Authentic commemorative ashtray of the Royal Air Force, turned from the alloy of a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine piston, as indicated by the peripheral engraving “MADE FROM A ROLLS ROYCE ‘MERLIN’ ENGINE PISTON AS USED IN THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN – AUGUST – OCTOBER 1940”.
In the centre appears the RAF insignia with its motto “Per ardua ad astra”.
On the upper ring is engraved the famous sentence by Winston Churchill, spoken in August 1940 about the pilots of the Battle of Britain:

[…]
Never in the field of human conflict
was so much owed by so many to so few
Winston S. Churchill
[…]

followed by his facsimile signature.

Cendrier commémoratif authentique de la Royal Air Force, tourné dans l’alliage d’un piston de moteur Rolls-Royce Merlin, comme l’indique la gravure périphérique « MADE FROM A ROLLS ROYCE “MERLIN” ENGINE PISTON AS USED IN THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN – AUGUST – OCTOBER 1940 ».
Au centre figure l’insigne de la RAF avec sa devise « Per ardua ad astra ».
Sur l’anneau supérieur est gravée la célèbre phrase de Winston Churchill, prononcée en août 1940 à propos des pilotes de la Bataille d’Angleterre :

[…]
Never in the field of human conflict
was so much owed by so many to so few
Winston S. Churchill
[…]

suivie d’un fac-similé gravé de la signature de Winston S. Churchill, tel qu’il figurait sur cette série commémorative d’après-guerre.

Le dessous porte la mention « MADE IN ENGLAND ».
Ces cendriers ont été réalisés juste après la guerre, vers 1946–1947, en série limitée (le nombre exact d’exemplaires n’est pas connu) à partir de pistons Merlin récupérés, afin de récolter des fonds pour le RAF Benevolent Fund.

Authentieke herdenkingsasbak van de Royal Air Force, gedraaid uit het metaal van een Rolls-Royce Merlin-motorzuiger, zoals vermeld in de gegraveerde tekst « MADE FROM A ROLLS ROYCE “MERLIN” ENGINE PISTON AS USED IN THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN – AUGUST – OCTOBER 1940 ».
In het midden staat het embleem van de RAF met het motto « Per ardua ad astra ».
Op de bovenste ring is de beroemde uitspraak van Winston Churchill gegraveerd, uitgesproken in augustus 1940 over de piloten van de Slag om Engeland:

[…]
Never in the field of human conflict
was so much owed by so many to so few
Winston S. Churchill
[…]

gevolgd door een gegraveerd facsimile van de handtekening van Winston S. Churchill, zoals die voorkwam op deze naoorlogse herdenkingsreeks.

Op de onderzijde staat « MADE IN ENGLAND ».
Deze asbakken werden kort na de oorlog, rond 1946–1947, in beperkte oplage vervaardigd (het exacte aantal is niet bekend) uit teruggewonnen Merlin-zuigers, ten voordele van het RAF Benevolent Fund.

Authentic commemorative ashtray of the Royal Air Force, turned from the alloy of a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine piston, as stated in the outer engraving “MADE FROM A ROLLS ROYCE ‘MERLIN’ ENGINE PISTON AS USED IN THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN – AUGUST – OCTOBER 1940”.
The centre features the RAF crest with its motto “Per ardua ad astra”.
On the upper rim is engraved the famous sentence by Winston Churchill, spoken in August 1940 about the pilots of the Battle of Britain:

[…]
Never in the field of human conflict
was so much owed by so many to so few
Winston S. Churchill
[…]

followed by an engraved facsimile of the signature of Winston S. Churchill, exactly as it appeared on this post-war commemorative series.

The underside bears the inscription “MADE IN ENGLAND”.
These ashtrays were produced just after the war, around 1946–1947, in a limited edition (the exact number remains unknown), using recovered Merlin pistons to raise funds for the RAF Benevolent Fund.