Military Entrenching Tools and Shovels

[MAP]

EDIT: This post started as researching a single shovel. This is an oft overlooked tool with little research available. It is quite confusing to identiy for many as these were used by many countries over many periods. So please feel free to post your shovel.

** Remember to post pictures of any maker marks!



Have had this shovel for 25 years or so. Haven't paid it much mind as I did not think it was German but took it out a while ago and decide to try to identify where it is from. There are no marks on the shovel with the exception of Billnas under what appears to be a combined V and W. Below that are two letters (SS). Above the VW is a crown.

The leather case as some very faint markings between the straps on the top. It may read DA(or X)VE (but this is a guess). Below these letter is the number 1915.

Anyone know where it is from? German? Finnish? Russia? And what period? By the numbers on the case (1915), could it be WW1?

Any help is appreciated.

[timothy]

Your shovel is typical of the Europe types made after the German model from the 1890;s and that is where the identification problem lies I don't think it shows any signs of German WW1 or WW2 in the way of construction lack of folded ears or welding ww2 models but the question what country? purely a guess but to me it is like French ww1 and early 30s make shovels or ET's it is also similar in the rivits and handle to the so called "Wolf head shovel" so named as they have only a wolf head as a mark. They are still not identified to what country. Hopefully someone will write a good book on them and end a lot of mysteries Fish's old feld gear book from the 80's did show a lot of other Europe makes. timothy

[MAP]

Thanks Timothy. No matter what it is, it's pretty cool. Hefty piece of metal. Would imaging the damage it would do in a trench or close combat.

[timothy]

Here are a couple of mine the one without rivets and the folded ears is refered to the typical German WW2 model this one has no date and only a light makers mark of Tripitz or so with a logo the other one is of unknown European make known as the Wolf head and is unidentified some say German make, some say not there are some WW1 Germn ones with rivits but usually have the "folded ears" also. Don't know if this helps much in identifying yours maybe Tom or JP will come along and help with ID it. timothy

[timothy]

Thanks Timothy. No matter what it is, it's pretty cool. Hefty piece of metal. Would imaging the damage it would do in a trench or close combat.

Oh and they used them for that MAP Germans carried and reissued a varity of captured models and yours could be one of them I have seen period pictures of them Austrian pointed, French, Russian and Polish Czech make were used by the Wermacht. timothy

[MAP]

Great help Timothy. Thanks!

Michael

[kradman]

Hi it is Finnish made Billnas is a Finnish company now part of the Fiskars company

[timothy]

Finland makes sense I have also seen a lot of the Russian Imperial spades in SA marked carriers come out of finland that is similar in construction to this one. Will put this in my data base thanks for the ID Kradman. timothy

[kradman]

Hi Timothy no problem glad i could help ,you see alot of Finnish marked Imperial Russian items as Finland was still a pat of Russia up until 1917 so alot of items were left in Finland and then used by the Finnish army and also alot of Imperial items were taken as war booty in the Winter War as the Russian were still issuing ww1 dated kit to the troops then , i have found alot off ww1 Russian items on Winter War battlefields over the years

[James C]

very nice shovel michael and a great idea for a thread showing all the known makers ,if you dont mind me showing here's my m43 etool of swiss manufacture