Ditty box : Yeoman of Signals, HMAS Sydney I

Wooden ditty box that has been hand crafted from a honey coloured timber. Each corner of the box has eight dovetailed joints (six for the box & two for the lid). The lid is hinged with two small brass hinges, each fixed with four brass screws. There is a brass lock which is damaged/broken and the key is missing. Impressed into the lock is a '2' & 'SECURE EVERLOCK'. Screwed to the front face of the box is a rectangular brass plate that has been impressed 'A.J.WELFORD'. One dovetailed corner of the lid has been damaged and is beginning to split. This box belonged to Arthur John Welford who was a member of HMAS Sydney (I).

5089 Yeoman of Signals Arthur John Welford was born on 10 March 1881 in Dinton, Buckinghamshire, England. He is thought to have entered the Royal Navy (RN) c 1895. He was serving in the RN's light cruiser, HMS Encounter, when she was lent to the newly formed Royal Australian Navy, as HMAS Encounter, at the beginning of July 1912. Together with a third of the RN crew, Welford volunteered to stay on, 'on loan' to the RAN, helping to train the new Australian crew. After serving just over two years in Encounter, Welford transferred to HMAS Warrego on 1 October 1913.

At the end of February 1914 Welford was posted to HMAS Sydney I and was serving in her at the outbreak of the war. He took part on the battle, off Cocos Island, with German raider SMS Emden, on 9 November 1914.

Welford served on in the Sydney until mid July 1917 when he reverted to the RN when the ship was located in Britain on North Sea patrols. Welford died in 1944 in Cambridgeshire, England. He used this ditty box throughout his naval service.