Acme Whistles, Birmingham UK 4th June 2014. (L-R) Jon Sweeney (General Manager Zippo UK) and Simon Topman (CEO Acme Whistles) Originally brought together in wartime, historic Birmingham business Acme Whistles is reunited with iconic American business Zippo to launch a D-Day anniversary collectors’ set. To mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day (6 June 2014), two iconic companies, Zippo and Acme Whistles, make an exchange of their famous wartime products. Mr Jon Sweeney, General Manager Zippo UK, will present a limited edition Zippo Windproof Lighter gift set to Mr Simon Topman CEO Acme Whistles.
Acme Whistles, Birmingham UK 4th June 2014. (L-R) Jon Sweeney (General Manager Zippo UK) and Simon Topman (CEO Acme Whistles) Originally brought together in wartime, historic Birmingham business Acme Whistles is reunited with iconic American business Zippo to launch a D-Day anniversary collectors’ set. To mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day (6 June 2014), two iconic companies, Zippo and Acme Whistles, make an exchange of their famous wartime products. Mr Jon Sweeney, General Manager Zippo UK, will present a limited edition Zippo Windproof Lighter gift set to Mr Simon Topman CEO Acme Whistles. Mr Topman will present an original Acme Cricket to Mr Sweeney in exchange. The Zippo Windproof Lighter and Acme Cricket were both a staple of military life during the Second World War. The first troops to drop behind enemy lines on D-Day, the US 101st Airborne Division, “The Screaming Eagles”, were equipped with Acme Crickets as a secret communication tool, and many also carried their dependable Zippo windproof lighters in addition to their standard battle gear. Zippo: a wartime heritage The Zippo lighter, famed for its reliability and durability, was used throughout the Second World War by soldiers to light campfires, light fuses on explosives, hammer nails, signal to fellow soldiers with the famous Zippo click, heat rations in their helmets, and more. There are even reports from some soldiers that the Zippo lighter saved their lives by deflecting bullets! In fact, Zippo owes much of its worldwide recognition to the thousands of soldiers who carried their Zippo windproof lighters into battle. During the war years, Zippo founder and owner George G. Blaisdell dedicated manufacturing efforts to supplying Zippo lighters exclusively to the military.
Size: 3758px × 2506px
Photo credit: © Edward Moss / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
