Dug Relics from Recent Trip to Okinawa

[Doug See]

Excellent project. Thank you for sharing these photos and for doing the right thing with the remains. I know a Marine who was there in a tank unit who will be interested in this page. I'll forward the link to him. This is the type of posting that makes this forum worth visiting.

[speedy101]

Relic's from Okinawa

I have heard my dad say that when he was in the South Pacific, that when they had to clean up a battlefeild in a hurry and then move on that they often would put small arms and weapons and other equipment in the shell holes or foxholes that might be nearby and cover them up. I can see where there would be places like that, and with caves and such there would be a lot of relics scattered on the different islands. You have a good report here and interesting artifact's.

[Josh Beckett]

What happened to the belt and pouches?

[Aave Johns]

SW Pacific

Hi Gents
I have done a couple of deployments in the SW Pacific and there is stuff everywhere, but the tropical weather and time have taken its toll. In the Solomon Islands you literally only had to walk off a side road and you would stumble across some relic of war. There is still lots of old explosive ordnance, and even some of the militants there were still running around with old M1 rifles and carbines. Unfortunately, from a collectors POV, they hit them with a gas axe, thus they were lost to our hobby forever.

Regards;

Johnsy

[Josh Beckett]

What kind of stuff did you see?

[Aave Johns]

What kind of stuff did you see?

I guess this was aimed at me?
Mainly old ordnance, helmets (very poor condition), the rubbish of war like old ration tins, bottles, ammo clips. Nothing really worth taking as it was all damaged. There is a battle-field tour run out of Honiera, but us "white-fellas" weren't to welcome at the time.
I have been to islands were there are old tanks and aircraft, but again, time (and the jungle) are reclaiming these relics.
When I was in Kupang in West Timor (prior to our despute with Indosnesia) we had a look at some old tunnel systems there, but there are no relics to speak of. Unlike the islanders in the SW Pacific, they are not superstious of touching the stuff, so anything left behind by either the Japanese or Allied forces is long gone and been put to use elsewhere. I would imagine any helmets left here would have been hammered into woks. I went to Kupang seven times, and we only realised on the last visit that there was a tunnel right next to the bar we drank at.

Off topic, when I was serving with the patrol boat squadron we went to the Montebello Island group off the West Australian coast. While we were there I went over to Trimoulle Island for a wander around. Besides hundreds of turtle skeletons there are old Spitfire frames and Merlin engines, bunkers and all types of military junk. This is where they carried out Operation Hurricane, the testing of an atom bomb in 1952. I went over the island to the bay were they set it off and stood at ground zero. If you look back toward the east from there you can see a fault line from the shock wave. That was a really interesting day for me, no one else seemed interested so I spent a pleasant few hours by myself looking around before going back to the cramped confines of a Fremantle PB. I would have liked to souvenier something, but you can't take metal objects off the island due to radiation hazard. I should have taken a turtle skull, regret not doing that.

Regards;

Johnsy

[Josh Beckett]

So you havent grown a third arm yet? Were they mainly japanese helmets you saw?

[Aave Johns]

So you havent grown a third arm yet? Were they mainly japanese helmets you saw?

The third arm is coming in very handy !!

Yes, mainly Japanese helmets, I can't recall seeing any US helmets.

Regards;

Johnsy

[Ryukyutunnelrat]

Were you able to disarm the grenades and Knee mortar rounds and bring them home with you?

I did not disarm any muntions because there is no way to sent them back with me during my trips to Okinawa. I did disarm some Japanese grenades when I lived there a few years ago. The ones pictures were dug up and are completely Inert. Pictured is a Type 97, Type 91 Transitional with small welds around the top and base so that it could no longer be used in a Knee Mortar, Type 99 and Stick Grenade pulled out of the mud at the beginning of the year. Also pictured are two American Grenades that were recovered at Sugar Loaf Hill, these were put together from different pieces (spoon, pull ring, fuse and shell) that were recovered at the base of the hill (only reason I even handled these) and well marked.

[Ryukyutunnelrat]

American canteen and cup dug up and found with a metal detector on Hacksaw Ridge on my last trip

[Ryukyutunnelrat]

Here is a picture of a Type 92 Heavy Machine Gun that was dug up on Camp Foster, Okinawa by Japanese construction crews and now displayed in my fathers Museum on Okinawa. Luckly the backhoe did not damage any parts and as you can see cleaned up very well.

[Ryukyutunnelrat]

close up of the flashhider still attached.

[Josh Beckett]

That thing still has some bluing on it, that is beautiful, they are in nice condition.

[Jareth]

David, thanks so much for posting! More photos...please!

[Ryukyutunnelrat]

Aloha again, now that I have a little time, thought I would post a few more pictures of my cave hunting trips to Okinawa. Enjoy
Yours truly smiling for the camera on Kunishi Ridge