Engraved shell case : Captain A M Garbett, Headquarters, 1 Australian Light Horse Brigade, AIF

German 77 mm shell casing that has been intricately engraved with pictures and Egyptian style hieroglyphs. The pictures and hieroglyphs are done in rings, one on top of the other and cover the entirety of the shell's casing.

The base of the shell shows evidence of having been fired. Stamped on the primer cap is 'C/12' and surrounding the cap is stamped 'PATRONENFABRIK / KARLSRUHE'. A date of production is also stamped into the base of the shell '20 / APR / 1916'.

Associated with the service of Captain Alan Montague Garbett, who was born in Maryborough, Queensland on 5 February 1892. Garbett was working as a farmer when the First World War began. He enlisted on 30 August 1914 and was posted as a trooper with the service number 203 to the 1st Australian Light Horse Regiment (1 ALH).

Garbett embarked from Sydney with the regiment aboard HMAT A16 Star of Victoria on 20 October, disembarking in Egypt on 8 December. Garbett was promoted to corporal on 9 May 1915 and arrived on Gallipoli with 1 ALH Regiment on 12 May. The unit was involved in largely defensive actions over the next few months. It is unclear if Garbett took part in his regiment's disastrous attack on the Turkish trenches at the Chessboard during the August offensive, but he was evacuated to Heliopolis on 17 August, suffering from dysentery.

He returned to Gallipoli in November and was promoted to sergeant later in the month. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant on 8 December and was evacuated from Gallipoli with his regiment on 20 December. After returning to Egypt in January 1916, 1 ALH became a part of the ANZAC Mounted Division and was sent to patrol the Nile valley which was under threat from pro-Turkish Senussi Arabs.

Garbett was promoted to lieutenant in April and moved with his regiment to the Suez Canal to assist in repelling the Turkish thrust towards the canal. He was involved in the battle at Romani on 4 August, where Turkish forces were turned back. He was made acting regimental adjutant on 8 October and stayed in this position until 21 December. Garbett was involved in the regiment's advance across the Sinai and the battles at Maghdaba and Rafa in late December.

In late January 1917, Garbett was posted to the School of Instruction at Zeitoun for a two week course. He rejoined his unit on 18 February and in early March, was posted to join the ANZAC Mounted Division Headquarters. Garbett was promoted to temporary captain and posted to join the staff of 1 Australian Light Horse Brigade in early April. He remained there until January 1918, when he was seconded to the Desert Mounted Corps HQ. He was promoted to captain in March.

He applied for and was granted leave to return to Australia in May to attend to family matters and get married. He left for Australia in early July, disembarking in Sydney in August. Garbett re-embarked for service in the Middle East at the end of September, arriving back in Egypt following the Armistice. He was seconded to the headquarters of the Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division Training Regiment, remaining in this role until April 1919, when he embarked once again for Australia. He arrived home in June and was discharged from the AIF in July.

During the Second World War, Garbett again enlisted, serving from February 1941 until April 1944. He served with the 2nd Tank Battalion in Australia and retired with the rank of captain.