M-1910 Entrenching Tool

The M-1910 shovel, or as it was later known as, the “entrenching tool”, was a small portable shovel issued to every infantryman in the Army and Marine Corps. The shovel was carried in a pouch which covered the blade and left the handle exposed. The pouch was attached to a set of eyelets on the M-1910 haversack’s front flap. It is approximately 22 inches long and 7 inches at the top of the blade. The design featured a metal pointed blade with a wooden shaft, and a wooden “T” handle on the end. The WWI era versions differ from post-war versions in that WWI versions were usually marked “US” twice, once on the wooden shaft, and again on top of the metal socket. Another way to differentiate a WWI era entrenching tool from post-war ones is that a WWI era shovel will have a wooden wedge inserted on both sides of the blade, in the sockets. These wedges helped to prevent dirt from becoming lodged inside the socket. Many WWI era T-handle shovels were again pressed into service in WWII.