Shovel ID?

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Originally Posted by Lang

In fact many people have never used the word spade for a digging instrument of any variety.

This does not mean they’re correct, though Many people call any military vehicle that has either armour or tracks, let alone both, a “tank” — does that make a Universal Carrier a tank, or an M29 Weasel?

The distinction is that a spade is an implement for digging, while a shovel is an implement for moving loose stuff around. It has nothing to do with what it looks like, but everything with what its intended use is. Look at the blade: if it’s strong, made from thick steel with a fairly sharp edge, the tool is most likely a spade; if it’s thin, usually pressed steel, the tool will probably be a shovel. Of course you can use a spade for shoveling stuff, or a shovel for digging a hole, but neither will work as well as the other for those jobs — especially if you try digging with a shovel in hard or sticky soil.

[Lynn Eades]

From now on, I will store my short handled shovel and my long handled spade with my left handed screw driver.

Actually a great post Lang. Maybe you could delve into picks and mattocks?

[Lang]

Well here we go.

Why is a mattock called a mattock?
Etymology. From Middle English mattok (“mattock, pickaxe”), from Old English mattuc, meottoc, mettoc (“mattock, fork, trident”), from Proto-Germanic *mattukaz (“mattock, ploughshare”), from Proto-Indo-European *met- (“to cut, reap”).

1. A pick is a tool with a pointed end for breaking up hard soil or loosening rocks. Picks oftten have a large pointed end and a smaller pointed end. Many picks have the second point flattened to a horizontal cutting blade about 1 1/2" wide to allow a limited ability to cut through roots etc..

2. Pick-driver, miners pick or pick-hammer. This is a pick with only one pointed blade but the opposite side has a stub "hammer" for breaking rocks or hard lumps dug out by the pick. If you are a good shot it can be used for driving stakes and tent-pegs.

3. Pick-axe. There are two types. The Americans refer to a pick-axe as a tool that has one pointed end and a long flat blade with a sharp edge horizontal like a mattock but narrower and made for cutting roots etc. It can be used for digging.

In other places a pick-axe can be a tool with the narrow point and on the other side a shorter vertical "axe-like" blade for cutting roots etc. While it can not be used for digging like the American pick-axe it is far more efficient for chopping with similar charecteristics to a proper axe. See the blade on the Grubbing Mattock below.

4. Mattock. This is a tool that can have pick-like pointed end and a fairly short curved horizontal blade (much wider and usually shorter than the American pick axe blade) for chopping and digging. Some mattocks come without the pointed side and have the "Hammer" stub, some mattocks come with the vertical axe, probably most common, and some mattocks come with a large and small curved flat blade for different jobs.

5. A hoe, which does not come from New York, is a lighter tool with a broad horizontal blade with or without a pointed opposite side usually referred to as a gardening implement (tell this to people swinging them in a rice paddy)

Here is a selection. Americans commonly call all pick types a "Pick Axe" even if they have a point on each side or no opposite blade like a miners pick without any axe function at all. The rest of the world differentiates between Pick and Pick Axe.

Lastly a photo of what I have found to be almost universally seen in photos of American WW2 equipment. Shovel with steel "D" handle and normal blade angle, standard axe, mattock with round pick point (not the axe type)

s-l500 (3).jpg Screenshot (222).jpg

Screenshot (224).png complete-military-vehicle-pioneer_1_f058e2064883a9da34e9df22aadb8f84.jpg

[Lang]

Just a point on military shovels. During all this navel-gazing on picks and shovels I have looked at about 15 sites that have a study on the subject.

Those who say they were special military are only partly correct.

The vast bulk of shovels were whatever the contractor produced with the proviso he used the #2 standard dimension blade and 30 degree angle.

The split wood handles, like Darrell's and Mariano's above, are very pretty but several sites say they made up less than 10% of production. The rest being standard "D" metal handles. There were some shovels with all-wood "D" handles.

The British prefered the "T" handle and many British shovels were what would be #3 size and too big to handle easily in many circumstances.

Jeep shovels had to have a weird angle (45 degrees) to fit the vehicle and were unique. Many later contractors achieved the aim with their standard #2 conventional angle and a bent wooden shaft.

There were many complaints about the angle of jeep shovels and they were not popular with those requiring regular use.

