Early Austro-Hungarian Spade ?

[Sharky]

I recently made a purchase from the Sportsman's Guide for one of their post-war, M-1950 spades with cover. I needed a post-war cover and figured the price was right for a pair. When I received the shovel and cover, I immediately was surprised by the shovel.

The shovel was painted in a thick tar-paint on the metal, was "beat-up" with old initials, etc. carved in.......... I also noticed it was NOT a M-1950 shovel! It appears to be a pre-WW1 Austro-Hungarian shovel-spade. It is marked with 1381 and some sort of emblem-makers mark on the blade and a large letter H on the side of the blade.
I gave the shovel a good scrubbing with a rag and mineral spirits to remove the tar-paint. Looks great now!

I am hoping that someone has encountered these markings before and can help me positively identify this shovel.
I have a large collection of entrenching tools and this one has a good home now!

Thanks,
Sharky

[bigmacglenn]

Looks like a WWII Era Swiss Entrenching Tool to me, judging by the Reinforcement Ring...
cheers, Glenn

[Sharky]

Definitely not Swiss. The swiss shovels are square headed and much heavier and larger. A number of countries used the "ring reenforced" shanks in the WW1 and WW2 era, even some of the early Communist Block countries in the Post-war era. This one is definitely an old one........