| Place | Europe: Belgium, Flanders, West-Vlaanderen, Ypres |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL/00789 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Aluminium, Copper |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | Belgium |
| Date made | c 1916-1918 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Signet Ring 'Ypres' : Captain D V Mulholland, 1 Machine Gun Battalion, AIF
Description
Aluminium trench art signet ring, with 'YPRES' engraved on a rectangular piece of copper attached to the front face.
History / Summary
Souvenir ring associated with the service of Captain Duncan Victor Mulholland. Mulholland enlisted on 13 February 1915. He was a Corporal, service number 655, when he embarked with 12 Light Horse Regiment (LHR) on board HMAT Suevic on 13 June 1915. He landed at Gallipoli in late August and on 29 August was transferred to 1 LHR. He briefly joined the anti aircraft section for a week in November, before returning the 1 LHR. Mullholland was commissioned a second lieutenant and was transferred to 3 Battalion on 25 November 1915.
In Egypt, after the evacuation of Gallipoli, he contracted influenza and was in hospital for three weeks in February/March. On 15 March he transferred to 1 Machine Gun Company (MGC) and a week later embarked for France. During the journey he was promoted to lieutenant. Mulholland served in France, Belgium and England, including periods with 3 MGC and at the Machine Gun Training Depot in England. On 26 December 1916 he was promoted to captain. He was back serving with 1 MGC near Strazeele on 31 May 1918 when he received multiple shell wounds, and died while being transported by 3 Australian Field Ambulance to the British 15th Casualty Clearing Station. He is buried at Ebblinghem Military Cemetery, France.
This ring was not listed amongst Mulholland's effects after he died, so he had probably sent it home as a souvenir before his death. A cottage industry developed in the trenches during the war making souvenir aluminium rings. The rings were made from melted down fuses from German shells, or from melted down aluminium mess kits and canteens. Collecting the fuses from unexploded 'duds' could often be dangerous and many men were wounded attempting to salvage this material. The aluminium was melted, then roughly cast, and filed down before the face was decorated with engraving, or an attached plate or button.