This mess tin could have accompanied former prisoner of war (POW) Albert Riley throughout his journey from England through Canada, South Africa, India and finally to Singapore, as suggested by the maker's mark (Sellham & Hill Ltd) as well as the names of various countries engraved on the mess tin. The other engravings on the mess tin include floral motifs, tropical scene with a coconut tree, the years spent in Changi, and several names of his compatriots who became POWs on 15 February 1942. Albert Riley held the rank of Private in the 196 Field Ambulance unit (part of the Royal Army Medical Corps) and he arrived in Singapore on 29 January 1942 with his unit to help the wounded soldiers. With the fall of Singapore, Riley was held captive as a prisoner of war in Changi, and was sent to work on the Burma-Thailand Railway in 1943, but managed to survive the imprisonment and hardship to return to Changi. He eventually returned home to Britain after the surrender of the Japanese.
