Archive of category «Handy»

Lighter Handy, 1940, belonged to a team member minesweeper YMS-370

Title: Handy
Type: Gasoline Lighter
Material: copper, silver plated
Year: 1940
Country: Switzerland
Approximate cost: $ 30-100

Lighters with a history of war are fairly common, but this - one of the most interesting finds. This Swiss Lighter Handy, is almost completely analogous Dunhill Rollalite by design (I can even assume that it did exactly Dunhill: after all, was the model Dunhill Handy , a different design, but with the same name). Lighter is made of copper silvered and then - this is the inscription 'S.800' on the mechanism of flint (by the way, looks and feels like it is completely silver, but copper yellow to shabby corner produces silver plated). In general, the sensations in your hand, it seems like a lighter at the clock so perfectly fit all the details and so accurately and reliably done (that is to be expected for Swiss products :). When you open the lid opens up a spring just as good as new, and this despite the fact that the lighter at least 70 years old!

But history tells us the inscription on the cigarette lighter. It belonged to a team member minesweeper YMS-370. The history of this ship is quite brief. Ships series of YMS (Auxiliary Mine Sweeper) were so small (displacement was only 270 tons), which had no name - only a serial number. Total of 1941 the ship was built 481 series YMS, they were virtually identical in their construction. The most recent series of YMS ship was in service to the American fleet in November 1969.

YMS-370 was laid on January 23, 1943 in the dock of Wheeler Shipbuilding Corp and launched on August 7 that year. After serving only 3 years old, it was decommissioned 19 June 1946 and finally sawed for scrap in 1948. But in a short time of service, he had visited many Asian countries, which are mentioned on this lighter Philippines, China, Japan, Korea ... In the last two photos - the ship itself and his team in the last year of service. Some of these sailors and officers in the picture belongs to this unique and lighter. Who have you been, stranger CDH?