Casualty Princess Mary Gift Box- 9th Lancashire Fusiliers

A 1914 PM Gift Box sent to the mother of 3142 Private Thomas Smith 9th Battalion The Lancashire Fusiliers. Thomas was born in Bolton. He was killed in action on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 7th August 1915 the day after the Landings at Suvla Bay. 1914 Tins were sent to the next of kin of those soldiers entitled to receive it but who did not survive to do so. The Casualty box consisted of the Box and Card although more complete gifts were sometimes sent depending on stocks. Each tin was sent with an accompanying slip from the soldier's regimental records office and contained in an outer card box. The box in this case is near perfect the card a little soiled and the Records slip is folded. I highly recommend Peter Doyle's book a seminal work on the history and categories of gift titled For Every Sailor Afloat Every Soldier at the Front.