Original Item: Only One Available. This is an interesting original U.S. WWII-era Berkeley Windproof cigarette lighter, manufactured by the Flashlight Company of America in Jersey City, New Jersey. Featuring a black crackle finish and a design similar to the familiar Zippo windproof lighter, this example retains its removable internal lighter mechanism and clearly identifiable manufacturer's markings. Particularly noteworthy is a small attached identification tag reading R.C. Hunt Jr., possibly identifying a former owner or the serviceman who originally carried it. Although the lighter is not currently functional, it remains an interesting example of the personal accessories associated with the WWII period.

Next to headgear, items like Cigarette Lighters are some of the most personal items a Militaria collector can obtain. Not only are they personal items in their own right, but the details of them can serve as an identifier of the owner to whom the item belonged. An indicative item of one’s personality, these have become very sought after items on the collector’s market the last several years.

The inner piece comes out with ease. The side is marked for BERKELEY WINDPROOF LIGHTER on one side and on the other side with FLASHLIGHT COMPANY OF AMERICA JERSEY CITY NJ MADE IN USA. The wheel moves but does not spark, and the lighter is not currently functional. There is a small tag attached reading R.C. Hunt Jr., possibly the soldier who owned it.

This Berkeley lighter is a representative example of the commercially manufactured personal accessories associated with American military life during the WWII era. Its identifiable Flashlight Company of America markings, black crackle finish, and Zippo-style windproof construction establish its manufacturing identity, while the R.C. Hunt Jr. tag introduces the possibility of an individual wartime connection. Although that attribution remains unconfirmed and the lighter is no longer functional, its surviving features make it an interesting addition to a collection of WWII personal equipment, smoking accessories, or American wartime memorabilia.