US Model 1943 Entrenching Tool, M43 Shovel, Ames 1945, Post-War Re-Paint with 1953 Shovel Cover (Intrenching Tool)

Today we'll be continuing on with another folding shovel.  This shovel is another "version" of the Model 1943 Entrenching Tool. or better known as the "folding shovel".

This shovel is dated 1945 (WW2), and was made by the Ames Company.  The difference between this 1945 Ames shovel, and the 1945 Ames shovel in the previous post, has to do with the paint.

This shovel has two layers of paint visible.  The first color is the WW2 OD Green and the second shade of green is the 1950's OD Green.  This indicates that this shovel was re-issued after WW2, with an update and touch-up to the paint.  

Both the WW2 and Korean War shades of OD Green paint.

This shovel is a very good example of a 1950's "version" of the WW2 folding shovels.  In this paint scheme, the shovel most likely was issued for the Korean War (1950-1953).  Both the Model 1943 and Model 1951 folding shovels would have been issued during this time period.

This shovel is also paired with a post-war, canvas shovel cover.  This cover is dated 1953, and is correct for the later paint scheme on the shovel.  These 1950's styled covers would have been used with the Model 1943 shovels and the early issued Model 1951 shovels (a new style canvas shovel cover, that was specifically designed for the Model 1951 shovels was issued in 1956).
This cover is marked "Intrenching Tool, Combination" , which is the official nomenclature for the Model 1951 shovels. 

Let's take a closer look at the shovel and the shovel cover.  Here is the photo album.