Captured Vietcong lighter and tongs on chain : Sergeant D Elbourne, D Company, 1 RAR

Length (380 mm) of stainless steel snake chain equipped with a clip at one end and a loop at the other. Attached to the loop is a nickel plated brass-cased cigarette lighter attached with a length of string, and a set of tongs, made from a folded length of thin olive drab tin folded over a square buckle. A length of cotton wadding is stored inside the lid of the lighter.

Related to the Vietnam service of Donald Bruce Elbourne, who joined the Commonwealth Military Forces (CMF) in 1958 and was allocated the service number 2/51680. He rose to the rank of sergeant, before joining the regular army on 20 October 1963, reverting to the rank of private.

He was transferred to 1 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) on 22 April 1964 and undertook his first tour of duty of Vietnam from 26 May 1965 to 9 June 1966 as a corporal signaller. He was promoted to sergeant in 1967, returning to Vietnam for his second tour of duty from 17 March 1968 to 28 February 1969, serving as an Intelligence Officer in 12 Platoon, D Company, 1 RAR . It was during this second tour that he was involved in the defence of Fire Support Base Coral during the attack by the Vietcong 275 Infiltration Group on 13/14 May 1968.

Elbourne remained in the Army, mainly in a training capacity, until his discharge as a warrant officer class 2 on 20 October 1986. After Vietnam, he served with 3 Training Battalion (1969-1970); Officer Training Unit, Scheyville, NSW (1970-1971); 2 Australian Reinforcement Unit (1971-1975); 6 RAR (1975-1977); Royal Military College, Duntroon (1977-1980); Headquarters, 2 Training Group (1980-1981); District Support Unit Singleton (1981-1983) and Army School of Instructional Training until his retirement.

This simple lighter and makeshift eating tongs were taken by Elbourne from the body of a member of 275 Infiltration Group on the morning after the 13 May 1968 attack on Fire Support Base Coral.