Category archive «Handy»

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

Title: Handy
Type: Oil Lighters
Material: Copper, silver plated
Year: 1940
Country: Switzerland
Approximate cost: $ 30-100

Lighters with wartime history are fairly common, but this - one of the most interesting finds. This Swiss Lighter Handy, almost completely Dunhill Rollalite similar in design (I can not even imagine what it has done exactly Dunhill: after all, was the model Dunhill Handy , a different design, but with the same name). Lighter is made of silvered copper and then - this is the inscription 'S.800' on the mechanism of flint (by the way, looks and feels like she is completely silver, but copper on yellow shabby corner produces silver plated). In general, the sensations in your hand, it seems like a lighter watch: so all the parts fit perfectly and are so neatly and securely done (which is expected for Swiss products :). When you open the lid swings a spring just as good as new, and this despite the fact that the lighter at least 70 years!

But history tells us the inscription on the cigarette lighter. She belonged to a team member minesweeper YMS-370. The history of this ship is quite brief. Ships series YMS (Auxiliary Mine Sweeper) were so small (displacement was only 270 tons), which did not have a name - just a serial number. Total since 1941 the ship was built 481 series YMS, they were almost identical in their construction. The most recent series of YMS ship was in service with the U.S. Navy until November 1969.

YMS-370 was laid on 23 January 1943 at the dock of Wheeler Shipbuilding Corp and launched on August 7 of that year. After serving only 3 years, it was decommissioned 19 June 1946 and finally sawed for scrap in 1948. But within a short time of service he had visited many Asian countries, which are referred to in this lighter, Philippines, China, Japan, Korea ... In the last two photos - the ship itself and its team in the last year of service. To some of these sailors and officers in the photo belonged to this unique and lighter. Who were you, an unknown CDH?