Wooden house cigarette dispenser and ashtray on base : Staff Sergeant A Bolton, 18 Field Regiment

Handmade varnished desktop cigarette dispenser consisting of a rectangular wooden base mounted on four short feet. The base is inlaid with geometric patterns in contrasting wood. Mounted at one end of the base is a small wooden house in figured grain with windows and door in plain wood, with incised details, and a front door step. The pitched roof has a separate ridge-piece, dished along its length, and a chimney. A wooden doughnut is tacked to the other end of the base onto which is fitted a small circular 'Marquis Australia' brown-swirl Bakelite ashtray with three cigarette rests. Between the ashtray and the house, two short posts are inset into the base. These were originally a pair of stylised conical trees, only one of which remains, broken from its post and coloured green. A matchbox could be fitted over one of these, with the tree pushing up the matchbox inner to allow easy access to the matches. The body of the house can be lifted using the chimney; this action deposits a cigarette onto the dished roof ridge-piece. There are a number of 'Craven A Virginia' brand cigarettes remaining in the house.

This cigarette dispenser was reportedly made by an unnamed Japanese prisoner of war at Cowra POW camp, and acquired by N50472 Staff Sergeant Albert Bolton who was stationed in Cowra during the Second World War.

Bolton was born at Haslingden, England on 25 February 1897. He was residing at West Kogarah, NSW when he enlisted on 7 April 1941 with the CMF. Bolton served in Australia with 18 Field Regiment until his discharge on 13 October 1947.

The standard of inlay work on this dispenser, and the precision of the dispensing mechanism, display a high degree of skill.