Engraved cigarette tin : Private J F Thoburne, Headquarters Northern Territory Force

Sterling silver cigarette tin with hinged lid. The lid is engraved with a Vickers Wellesley aircraft and the words 'To The Officers/AUSTRALIAN STAFF CORPS MESS/DARWIN/From the Officers/LONG RANGE DEVELOPMENT UNIT/ROYAL AIR FORCE/1938. The left side of the tin is impressed with the 1938 hallmarks for the London silversmith Richard Comyns.

Associated with the service of VX69933 Private John Francis Thoburne. Thoburne was born in Melbourne, Victoria on 8 October 1905 and was a butcher on enlistment in the Second AIF on 29 February 1941. He was taken on strength by the AIF Details Depot until January 1942, when he transferred to the Australian Army Service Corps Training Depot. Thoburne was appointed Butcher Group III on 29 January and posted to 3 Field Butchery. Posted to Darwin in February 1942, Thoburne arrived just days before the first Japanese air raid. It is believed Thoburne souvenired this cigarette box among rubble and debris in the city.

Thoburne was promoted to acting corporal on 5 June 1942 for six months, until 22 November, when his rank was downgraded to lance corporal. He transferred to Headquarters, Northern Territory Force on 22 December and reverted to private the same day. Thoburne was posted to General Details Depot, Royal Park on 22 October 1944 and was formally discharged from the AIF on 21 November.

The box itself commemorates the breaking of the world's long distance record by the Royal Air Force Long Range Development Flight in November 1938. On 5 November three Vickers Wellesleys - L2638, L2639 and L2680 took off from Ismailia, Egypt, to fly to Darwin non-stop. L2639 landed at Kupang before crossing the Timor Sea, but the two remaining aircraft reached Darwin on 7 November having flow over 11 000 kilometres in just over 48 hours. On arrival the Officers of the Australian Staff Corps Mess, Darwin were presented with this cigarette box from the Officers of the Long Range Development Unit.