Tobacco tin: Gunner Maurice Charles Thompson, 2 Field Artillery Brigade AIF

Rectangular tobacco tin with rounded corners and hinged lid. The label has been printed straight on the tin's lid using the colours dark blue as the overall background and turquoise for the background of the text, 'Welcome Nugget' that is diagonally written from left to right in the middle of the tin. Surmounting this is 'TC Williams Cos' and underneath is 'High Grade Tobacco'. The bottom half of the lid has in scroll work 'Manufactured in Virginia U.S.A' surmounted by 'Flake Cut'. In the bottom right hand corner is a circle with a turquoise outline, yellow background and written in blue writing is 'T.C. Williams Cos Welcome Nugget Virginia U.S.A'. Scratched into the lid is 'FILMS'. The inside of the lid has black writing 'T.C. Williams Co's, High Grade Tobacco, Welcome Nugget, Manufactured in Virginia, U.S.A'. The base of the tin reads 'Caution Notice The manufactures of the tobacco herein contained have complied with all the requirements of law. Any person packing or using this empty tin for the sale of any article will be prosecuted. None genuine with out the seal.'

This tin is associated with the service of 5798 Gunner (Gnr) Maurice Charles Thompson, 2 Field Artillery Brigade, of Ascot Vale, Melbourne. Prior to enlistment, Thompson had served with the Victorian Volunteer Artillery, Albert Park Battery, and was a keen amateur photographer. He enlisted into the First AIF on 12 July 1915, and embarked for service overseas from Melbourne aboard HMAT Nestor on 11 October 1915. After a period of training in Egypt, he moved with his unit to France in May 1916. On 9 April 1918, Gnr Thompson was severely wounded in an early morning shell attack on his billet. He died later the same day at the 15th Casualty Clearing Station at Ebblinghem, aged 25. Among the effects found on his body was a 'Welcome Nugget' tobacco tin containing 89 negatives. Taken with a Kodak Vest Pocket Autographic Camera, most of the photographs related to his time in Egypt and Alexandria. Sadly, these were the only photographs of Thompson’s to survive; the rest of his personal effects were lost when a separate ship carrying his kit was sunk by a German submarine.