I had basically gotten out of collecting Japanese helmets, but when I saw this one I jumped on it. I thought the kanji might lend a clue to its origin, and the battleship grey paint under the khaki was very appealing to me. The only drawback is that the anchor badge has cracked for some reason.
The writing inside the helmet, as indicated on another thread, reads "Toku Yoko 96" which translates into "Special Yoko(suka?) 96". I had another IJN helmet with this symbol for the Yokosuka Naval Base, so this seems to be the likely candidate for the abbreviation.
It is stamped with what I am told is a Kure naval base stamp on the leather. There are symbols stamped into the inside metal rim, but they are barely legible. I can try to get better pics of these if this is of interest.
I appreciate any and all comments on this piece.
Cheers,
Scott
The writing inside the helmet, as indicated on another thread, reads "Toku Yoko 96" which translates into "Special Yoko(suka?) 96". I had another IJN helmet with this symbol for the Yokosuka Naval Base, so this seems to be the likely candidate for the abbreviation.
It is stamped with what I am told is a Kure naval base stamp on the leather. There are symbols stamped into the inside metal rim, but they are barely legible. I can try to get better pics of these if this is of interest.
I appreciate any and all comments on this piece.
Cheers,
Scott
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