The two photos are of the most common handle and the modified shaft to enable a standard shovel to fit a jeep.

[Lang]

In keeping with the British having the worst webbing of the mid-20th Century we have this "How to wear your equipment" official photo.

What idiot came up with this idea? What numerous idiots allowed it to become official? The soldier would have to remove his pack and shovel every time he sat down. Every time he climbed a fence the handle would catch on the wire and send him A over T. Who will clean the handle after he dropped his trousers and squatted? Every time he lay down the shovel would smack him on the back of the head. The shovel would prevent him craning his neck to observe his front properly while laying down. The jingle of his helmet against the shovel (that cover would be lost in 5 minutes) would delight the enemy. You can imagine how uncomfortable it would be with the pack pushing the handle into your shoulder blades.

Other photos are how the soldiers improvised some sensible way to carry a shovel without any help from the Army Research Establishment.

[Ed Storey]

Originally Posted by Lang

In keeping with the British having the worst webbing of the mid-20th Century we have this "How to wear your equipment" official photo.

What idiot came up with this idea? What numerous idiots allowed it to become official? The soldier would have to remove his pack and shovel every time he sat down. Every time he climbed a fence the handle would catch on the wire and send him A over T. Who will clean the handle after he dropped his trousers and squatted? Every time he lay down the shovel would smack him on the back of the head. The shovel would prevent him craning his neck to observe his front properly while laying down. The jingle of his helmet against the shovel (that cover would be lost in 5 minutes) would delight the enemy. You can imagine how uncomfortable it would be with the pack pushing the handle into your shoulder blades.

Other photos are how the soldiers improvised some sensible way to carry a shovel without any help from the Army Research Establishment.

I suspect these comments are your personal opinion and not based on any research given that the British influenced the design and evolution of load carrying equipment for the first half of the twentith century. While no particular webbing set was or is perfect, there has been a continual evaluation of webbing with a look at finding the best fit/balance to meet the needs of the military.

Finding a workable, lightweight infantry shovel has always been a challenge, and while I will agree that the entreching tool adapted by the British for the 1908 and 1937 Patterns was not the best; even the U.S. M1943 folding shovel (which was copied from the Germans) considered to be the superior design, had its limitations. I recall from my time in the army that as good as the current folding shovels were, nothing could top a full-size shovel for digging.

I offer this up for discussion, if the British did have the worst webbing of the mid-twentith century; then I suggest you have a look at the 1942 Pattern Battle Jerkin which is considered to be the predecessor of the modern tactical vest.

[Rob Abbott]

The 37 pattern webbing was primarily designed in line with trials in the 30's as the British army modernised and adapted to new equipment and weaponry. The Battledress suit was pretty revolutionary at the time and the new webbing design reflected the need for greater flexibility and to cater for the new section LMG - The Bren
One of the webbing sets drawbacks was that it tended to pull the waist belt up at the front when worn with the small pack and the cross straps didn't produce an even distribution of weight. Hence numerous modifications culminating in the 44 pattern design which was not generally issued, being primarily designed for tropical use (although used in Korea)

However the 37 pattern was actually quite adaptable. Due to its modular approach it could be assembled in numerous forms and additional items added or left out. Troops could fight light if needed and the various formats made to fit the requirements of various roles - infantry- Artillery - Transport - etc

The entrenching tool was never adequate for the type of digging in required by the Infantry. The section therefore carried a mix of picks and GS shovels to do the job. A common version of carrying position of the GS Shovel was tucked in the belt so that the head covered The lower abdomen and Liver area. There was some belief that The shovel head would provide some protection against low velocity fragments.

The Assault Jerkin was a great piece of load bearing kit, enabling troops to increase carrying capacity and had superior weight distribution characteristics. However it's key drawback was the inability to fight light - it was an all of nothing type of garment. Its pobably why the units issued with the jerkin almost completely reverted to standard webbing once the assault phase was over

If anything the modern day PLCE type equipment is a direct descendant of the good old 37 pattern kit.
Again a mix of my own opinion and historic record.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Lang

3. Pick-axe. There are two types. The Americans refer to a pick-axe as a tool that has one pointed end and a long flat blade with a sharp edge horizontal like a mattock but narrower and made for cutting roots etc. It can be used for digging.

See the Pickaxe dimensions thread for details on the US and British style pick or pickaxe