Australian Comforts Fund bag : Sapper J L Aitken, 6th Field Company Engineers, AIF

White cotton drawstring bag. On the front is printed 'AUSTRALIAN COMFORTS FUND'; above is 'J.L.A' written in black ink.

This Australian Comforts Funds bag belonged to Sapper John Leighton Aitken who served with the 6th Field Company Engineers (FCE) during the First World War.

Aitken was born on 4 January 1895 in Sydney and was working as a surveyor's assistant when he enlisted on 23 October 1916, as a sapper with the service number 16949. On 10 February 1917 he left Sydney for England on board SS Osterley. After further training in England, he joined the 6th FCE on the Western Front and was promoted to lance corporal.

In 1919, after the war, Aitken attended a surveyor's school in England, completing his final exams on the voyage back to Australia. In Sydney, he established the surveying partnership of Gilliam and Aitken.

During the Second World War Aitken again volunteered to serve. On 19 March 1942 he enlisted in the Volunteer Defence Corps. He received the service number N390822 and served as a sapper with the 28th Battalion VDC Engineers.

The following March Aitken enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force with the service number 127363 and completed officer training at Point Cook, Victoria. He went on to serve in the South West Pacific, where he was involved in airfield construction. Aitken was discharged from 5th Airfield Construction Squadron on 21 March 1946 with the rank of flying officer.