Item Description
Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This is a fantastic piece of WWII D-Day Commemorative Trench Art, in the form of a large ashtray with a central lighter! We believe it to have been put together by a British Soldier, due to the British coins used in the construction. The base began life as a German WWII large artillery shell, which measures 6 5/8" (168mm) across the base, so it was definitely for a sizeable artillery piece. It has shell stampings on the bottom, including P131 for the DWM factory located in Berlin-Borsigwalde. It also features a Luftwaffe Weimar Eagle Waffenamt WaA60, indicating that it was for Luftwaffe use.
After the shell was captured, the bottom was cut off, and the central portion threaded. Attached to that was a Small mortar bomb, painted red, white, and black, which has been converted to a trench art lighter with an aluminum cap. There are markings on the fins and body, but we cannot quite make them out. There also were British coins added around the edge, to use as a place to rest one's cigar or cigarette when they wanted to take a drink. It looks like there were originally 4 coins, but one got knocked off at some point, so now there are only three, though the mark where it was attached remains.
To tie things together, there is a lovely inscription going all the way around the bottom of the shell:
D-Day 6-6-44 A.E.V. to T.L.V. FRANCE My Sweetheart
This looks to be an inscription to a special someone, so they may have sent this piece back home. It definitely makes a great display piece. We have not tested the lighter for functionality, but it could probably be repaired or the internals replaced if needed. Measures approximately 6 5/8" W x 8 3/4"H.
Ready to display!
- This product is not available for international shipping.
- Totally inert, cannot be converted to an explosive devise, not available for export.
- Not eligible for payment with Paypal or Amazon
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