A faultless example of the rare 1908 Pattern Webbing Entrenching Tool Head Carrier, this in very good unblancoed, and it would seem unissued condition. As such it nicely retains its original webbing colour, as well as being complete and totally undamaged or even stained in any way as is so often the case with these.
Found in an Army Surplus store in the 1980’s this unissued item has clearly simply been stored for a very long a time with the unused brasswork dulling to a near black colour in the process.
The Entrenching Tool Head Carrier here is the second pattern with tab and buckle closure mechanism introduced mid 1916, with this example made by M.W. & S Ltd. and 1918 dated.
After the Helve Carrier, the Entrenching Tool Head Carrier is well known to be the next most difficult item of 1908 Equipment to obtain, obviously this for the same reason that both elements were withdrawn from the 1908 Webbing Equipment post war when entrenching tools were no longer used.
A rare piece of 1908 Webbing Equipment which would be impossible to upgrade.
