mark holden Posted 21 December , 2017 Share Posted 21 December , 2017 I have four examples of the pipe that was part of Princess Mary's smokers gift. The top three shown all have direct attribution to servicemen. The first was given to a Naval recipient, The second to a RFA Gunner, The third and fourth have Made in France impressed into their bodies. The third was given to a soldier from 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt and has the white metal collar with three letter old English code, the last made in France has no direct attribution aside from coming with three empty gift tins. All the pipes fit in the outer card box. Has anyone come across other pipes from the gift set that were made in France? Happy Christmas to all Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepoy Posted 21 December , 2017 Share Posted 21 December , 2017 (edited) Interesting. Are these Pipes marked with the "M" and Coronet ????? Sepoy Edited 22 December , 2017 by Sepoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark holden Posted 21 December , 2017 Author Share Posted 21 December , 2017 Good evening Sepoy, No none of the four I have are monogrammed. I have personally never seen one with with M and crown although I understand they existed. regards Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepoy Posted 22 December , 2017 Share Posted 22 December , 2017 17 hours ago, mark holden said: Good evening Sepoy, No none of the four I have are monogrammed. I have personally never seen one with with M and crown although I understand they existed. regards Mark Thank you for your replay Mark I have yet to pick up a tin complete with pipe, or had a chance to have a close look at one. This is despite having complete examples with cigarettes & tobacco; bullet pencil; tinder; and writing pack cover. Sepoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 22 December , 2017 Share Posted 22 December , 2017 As France was and probably still is one of the largest producers of briar pipes not unusual I would have thought. Most of the briar root (Erica arboria) comes from Corsica and is cut in France from the root in shapes which suit the grain and for for particular pipe shapes.Most of those illustrated are not first grade briar as can be seen by the number of filler marks in them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark holden Posted 22 December , 2017 Author Share Posted 22 December , 2017 Thanks Squirrel very informative. Happy Xmas Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7527crater Posted 11 January Share Posted 11 January Hello Gentlemen, I have a gift fund tin complete with contents and a pipe given to my wife's grandfather while serving with the 9th Londons (Queen Victoria Rifles). I could never envisage how the pipe and tin would have been transported together. Am I right in assuming (from your photos) that each soldier would actually have received the carboard carton with the tin, pipe etc? Or was the box just used for transport. And what is the cord with a ferrule used for? Many thanks and salutations from a wet January 2024 in France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chasemuseum Posted 11 January Share Posted 11 January The cord with the ferrule is the cigarette/pipe lighter. The metal component, "the ferrule" includes a captive flint and is used to ignite the end of the cord which is used as the lighter. These flints had originally been sourced from Austria. The inability to manufacture the intended quantity of these lighters is a well known part of the gift tin story and the lighters are now relatively rare and highly sort after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7527crater Posted 12 January Share Posted 12 January @ Chasemuseum. Thanks for that. I thought the cord looked like slow match (17th Century re-enactor here) but couldn't see the purpose of the metal part. Now it all makes sense. I alsi have a 'trench' lighter consisting of two tubes side by side, one with a wick and the other with a striker wheel. I assume it's also from this period and wonder if that was also part of the gift package. Oh what wouldn't I give to be able to ask him (William James Bennett, Private 9th Battalion London Regiment) but I never met the man. Many thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chasemuseum Posted 14 January Share Posted 14 January Just a quick note, this is a link to a thesis on the tins with information on pages 67 & 68 on the lighters. Hope this is of interest Cheers https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/355223376/_A_Box_of_Conflict_Memories_.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chasemuseum Posted 17 January Share Posted 17 January came across this old photo giving a nice clear view of how the lighter worked. The flint is in the top of the cap (flint missing in the photo) and this is struck against the top of the lower metal fitting to ignite the cord. the user then blows on it to get it properly burning and can then use it to light cigarettes or pipes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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