Cigarette Case with Damage from a Bullet

This cigarette case belonging to a Private M Smith was damaged by a German bullet at Loos in October 1915. The Battle of Loos took place on the Western Front during World War One and was the largest British attack of that year.   

There are many examples of objects that are claimed to have saved the lives of a soldier during the First and Second World Wars.   

Smoking was a common habit at this time and many men would have carried smoking paraphernalia. Troops were issued with rations of two ounces of tobacco per day. Because of the highly addictive nature of smoking, this was often insufficient for many people so cigarettes were regularly swapped for other items as a form of ‘trench currency’.