THIS fascinating piece of World War One trench art belongs to Michael McEwing.
The miniature coal scuttle is made from a shell found at Ypres during one of the major battles of the Great War and was created by G Marks as the inscription on the top suggests.
It was given to Michael by a friend and is particularly poignant for him as his grandfather, Harry Seddon, fought in World War One.
The scuttle contains a penny dated 1912 at the base and is clearly marked 10/11/1915.
“It has definitely been used,” explains 68-year-old Michael, who lives in Bromley Cross, as he points to where the shell shows evidence of having been fired.
But was this beautiful piece of militaria created by a soldier who was fighting at Ypres?
Did he bring the shell home with him from the war? “We will never know,” muses Michael.
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