North Africa – Algier

In 1943, during WWII, several U.S. military units and organizations were stationed in Algiers, Algeria, following the Allied landings in North Africa (Operation Torch) in November 1942. Algiers became a strategic headquarters for Allied operations in the Mediterranean and North Africa.

Well worn black crackle Zippo with a scene engraved on the front with a mosque in the foreground, a palm tree, a cactus in front of sand dunes, a sunset including the year 1943 and birds in the sky. The other side is engraved with «North Africa» and «Algier» with ornaments and the owner's name «Leo».

Model:
four barrel hinge, flat bottom
Year:
1942 - 43
Status:
in collection

Vorderseite von North Africa – Algier, Modell four barrel hinge, flat bottom, Jahr 1942 - 43, Bild 1

Vorderseite von North Africa – Algier, Modell four barrel hinge, flat bottom, Jahr 1942 - 43, Bild 2

Morocco

During WWII, Morocco, which was then occupied by France, was controlled by Vichy France from 1940 to 1942 after the occupation of France by Nazi Germany. However, after the North African Campaign, Morocco was under Allied control and thus was active in Allied operations until the end of the war.

Chrome plated Zippo with a Moroccan 1 Franc Empire Cherifien coin on the front and a Republique Française 1 Franc 1940 coin on the other side.

Model:
four barrel hinge, flat bottom
Year:
1942 - 43
Status:
in collection

Vorderseite von Morocco, Modell four barrel hinge, flat bottom, Jahr 1942 - 43, Bild 1

Vorderseite von Morocco, Modell four barrel hinge, flat bottom, Jahr 1942 - 43, Bild 2

Egypt – Jim Roth

During World War II, Egypt played a strategic role in the North African campaign, and the United States Army was involved in several significant events in the region: the North African campaign, the Operation Torch, which had a significant impact on the overall North African campaign including Egypt, the second Battle of El Alamein and the Cairo conference that included President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. Egypt served as an important logistical hub for the Allied forces in North Africa and the Middle East. U.S. Army units were involved in establishing and operating military bases, supply depots, and airfields to support the overall war effort.

Chrome plated Zippo with beautiful engraved scenes on the front and the back with «Egypt», palm trees, the river Nile, the pyramids, a mosque and a bedouin on a dromedary. And on one side is the engraving of the owner's name «Jim Roth».

Model:
three barrel hinge, round bottom
Year:
1943 - 45
Status:
in collection

Vorderseite von Egypt – Jim Roth, Modell three barrel hinge, round bottom, Jahr 1943 - 45, Bild 1

Vorderseite von Egypt – Jim Roth, Modell three barrel hinge, round bottom, Jahr 1943 - 45, Bild 2

Vorderseite von Egypt – Jim Roth, Modell three barrel hinge, round bottom, Jahr 1943 - 45, Bild 3

Egypt – C. G. Westing Name

Chrome plated Zippo with an Egyptian 5 Silver Piastres 1939 coin with King Farouk on both sides and additionally the owner's name «C. Westing» on the front and the owner's name in Egyptian letters on the back side.

Model:
three barrel hinge, round bottom
Year:
1943 - 45
Status:
in collection

Vorderseite von Egypt – C. G. Westing Name, Modell three barrel hinge, round bottom, Jahr 1943 - 45, Bild 1

Vorderseite von Egypt – C. G. Westing Name, Modell three barrel hinge, round bottom, Jahr 1943 - 45, Bild 2

Egypt – C. G. Westing Initials

Chrome plated Zippo from the same owner C. G. Westing with his initials «C.G.W.» engraved on the front and a smaller Egyptian 2 Silver Piastres 1944 coin with King Farouk applied on both sides.

Model:
three barrel hinge, round bottom
Year:
1943 - 45
Status:
in collection

Vorderseite von Egypt – C. G. Westing Initials, Modell three barrel hinge, round bottom, Jahr 1943 - 45, Bild 1

Vorderseite von Egypt – C. G. Westing Initials, Modell three barrel hinge, round bottom, Jahr 1943 - 45, Bild 2

Cairo – Andy Anderson

Hitler sent his army to North Africa starting in February 1941 (Operation Sonnenblume). General Erwin Rommel's Afrikakorps comprehensively outfought British forces in a classic blitzkrieg. Within weeks the British had been pushed back into Egypt. Rommel's offensive was finally stopped at the small railway halt of El Alamein, just 150 miles from Cairo. Later, Rommel tried again to break through the lines of the Allies during the Battle of Alam el Halfa and was defeated by the British commander, Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery.

