SNLF cap with Kanji

[Leo2018]

This really took my eye, bleached out into a beautiful yellow green Colour.

It has kanji painted in white on the side and inside the cap in black

can anyone help with the kanji please.

Im told the yellow and black insignia on these is a bit of a rarity ?

looking forward to your thoughts and opinions

[Leo2018]

Closer look

[beretta1934]

Nice looking late war cap. Sorry its a normal IJN seaman's cap, not an issued SNLF cap - and that's an important distinction, not just semantics. If the translation revealed SNLF ownership then you could say it's a IJN seamans cap worn by a member of the SNLF - but nothing more.

It will be interesting to see what all the additional kanji on the inside reveals - not common to see that much, but it almost looks like the same stamped kanji repeated 3 times??

The front emblem is not rare, its just one pulled from the supply of front emblems that were surplus from when the navy had both summer caps (white cap with black anchor on white background patch) and winter caps (Black/dark blue cap with yellow anchor on a black background patch). When the newly made/issued caps shifted to only green (with a yellow anchor on a green background patch) the old patch inventory was not wasted but just randomly found and used till the supply exhausted. My favorite are the green caps with a white front cap patch - a beautiful contrast imo.

Your front bill looks a little unusual - it should have either 3 or 5 total rows of stitching that brings together and stiffens the bill cloth layers - maybe its the photos but I can't tell if there are any additional stitching rows - please add a detailed close up or just clarify

The chinstrap was made from a different lot of dyed material and a darker shade of green - another indicator of late war changes, like the loosening of standards for purely cosmetic issues due to severe empire wide material shortages. The threads on the inside that attach the chinstrap to the main body are the same color as the others used during the cap assembly so I have no reason to think this chin strap was added later

[Leo2018]

Thanks for the info !

The stitching is all the same colour as you said

here are some shots of the bill of the cap , it’s really stiff but I can’t see the lines you speak of

[Leo2018]

Also to add it has no vent holes, am I right to believe these where made in the Philippines ?

I’m sure I was looking at a thread about these caps and that these where not just the bog standard IJN caps

[RussellM]

I like this one, I have one with the same construction as this one, no stitching on the peak. Yellow on black insignia and two different colours of material, no vent holes. There is no stamp that I can see in mine, but it has kanji written inside and outside, and also a name stitched to the outside of the cap.

Regards

Russ

[Jareth]

Cap has loads of character! I agree that it’s just a navy cap. Sailors often had their own ink stamps with name etc. I believe that’s what your ink stamps will turn out to be. Bill of cap is very odd! Need to see interior photos of chinstrap attachment stitching.

[GHP]

Well, it's named to Tamura, but I sure cannot read his given name. The three stamps inside the cap are all his name:
村田＊志
Tamura ?~jin

I faintly see the issue date as 十九 (Showa 19; 1944)

-- Guy

[schwrz]

No such thing as an SNLF cap period. Made up term by collectors that don't understand the organization of the IJN.
Nonetheless a great looking cap. Such caps were standard issue but frequently observed in the hands of IJN infantry including SNLF towards the end of the war.

[imperialjapan]

Well, it's named to Tamura, but I sure cannot read his given name. The three stamps inside the cap are all his name:
村田＊志
Tamura ?~jin

I faintly see the issue date as 十九 (Showa 19; 1944)

-- Guy

Not Tamura... Murata.
The stamps (3 identical) also read Murata [?]. To be honest, the stamped final two characters are blurred. Could be two kanji that make up a personal name, but the pics are not clear enough to make a definitive ID.

[Leo2018]

Cap has loads of character! I agree that it’s just a navy cap. Sailors often had their own ink stamps with name etc. I believe that’s what your ink stamps will turn out to be. Bill of cap is very odd! Need to see interior photos of chinstrap attachment stitching.

I’ll get you those shots of the brim J

thanks for much for the help.

[Leo2018]

Not Tamura... Murata.
The stamps (3 identical) also read Murata [?]. To be honest, the stamped final two characters are blurred. Could be two kanji that make up a personal name, but the pics are not clear enough to make a definitive ID.

I’ll get some better shots for you

thanks for the kanji input ! Really helps brining it back to life imho

[Leo2018]

No such thing as an SNLF cap period. Made up term by collectors that don't understand the organization of the IJN.
Nonetheless a great looking cap. Such caps were standard issue but frequently observed in the hands of IJN infantry including SNLF towards the end of the war.

understood - and another lesson learned

Thankyou for correcting me

[Leo2018]

I like this one, I have one with the same construction as this one, no stitching on the peak. Yellow on black insignia and two different colours of material, no vent holes. There is no stamp that I can see in mine, but it has kanji written inside and outside, and also a name stitched to the outside of the cap.

Regards

Russ

thanks Russ
could you Post yours please for reference

[Leo2018]

Not Tamura... Murata.
The stamps (3 identical) also read Murata [?]. To be honest, the stamped final two characters are blurred. Could be two kanji that make up a personal name, but the pics are not clear enough to make a definitive ID.

hope this helps