Smoking kills? Mills Bomb cigarette lighter!

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Guys, a new item for my collection, kindly given to me by a relative who is visting from Canada. It belonged to his Uncle. He found it in some items he had stored away over here. It did not come on the plane!

As you can see, it is a standard WW2 British Mills Bomb body. The base has had a chrome flared part added to the flat base plate which is used when the grenade is launched from a rifle cup discharger. As you can see this is 45 dated and maker marked MGM Ltd..

It works by pushing the lever down which causes a spark to be created from the fitment on the top. It still works. I imagine the body would have been filled with wadding and a small wick added to the top of the body through a small hole drilled in it.

The grenade body is marked "32". Also marked JH...

The original green paint is still intact while the blueish/silver overpaint has almost worn away. The filler plug is also chrome plated.

Cheers, Ade.

[RH1941]

Hi Ade what a great piece of trench art. Gary

[Martin Bull]

Many years ago I had one similar, but not as nice as this one. That is a very nice curio indeed !

[aj4010]

MGM is:
Metropolitan Gas Meter Co. London & Nottingham.

Best Regards,

Andy

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Guys, thanks for the comments.

Hi Andy, that is interesting. The grenade came from Nottingham, our home town. I suspect it was war surplus stock converted into a commercial item.

Cheers, Ade.

[NCA]

Brilliant! I love it.It would go well with one saw recently in an antiques shop.It was one cut in half for use as an ashtray!I've also seen one converted into a moneybox(slit milled into it)

[Spitace41]

That certainly is an amazing piece! What a nice gift.

[Steve T]

Great piece

[guns ltd]

Looks great Ade:

[moaning minnie]

What a nice pressie for xmas ADE.I like it a lot,good one.regards Dave.