Spade - Landserstudent

[Landserstudent]

Attached are four photos of the same spade. I purchased this with the other WWII German items previously posted (see helmet net, see belt). I believe the stiff-handle spade was used by Luftschutz, however I welcome your comments, input and discussion around this topic. As always, thank you!

- Landserstudent

[Simon H]

Not sure a short entrenching spade would be much use to the Luftschutz... It looks more like a Russian spade to me. Are there any markings on the blade?

[sebastian]

the handle is a german(looking) one,the spade: i never saw one of these used by the wehrmacht in any branch,i could be wrong but never seen one like that before

Seb

[Landserstudent]

Gentlemen-

Thanks for responding.

It is a short handled unit--but I have never measured its length to compare it to an extended WWII WH German folding combat spade. Let me know what the length of the open standard WWII German combat spade was, and I'll check it out.

Other data I have on it: The blade shape of my specimen is called an "Austrian" blade, as opposed to what is called the squared/flat "Continental" blade of the std WH combat spade.

There are no markings that I can find on this piece.

Thanks again for your time and expertise.

What are good sources for tools/spades of 1930s-1940s Germany/Euro or beyond, and references on military type tools?



PS--I'm really curious about what the lowdown is on my "Mystery Belt".


Tschuss

[Landserstudent]

Info update: Discussed spade with a militaria dealer in April, a very experienced
individual, said these spades were late war. He had never seen one before!

In my own research: A somewhat well-known captured German painting from the Russian front by Franz Eichorst titled "German Soldiers Entrenched" clearly shows this type of spade as held by the figure in the bottom foreground of the painting.

Landserstudent