Yard-O-Led - Limited Edition "The Lucky" Pencil - Gold Vermeil

YARD-O-LED proudly reintroduces its historic archive model, ‘The Deco 34’, originally produced in 1930. This limited-edition release is a faithful recreation of the original pencil and serves as a tribute to the remarkable gold pencil that saved the life of Lt. Leslie March in 1942.

Available in both solid 925 sterling silver and luxurious gold vermeil, the collection is strictly limited to 734 pieces of each finish — a number inspired by Lt. March’s military service number during the Second World War.

Lt. Leslie March was among the first to volunteer for service, joining the Royal Artillery as a private soldier (No. 190734) before receiving his commission in June 1941. Newly married, he carried with him a YARD-O-LED pencil gifted by his wife, Margot. Determined to serve in the Infantry, he later transferred to the Cameron Highlanders as a Lieutenant in 1942. During active service, a bullet struck the pencil he carried, stopping its path and ultimately saving his life. From that moment onward, the pencil became his treasured lucky charm.

In late 1943, Lt. March volunteered for the Commandos formed by Lord Lovat, serving as Acting Captain and Adjutant. Landing on the Normandy beaches on D-Day plus one, he continued to serve with distinction until the following day, when he was tragically killed while inspecting trenches. He was just 23 years old.

The original “lucky charm” pencil remained a cherished family heirloom before being donated to the YARD-O-LED museum by his stepbrother, Mr. Kelly, who still remembers Leslie as “my hero.”

To recreate the original “Deco 34” — a model absent from production for many years — YARD-O-LED painstakingly remade the original tooling required to reproduce this historic design. Defined by its square profile, distinctive pattern, and unusual ball clip, the Deco 34 remains unlike any other writing instrument in the current collection.

Every YARD-O-LED writing instrument is handcrafted from solid 925 sterling silver in the Birmingham workshop, using the same traditional machinery that would have produced Lt. March’s original pencil decades ago.

As each pencil is handmade to order, slight variations from the original model and photographs are to be expected, adding to the individuality of every piece. Please allow 2–3 weeks for delivery.

A percentage of proceeds from each sale will be donated to the Royal Marines Charity, supporting Royal Marines and their families.

Royal Marines Charity

• Delivery: Dispatched securely with protective packaging.
• Engraving lead time: Personalisation adds up to 5 additional days to standard delivery.
• International delivery: Available — contact our concierge for quotes, duties guidance and timelines.
• Concierge support: [email protected]