Officer's Training Manual

Care and Use of Tools

Col. Hawkins R.E.

List of tools in Manual of Field Engineering pp.10-19, also Field Entrenchments p.196.

Tools required are of two kinds - Digging & Cutting.

Digging Tools

Digging tools required consist of picks, shovels, spades and grafts for stiff clay. The proportion of picks to shovels depends upon the nature of the soil: for stiff soil 1 pick per shovel, for medium soil 1 pick per 2 shovels. Spare hafts should be kept handy in case of any breakage. Broken tools should be kept for exchange. Turf cutters & lifters are not issued as part of the Service Equipment.

Mauls

Mauls are used for driving in posts for revetments and wire entanglements. Their heads should be kept soaking in water to prevent splitting. The faces of Mauls should be wedged to keep the iron rings on. Holes for posts are made in hard ground with crowbars, lumping tools and boring tools.

Cutting Tools

Cutting tools consist of axes, bill hooks, saws, for felling trees and clearing away brushwood. Wire cutters for cutting wire - used for staying revetting posts and barbed wire for entanglements.

Care of Tools

All tools both cutting and digging should be kept sharp and clean. The sharpening can be done by a blacksmith selected from among the working parties, but every man should know how to do so if necessary. Tools should be kept absolutely clean as blisters are raised if mud and dirt is not removed from the handles. Axes should be ground well down from the middle.

Return to Manual

© A.D. Hesketh. Copyright notes. The original notebook has been donated to the museum of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, The Castle, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 2AY. Before this was done the notebook was loaned to me, and I am grateful to Catherine Crossley, a relative of 2nd Lt. Roberts for permission to copy it.. Consequently the material and images in this section should not be reproduced without the written consent of myself or the RWF museum.


Navigation
Officer's Training Manual Care and Use of Tools Col. Hawkins R.E. List of tools in Manual of Field Engineering pp.10-19, also Field Entrenchments p.196. Tools required are of two kinds - Digging & Cutting. Digging Tools Digging tools required consist of picks, shovels, spades and grafts for stiff clay. The proportion of picks to shovels depends upon the nature of the soil: for stiff soil 1 pick per shovel, for medium soil 1 pick per 2 shovels. Spare hafts should be kept handy in case of any breakage. Broken tools should be kept for exchange. Turf cutters & lifters are not issued as part of the Service Equipment. Mauls Mauls are used for driving in posts for revetments and wire entanglements. Their heads should be kept soaking in water to prevent splitting. The faces of Mauls should be wedged to keep the iron rings on. Holes for posts are made in hard ground with crowbars, lumping tools and boring tools. Cutting Tools Cutting tools consist of axes, bill hooks, saws, for felling trees and clearing away brushwood. Wire cutters for cutting wire - used for staying revetting posts and barbed wire for entanglements. Care of Tools All tools both cutting and digging should be kept sharp and clean. The sharpening can be done by a blacksmith selected from among the working parties, but every man should know how to do so if necessary. Tools should be kept absolutely clean as blisters are raised if mud and dirt is not removed from the handles. Axes should be ground well down from the middle. Return to Manual © A.D. Hesketh. Copyright notes. The original notebook has been donated to the museum of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, The Castle, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 2AY. Before this was done the notebook was loaned to me, and I am grateful to Catherine Crossley, a relative of 2nd Lt. Roberts for permission to copy it.. Consequently the material and images in this section should not be reproduced without the written consent of myself or the RWF museum.