Chrome plated Zippo with various engravings: «Cairo» and a dromedary before the pyramids with palm trees on the front and the owner's name «Andy Anderson» together with two large flowers on the front.

Model:
four barrel hinge, flat bottom
Year:
1942 - 43
Status:
in collection

Vorderseite von Cairo – Andy Anderson, Modell four barrel hinge, flat bottom, Jahr 1942 - 43, Bild 1

Vorderseite von Cairo – Andy Anderson, Modell four barrel hinge, flat bottom, Jahr 1942 - 43, Bild 2

Tripoli – Rusty

The Battle of Tripoli was an engagement on between the German-Italian tank army commanded by Erwin Rommel of Germany and Ettore Bastico of Italy, who held the town, and the Allies commanded by Montgomery. During the Liberation of Tripoli, Germany was deeply involved on a second war front, with Russia. This meant that a depleted Germany force fought in North Africa. After a short siege, the Germans withdrew from Tripoli, and the Allies entered the town.

Well worn black crackle Zippo with various engravings: the owner's name «Rusty» with the monogram «WMD» on one side and «Tripoli» along with a Libyan scene that includes a mosque, two palm trees and a bedouin on a dromedary on the other side.

Model:
three barrel hinge, round bottom
Year:
1943 - 45
Status:
in collection

Vorderseite von Tripoli – Rusty, Modell three barrel hinge, round bottom, Jahr 1943 - 45, Bild 1

Vorderseite von Tripoli – Rusty, Modell three barrel hinge, round bottom, Jahr 1943 - 45, Bild 2

Iran – Teheran

The Teheran Conference, held at the end of 1943, was the first of the WWII conferences of the «Big Three» Allied leaders Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. Its main objectives included coordinating the military strategy against Nazi Germany and planning the opening of a second front in Western Europe, which led to the D-Day invasion plans. Discussions were also held on the post-war reorganization and initial ideas for the United Nations were expressed.

Chrome plated Zippo with various engravings: ornaments ranking around the owner’s name «Jos. Scuto» on the front; a scene with a dromedary, a pyramid, a palm tree, and a bird on the back, with the place and time of service «Teheran – Iran» and «June 1 1942–43» engraved above the scene; and inscriptions in Persian Farsi on the top reading «Joshua Scuto», on the face «Wolf of Chorasan», and on the hinge side «Geri I love you». His full name was Joseph A. Scuto, and he held the rank of Technician Fifth Grade (TEC 5) in the U.S. Army during World War II. His wife’s name was Geraldine. Chorasan, historically a region in northeastern Iran, is known for its rich cultural heritage and strategic importance, linking Central Asia with the Persian heartland.

Model:
four barrel hinge, flat bottom
Year:
1942 - 43
Status:
in collection

Vorderseite von Iran – Teheran, Modell four barrel hinge, flat bottom, Jahr 1942 - 43, Bild 1

Vorderseite von Iran – Teheran, Modell four barrel hinge, flat bottom, Jahr 1942 - 43, Bild 2

Vorderseite von Iran – Teheran, Modell four barrel hinge, flat bottom, Jahr 1942 - 43, Bild 3

Vorderseite von Iran – Teheran, Modell four barrel hinge, flat bottom, Jahr 1942 - 43, Bild 4

Vorderseite von Iran – Teheran, Modell four barrel hinge, flat bottom, Jahr 1942 - 43, Bild 5

Persia – W. C. Meyers

The U.S. Army unit with the engraved movement pattern was the Persian Gulf Command (PGC), also known as the Persian Gulf Service Command. This command was responsible for maintaining supply lines through the Middle East and Asia and supported the Allied forces, particularly the Soviet Union, with critical supplies under the Lend-Lease program. In 1943, 30,000 Americans helped guard the Persian Corridor, and a third of the supplies sent to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease Act were routed through Iran. The US also extended Lend-Lease assistance to Iran and began training the Iranian army.

Well worn black crackle Zippo with different engravings: the owner's name «W. C. Meyers» and his places of action «New Zealand – Wellington», «Australia – Melbourne», «India – Bombay», «Persia», «Iraq» and «Iran – Teheran / Qum / Ahwaz» together with the Iran emblem, the Iran lion holding a shamshir with the sun and the years of service «1943-44-45».

