| Places | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL/00563.001 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Elastic, Electo Plated Nickel Silver (EPNS), Paper, Steel, Tobacco |
| Location | Main Bld: First World War Gallery: Western Front 1918: Villers Bretonneaux |
| Maker |
Unknown W D & H O Wills, Bristol & London |
| Place made | United Kingdom |
| Date made | c 1914-1918 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Bullet Damaged cigarette case : Lieutenant N G Hatton, 52 Battalion, AIF
Description
Bullet damaged Electro Plated Nickel Silver cigarette case. The right hand side of the lid bears a hole where a bullet pierced it. The lid is engraved with a heavily decorative pattern and shows tarnish in some places.
History / Summary
Lieutenant Neville Gordon Hatton, 52 Battalion, AIF was carrying this cigarette case in a pocket when it was struck by a bullet during the Australian counter-attack at Villers-Bretonneux on 24 April 1918.
Hatton was born in Toowoomba, Queensland and was 19 years and four months old when he enlisted in the early weeks of the First World War on 1 September 1914.
He served at Gallipoli and on the Western Front and was recognised twice for his bravery, gallantry and devotion to duty. First was the award of the Military Medal on 4 October 1918 and second the award of Military Cross on 4 February 1919.
Hatton had been wounded earlier in the war; he was admitted to 10th British Red Cross Hospital on 12 June 1917 suffering from a mild gunshot wound to the lumbar region.
He escaped unhurt on this occasion.