Welcome to the WWII Forums! Log in or Sign up to interact with the community.

Is this lighter army issue?

Discussion in 'Information Requests' started by Philip ABRG, Jun 10, 2005.

  1. Philip ABRG

    Philip ABRG Member

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2005
    Messages:
    125
    Likes Received:
    6
    I found this near Arnhem,on a former Canadian camp

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Ancient Fire Resurgent

    Ancient Fire Resurgent Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2004
    Messages:
    90
    Likes Received:
    0
    i can't open up the images any farther, but from here it looks like it could be an example of trench art. I know lighters, knives and cigarette trays were all common items made from shell casings, flak, etc. If it is, that's a real find! Anyone else?
     
  3. Martin Bull

    Martin Bull Acting Wg. Cdr

    Joined:
    Jun 20, 2002
    Messages:
    13,578
    Likes Received:
    1,487
    Location:
    London, England.
    I love things like this, but shall tread very carefully as I'm not an expert.

    It is most definitely a 'trench lighter'. Genuine ones were of course made in WW1 ( matches were virtually useless in the wet conditions of the Western Front ).

    But the fashion continued in WW2 ( everyone smoked cigarettes then ). They were fashioned from anything suitable to hand ( frequently 20mm shells, .50 cases, etc etc ) and quite often were made illicitly in 'back area' workshops, on ships, airfields, etc and were sold among troops or aircrew. AFAIK, they were never officially issued. However, some enterprising lighter manufacturers did make manufacture their own 'trench lighters'. WW2 trench lighters can still be bought quite cheaply and are an unresearched area of militaria collecting. They seem to have been more popular among Allied forces than Axis.

    This one is an interesting find...I'm guessing here, but it looks as though it may have been fashioned from a pocket torch or similar.
     

Share This Page