Trench art copper tray made from dome of Cape Helles Lighthouse, Dardanelles

According to the Australian War Memorial, the 1st Light Horse Regiment was raised in August 1914 at Rosebury Park in Sydney from recruits from New South Wales. It was one of three regiments of the 1st Light Horse Brigade - the first mounted formation committed by Australia in World War One The regiment sailed from Sydney on 19 October and disembarked in Egypt on 8 December.

The light horse were initially considered unsuitable for the Gallipoli operation, but were soon deployed without their horses to reinforce the infantry. The 1st Light Horse Regiment landed on 12 May 1915 and was attached to the New Zealand and Australian Division. It played a defensive role for most of the campaign but mounted an attack on the Turkish position known as "the Chessboard" as part of the August Offensive on 7 August - 200 men were involved, 147 became casualties. The regiment left Gallipoli on 21 December 1915.

The AWM has other examples of copper trench art items said to be made from the copper dome of the lighthouse at Cape Helles, which was destroyed by shell fire from the British destroyers HMS 'Prince of Wales' and 'London' during the landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915.

A cottage industry of trench art ashtrays made from the copper of the Helles lighthouse dome appears to have been established by a member of the 29th (British) Division, with a number of ashtrays with similar inscriptions being produced. One such ashtray identified the maker of most of them as Battery Sergeant E H Cleall, 14th Siege Battery, 29 Division. M.E.F., and that he was operating in the vicinity of the lighthouse remains. The buyers of the ashtrays were able to have them personalised or decorated, for a small additional fee, by the addition of their name, unit details or patriotic motifs.

Most other trench art trays seen are circular with the impressed letters added using a steel punch, and therefore clearer and easier to read. This particular tray may have been made by the soldier himself or another vendor less proficient than Sergeant Cleall.
It has not yet been possible to identify a Private Aird who served with the 1st Light Horse in January 1916.