| Places | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL38845 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Personal Equipment |
| Physical description | Cotton wadding, Metal, Nickel-plated brass |
| Maker |
Zenith Lighter Company Ltd |
| Place made | Japan |
| Date made | c 1968 |
| Conflict |
Vietnam, 1962-1975 |
Zenith cigarette lighter 'Evilest son of a bitch in the valley' : Sergeant D B Elbourne, D Company, 1 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
Description
Nickel-plated brass cased refillable lidded lighter with pinstripe pattern cast into case. One side is engraved with a representation of a Bell Iroquois helicopter, while the other side has been hand engraved 'BA RIA / NUI DAT 69-70' on the lid and 'Yea though I walk / Through the Valley / of the Shadow of / Death I will fear / no evil for I am the / evilest son of a bitch / in the valley'. The base is impressed with the following details: 'Windproof / Zenith / for pipe or cigarette'.
History / Summary
Cigarette lighter relating to the service of 215467 Sergeant D B Elbourne, 1 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.
Donald Bruce Elbourne was born in Sydney in 1941. He first deployed to Vietnam with 1 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) in May 1965 until June 1966. During this period 1 RAR and its supporting elements were under the operational command of the US Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade.
Elbourne returned to Vietnam for a second tour of duty with 1 RAR from March 1968 until February 1969.