Welcome fazakerley.
That's a really cool artifact indeed.
It'd be very difficult to positively identify if all the markings are gone, if the silver ferrule was still in place it would make it easier.
I did a brief write up about Digger tobacco which you may find interesting,
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/a-very-short-history-of-players-digger-tobacco-gtimage-heavy
...and this is a good WW2 thread with pix of soldiers smoking pipes,
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/wwii-and-tobacco-pipe-smoking
Here's an exhumed WW1 Australian soldier's pipe,
...but I like yours better.
That's a really cool artifact indeed.
It'd be very difficult to positively identify if all the markings are gone, if the silver ferrule was still in place it would make it easier.
I did a brief write up about Digger tobacco which you may find interesting,
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/a-very-short-history-of-players-digger-tobacco-gtimage-heavy
...and this is a good WW2 thread with pix of soldiers smoking pipes,
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/wwii-and-tobacco-pipe-smoking
Here's an exhumed WW1 Australian soldier's pipe,

...but I like yours better.
