an article identifies them to a maker in Passau Germany Pre war into the Weimer era so I think it remains a mystery on these. I myself believe the have to be pre 45 to be in a Norway capture pile I saw a picture of this pile in Norway and there were many of these sticking out in the pile, this one has a Waa on handle which is strange to be stamped but it has been there a long time and not a recent addition. timothy

[Tomasz70]

The answer is rather simple - it is a German wartime e-tool, not a Polish. Polish post-war were similar, made on the same machines, as German ones. Both types, German and Polish had wolf's/dog's head. There are some differences as regards the shape of the head.
Wehrmacht in fact used a Polish pre-war spades, but they were of Austrian type - http://archiwum.allegro.pl/oferta/lo...308823155.html

[timothy]

Thanks Tomasz70 for clearing that up then it is possible the pre war German (1930 or late20's) for Weimer is correct. Or even wartime Thanks for your imput. You may have helped clear up the wolf head shovel it is on going on other forums also. Thanks for the link and the polish shovel photo very interesting. timothy

[MP44tom]

Well

The wolfshead is not a typical Wehrmacht spaten (with the folded ears) so this one prabably is pre-war, but what nation ? I don't know..... about the WaA stamp in the wood, I have never encountered that..... (which does not mean anything of course), but it makes me suspicious.....

Maybe JP knows mor about the wolfshead ?

Cheers
Tom

[timothy]

Thanks Tom these get hard to pin down I can tell you that when I removed the green Norweign paint I noticed the Waa and the German type letters in the middle so I don't think they (Norweigns) faked it. Took me forever to clean it up. timothy

[timothy]

Read a thread I think over on WAF of a digger in Russia finding one with this wolf head (Spade part only handle rotted off) on eastern front battle field so that would be strange how it got there if not used by the German or Russian? timothy

[JPhilip]

Hello,
For me, the shovel with the wolfhead marking of this thread is not german WWII.
The back of the blade is not folded and as far as i can remember, i have never seen a pre-1934 german shovel with such flat rivets on the blade. The lack of reinforcing ring around the handle does not make a tool WWII german
The german production of straight shovel was highly standardized between 1934-35 and 1945...even if the wood, the steel, the finish or the workmanship changed with years, especially between 1942-43 and 1945, the known features were always the same. The only difference would be that some producer used nine spots of electrical welding for the blade and some other used only seven.
Like Tom, i have never seen a WaA stamped in the wood of a WWII german shovel.
So far, the wolfhead logos that i met were on polish tools. I have never seen a "textbook" WWII german shovel with such a logo (but i have not seen everything)

The question here is :

Do we know an european country (except Germany) that produced straight shovels without reinforcing ring around the handle between 1900 and 1945 ?

I dont (but i dont know everything)...
Thanks