Ditty box

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The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry came into existence through the merging of two separate regiments. These were the 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot and the 46th (South Devon) regiment of Foot. The 32nd began its life as a marine regiment, Fox's Marines, established in 1702. Meanwhile, the 46th was originally raised as John Price's Regiment of Foot in 1742, later becoming the 46th Regiment of Foot in 1751. This ditty box is an early relic of the regiment's history, having belonged to a Colonel Shaw and brought back by him from the 46th expedition to Havana, Cuba in 1762. A soldier would use this type of ditty box to carry their personal belongings, including letters and writing paper, ink, and pens.