Cigarette Case : Sergeant J H Welch, A Company, 1 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

Silver coloured cigarette case with decorative finish on the front and back. The case is hinged along the left side and opens by a spring clasp on the right. Engraved inside the left panel is '3/961 J H WELCH 04 C of E'. A band of blue elastic for securing the cigarettes is fastened across the right panel.

Engraved and carried by 3961 Sergeant James Hamilton Welch. Welch bought the case in Kaitaichi, near Hiroshima, in April 1952 and carried it until he gave up smoking, a decision influenced by the noise and flare of matches he noticed among his Company during a night patrol on Hill 355. Welch was born in September 1927 and enlisted in the Australian Military Forces on 4 March 1946. With the rank of Corporal he was posted to Japan on 15 October 1946 with 66 Australian Infantry Battalion as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. He was promoted to Sergeant while serving with 66 Bn and returned to Australia on 5 September 1947. He then served during the Korean War with A Company, 1 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment from 3 March 1952 to 20 January 1953. On 11 April of that year he was promoted to Lieutenant. He again served overseas in New Guinea with the Pacific Islands Regiment from 4 September 1955 to 10 January 1957. Welch continued to serve with the army and retired with the rank of Major.