Anyone on here come across one of these before?

[Stueeee]

This came to me with a load of mixed tools and stuff, probably from a shed clearance.

This would seem to be military WW2 era from the date and broad arrow marking. This doesn't look to have seen much/any use. The types I've seen before fold flat and are larger; the spade end on this tool is around 5" wide. Looks like it would be an awkward thing to carry in a soldiers kit. But I would like to fit it with a shaft just to make it complete, any ideas as to what size/sort it would have had fitted originally?

 

[Seadog]

It's an entrenching tool

 

[Dev]

Yep, the handle wasn’t permanently fitted so it can be carried.

 

[Seadog]

There was also a model with a folding handle.

 

[Stueeee]

There was also a model with a folding handle.

That's the type I've seen (and used as a boy scout for digging latrines). It could be folded back on itself for storage, set with a coarse threaded collar as an entrenching tool, or as a spade.

 

[galooph]

I bought one of those as a kid from Knights in Clacton, then proceeded to dig some big holes on the beach Certainly beat a plastic spade! Think that was the year I tunnelled under my Auntie's deckchair!

 

[cheb]

As mentioned there's a separate handle, and it should be 36" long so it can used for measuring.

A standard grub axe or pick axe shaft should suit. Plenty on Ebay, I bought a branded one, after I bought a non branded one that was too small at the fat end.