BRASS ASHTRAY MADE FROM ARTILLERY SHELL. WW I. 1916. Trench Art / Craft. Austro Hungarian.

Trench craft and art was born out of the boredom caused by soldiers having many hours of waiting in trenches and had as it purpose the production of items for use, but mainly for gifts and souvenirs intended for the loved ones 'back home'.

The item on auction here is a very basic one and is very typical of how that which was readily available was used to turn into something useful or arty. The rear inch of the brass shell casing of a small cannon shell was cut off to make an ashtray. What is to me the most interesting about this item is the shell casing that was used. It is from an 8 cm calibre shell made in Berndorf, Austria for the Austro Hungarian artillery, but it also has the mark of the British army on it. The only explanation I can think of for this is that it was either a re - manufactured shell where the British Army used a spent Austro Hungarian shell casing or that it was from ammunition captured by the British army from the enemy and given the British army mark.