WW1 period USMC shovel covers

[RCS]

The WW1 period shovel covers can be difficult to locate and the later cover had the belt hooks set at an angleAttachment 74032Attachment 74033Attachment 74034

The MD marking on the USS WYO cover might be a US Navy issue and not USMC


Any additional information would be appreciated

Information

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[RT Ellis]

The general practice in the U.S. Navy was to keep field equipment in ship's stores, the markings applied usually consist of the ship identification, and a number. It is assumed that the equipment was issued in sets with the same number on each item. However there doesn't seem to be any specific guidance on the marking of the equipment and I suppose it was left to the discretion of the ship's captain or designated department head. The stencil markings on both of these shovel carriers is consistent with Navy marking practice. (My father worked Navy Civil Service and had a stencil making machine in his shop that made identical letter stencils to those on the carriers imaged). I won't speculate what the "MD" portion of the marking was intended to mean. At the other end of that marking appears to be "NO" which I suspect it was intended was followed by a number that wasn't applied.

Marking U.S. Marine Corps equipment with the ship's identification was a little unusual because the equipment was issued to the individual Marine and usually took it with him on transferring. The entrenching tools (shovel, carrier, pick mattock, carrier, and wire cutters) weren't usually issued to individuals so I suppose this shovel carrier was assigned to the ship's Marine Detachment and issued as required.