Salt and pepper shakers : Flight Lieutenant J W Shipman, 100 Squadron, RAAF

Salt and Pepper cruet set. The shakers are made from .50 calibre Browning machine gun cartridge cases. The primers of the shells have been replaced with a screw closure and holes have been drilled into the tips. The shells are sitting in a base made of sheet metal with a layer of perspex over the top. Two circles have been cut in the perspex base to fit the bottom of the shells. An Airforce eagle has been impressed into the centre of the base. Between the two shells a handle has been screwed into the base. The two sides of the handle rise up to be joined by a horizontal strip of bakelite taken from the electrical system of a Bristol Beaufort aircraft. Another piece of perspex with holes for the shakers is joined to the handle a quarter of the way up.

Associated with 422085 Flight Lieutenant John William Shipman. Shipman served with 100 Squadron, RAAF, flying Bristol Beaufort aircraft, and died during flying battle over New Guinea on 13 March 1945.