The British Army MK1 Wooden Entrenching Tool Handle is a separate wooden helve for the British MK1 entrenching tool, intended for use with a correct British loadout in combination with Pattern 1908 and Pattern 1937 webbing. This version features a natural wood finish, a metal end piece, and a length of 16 1/2 inches, which is approximately 41.9 cm. The listed weight is around 250 grams.

With 1908 webbing, this handle was carried beside the bayonet on a carrier, while with 1937 webbing it was worn on the entrenching tool head pouch. That makes it a very useful component for anyone building a more accurate British WW1, interwar, or early-to-mid WW2 impression.

Subtiel advies 
This handle works best when paired with the correct MK1 spade head and the proper 1908 or 1937 carrying arrangement. For a convincing impression, it is worth checking the correct pouch or carrier as the carrying method clearly differed between 1908 and 1937 webbing.

Historische Context 
The British 1908 pattern entrenching tool was a two-part item consisting of the metal head and a separate wooden helve/handle. The Imperial War Museum notes that when not in use, the head was stored in a dedicated canvas carrier while the helve was carried beside the bayonet in the webbing.

During the Second World War, the British Army returned to this older pattern. According to the product information for the complete 1937 set, the earlier 1908 entrenching tool was reissued from stores and adapted to the 1937 carrying system, with the wooden handle worn on the pouch rather than beside the bayonet. This arrangement remained in wartime use until a later handle with a bayonet adaptor for mine probing was introduced in 1945.