British 1939 Pattern Entrenching Tool

edit in 2015 . changed thread title

Not exactly a weapon or high Technology but.....
In Martin MacIntyre's book The Wiltshire Regiment 1914-1959 is this picture of 4th Wilts on a route march in Kent. They have a strange "German" looking entrenching tool I've never seen before.
Anyone seen it before?
Any comments?

 

Aha just found this on eBay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-WW2-BRITISH-ARMY-39-PAT-ENTRENCHING-TOOL-P37-1940_W0QQitemZ6620204664QQcategoryZ4721QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
A VERY RARE ORIGINAL WW2 BRITISH ARMY 1939 PATTERN ENTRENCHING TOOL CLEARLY MAKER MARKED AND DATED 1940 /|\, THIS WAS PART OF THE 1937 PATTERN WEBBING KIT AND WOULD HAVE HAD A P37 CANVAS WEB COVER WITH ATTACHMENTS FOR FIXING IT TO THE WEB SET, SEE PAGE 25 IN THE BOOK "BRITISH WEB EQUIPMENT OF THE TWO WARS" BY MARTIN BRAYLEY. THESE WERE DESIGNED AND PRODUCED IN LATE 1939 AND FOUND TO BE UN-COMFORTABLE AND AKWARD TO CARRY ETC HENCE MADE OBSOLITE IN 1941, A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF ISSUE! VERY SIMILAR IN LOOKS TO THE GERMAN ISSUE SHOVEL, IT IS IN EXCELLENT STRONG CONDITION, THE WOODEN HANDLE HAS VARIOUS UNIT? MARKINGS TO IT AND IS ALSO EXCELLENT, A PRETTY RARE HARD ITEM TO GET HOLD OF GAURENTEED 100% ORIGINAL AND CLEARLY MARKED AND DATED 1940 /|\............

 

Very old thread I know from 2006 but just seen this pic from 1943 & noticed they still using the type of entrenching tool I mentioned.



Troops from 5th Division go aboard landing craft at Catania, Sicily, in preparation for the invasion of the Italian mainland, 2-3 September 1943


THE BRITISH ARMY IN SICILY 1943. © IWM (NA 6297)IWM Non Commercial Licence

 

More on entrenching tools here.

Back in 2006 I didnt know there was a 1939 Pattern one until starting this thread.

http://www.karkeeweb.com/patterns/1937/1937_entrenching_tools_tools.html

 

Another chap with one in 1943. (also 5th Div)
Posting this as it's a damned fine photo that IWM have made zoomable here.
http://zoom.iwm.org.uk/view/47263&cat=photographs&oid=object-205204297



Troops from 2nd Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment wait to board landing craft at Catania, Sicily, for the invasion of Italy, 2 September 1943.

THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORTH AFRICA, SICILY AND ITALY 1939-45. © IWM (NA 6283)IWM Non Commercial Licence

 

It seems it's the 5th Div chaps still using the 1939 Pattern Entrenching tool in 1943 .
Photo taken same time of 51st Div men show them with the 1937 Pattern one (introduced in 1941) , which was the only one I knew about years ago.(apart from the 08 Pattern one from WW1 )

Troops from 51st Highland Division boarding landing craft at Catania, 2 September 1943


THE INVASION OF ITALY SEPTEMBER 1943. © IWM (NA 6169)IWM Non Commercial Licence

 

just seen this photo for first time.

Infantry of 46th (North Midland) Division 'on patrol' during an exercise in Eastern Command, 26 May 1941.



THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 1939-45. © IWM (H 9990)IWM Non Commercial Licence

 

Thompson with front pistol grip without a magazine. Butt stock under his armpit.
I get confused about the actual model number. original M1921 or later M1928 ?