As Found* WW1 1915 Dated German Army Entrenching Spade Tool / Trench Fighting Weapon With 1916 Leather Carrier / Frog. 20028. As Found* WW1 1915 Dated German Army Entrenching Spade Tool / Trench Fighting Weapon With 1916 Leather Carrier / Frog. 20028. Miscellaneous

During World War I entrenching tools became extremely important with the introduction of trench warfare. Entrenching tools designed for the individual infantryman soon appeared with short straight handles, T-handles, D-handles, and other designs. As well as digging defensive fighting positions, entrenching tools were used for digging latrines and graves. During World War I, the entrenching spade was also pressed into service as a melee weapon. In the close confines of a trench, rifles and fixed bayonets were often too long for effective use, and entrenching tools were often used as auxiliary arms for close-quarter fighting. From 1915, soldiers on both sides routinely sharpened the edges of entrenching shovels for use as weapons. A copy of a contemporary image of one of these trench tools being used by a German soldier in the field is illustrated in image 1. This is an original WW1 dated Imperial German Army Entrenching Spade Tool / Trench Fighting Weapon in excellent condition. The spade measures 51 cm overall length. The wood shaft with rounded end is undamaged with just light bumps and bruises to be expected with age. The wood is impressed with ‘1915’ date. The steel spade has a long tang secured to the shaft by steel ring and rivets. The spade head has crisp marks under its black paint including ‘1915’ date & indistinct roundel which can be seen in image ‘bleckmann mürzzuschlag’ (The Schoeller Stahlwerke were founded in 1862 in Ternitz by Alexander Ritter von Schoeller (1805-1886), who had previously founded the Berndorfer Metallwarenfabrik with Alfred Krupp (1812-1887) . They took over the Ternitz ironworks in Reichenbach , which was founded in 1855/56 from the Theresienhütte am Ternitz by the steel goods manufacturer Franz Müller Sr. from Gumpendorf . ( Martin Müller und Sohn company ), who founded it in 1847 after the opening of the Vienna-Gloggnitz railway in 1842).The original leather carrier / frog with retaining strap, buckle and belt loops are in excellent condition, stitching intact . The leather is date stamped ‘1916’ and has manufacturer detail. The price for this historic piece, a reminder of the horrific nature of WW1 Trench warfare includes UK delivery. 20028.