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"Airborne" Shortened T-handle with Boyt 44 cover


jbassmaster18
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jbassmaster18

Picked this up at SOS. I know there is no way to tell if this is an "Airborne" modified shovel, but it was DEFINITELY shortened on purpose a LONG time ago. Oddly enough, it came with a transitional Boyt 44 T handle shovel cover. I have several T-handles, but they all have 42 or 43 dated covers. The collectors I have shown it to, think it may be original to the shovel as well as could possibly also be airborne. Is there any way to tell?? Has anyone ever seen a 44 dated cover before??

 

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Your cover is the same condition as my model M1910 dated 1944 Bearse MFG Co.

 

Most of these covers I think were in long term storage because of the white spotting is from mold or mildew. It's hard to tell if they been together all these years all you need is a worn shovel cover and shovel and they look to been together their whole life? The 1944 M1910 covers are a little harder to find.

 

Craig

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thetrenchman1918

I am no expert, but it is my understanding that airborne and ski troops were issued a special t shovel cover that had the hook sewn lower so that the shovel handle was held further away from the ground, however Mabel this is just ski troops and not airborne...

 

Also I would not think this would be an original package as your shovel is ww1 production and I imagine 44 covers would have only been used to Get rid of the last few t shovels in inventory which I would think by that time would be the ww2 dated shovels

 

Food for thought anyway...

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Nice!...i picked up a shortened airborne shovel at the SOS too...im pretty pumped to have found one!....mine doesnt have a cover though.......mike

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ThompsonSavage

I am no expert, but it is my understanding that airborne and ski troops were issued a special t shovel cover that had the hook sewn lower so that the shovel handle was held further away from the ground

 

This was actually done to ensure a higher placement of the shovel on the jungle and M1943 packs, not specific for para's or ski troops.

 

From Stanton:

 

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ThompsonSavage

The 44 dated covers are indeed uncommon. Here is a 44 dated cover with the low hook placement, only one I have ever seen.

 

 

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I don't think that shovel cover in the first post is legit. Wrong wire hook, weird looking US, and I really don't like the strap that's around the shovel.

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jbassmaster18

I don't think that shovel cover in the first post is legit. Wrong wire hook, weird looking US, and I really don't like the strap that's around the shovel.

I'm 110% sure it's real. I showed it to lots of collector friends and dealers at the show. No one had a gripe about either shovel or cover.

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Just for the record, not every paratrooper had a shortened T-handled shovel.

 

Here's a Market Garden picture clearly showing unmodified M1910 shovels used by airborne troops.

 

Cheers

 

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