Model:
four barrel hinge, flat bottom
Year:
1942 - 43
Status:
in collection

Vorderseite von Persia – W. C. Meyers, Modell four barrel hinge, flat bottom, Jahr 1942 - 43, Bild 1

Vorderseite von Persia – W. C. Meyers, Modell four barrel hinge, flat bottom, Jahr 1942 - 43, Bild 2

CBI – China Burma India

The CBI theater (1941-45) has been dubbed «the forgotten theater» of WWII. Once the United States entered the war, American strategy called for building up China as a source of manpower, as a base for bombers and the eventual invasion of Japan. CBI produced some of the most impressive feats of engineering and logistics in American military history.

Chrome plated Zippo with different engravings: the insignia of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, the theater name of operation «China Burma India» and the CBI insignia on the front and the map of the CBI theater with the personal initials «EAK» on the back.

Model:
four barrel hinge, round bottom
Year:
1942 - 43
Status:
in collection

Vorderseite von CBI – China Burma India, Modell four barrel hinge, round bottom, Jahr 1942 - 43, Bild 1

Vorderseite von CBI – China Burma India, Modell four barrel hinge, round bottom, Jahr 1942 - 43, Bild 2

CBI – Taj Mahal

Chrome plated Zippo with different engravings: the theater name of operation «China Burma India», the CBI insignia with the years of service «1943-44-45», the illustration of the Taj Mahal on the front and the map of the CBI theater with the personal initials «HPH» on the back.

Model:
three barrel hinge, round bottom
Year:
1943 - 45
Status:
in collection

Vorderseite von CBI – Taj Mahal, Modell three barrel hinge, round bottom, Jahr 1943 - 45, Bild 1

Vorderseite von CBI – Taj Mahal, Modell three barrel hinge, round bottom, Jahr 1943 - 45, Bild 2

CBI – Insignia

Black crackle Zippo with the insignia of the CBI theater.

Model:
three barrel hinge, round bottom
Year:
1943 - 45
Status:
in collection

Vorderseite von CBI – Insignia, Modell three barrel hinge, round bottom, Jahr 1943 - 45, Bild 1

Vorderseite von CBI – Insignia, Modell three barrel hinge, round bottom, Jahr 1943 - 45, Bild 2

India – Iona Spencer

Chrome plated Zippo with a British India Silver One Rupee 1944 coin on both side and the owners' name «Iona Spencer» engraved on the front.

Model:
three barrel hinge, round bottom
Year:
1943 - 45
Status:
in collection

Vorderseite von India – Iona Spencer, Modell three barrel hinge, round bottom, Jahr 1943 - 45, Bild 1

Vorderseite von India – Iona Spencer, Modell three barrel hinge, round bottom, Jahr 1943 - 45, Bild 2

India – Tasmania

Worn Zippo with «Riverside Calif.», «Hobart. Tasmania.» and «Bombay. India.» engraved on the front in an unusual and special make.

Model:
four barrel hinge, flat bottom
Year:
1937 - 41
Status:
in collection

Vorderseite von India – Tasmania, Modell four barrel hinge, flat bottom, Jahr 1937 - 41, Bild 1

Vorderseite von India – Tasmania, Modell four barrel hinge, flat bottom, Jahr 1937 - 41, Bild 2

Israel – Palestine

Well worn black crackle Zippo with a coin on each side. On the front a British Palestine 2 Mils 1927 coin with the inscription (פלשתינה (א"י PALESTINE فلسطين (Palestine in Hebrew, English and Arabic) and a British One Penny coin on the other side.

Model:
five barrel hinge (fixed after war), round bottom
Year:
1943 - 45
Status:
in collection

Vorderseite von Israel – Palestine, Modell five barrel hinge (fixed after war), round bottom, Jahr 1943 - 45, Bild 1

Vorderseite von Israel – Palestine, Modell five barrel hinge (fixed after war), round bottom, Jahr 1943 - 45, Bild 2

Europe – Bullets

Well worn black crackle Zippo with various places of action and years of service engraved: «England», «Ireland», «France», «Belgium», «Holland» and «Germany» and «42 43 44 45». Version with patent error «203695».

Model:
four barrel hinge, flat bottom
Year:
1942 - 43
Status:
in collection