IJA Bringback Helmet from Iwo Jima Help With Kanji Translation Greatly Appreciated

[LetsGo82nd]

This is my most recent Japanese helmet acquisition. I have noticed that these Japanese helmets always seem to come with a neat surprise of some kind. There is no documentation to support the Iwo Jima story but that is the story that came from the family of the veteran when the helmet was purchased. I am hoping some of the Kanji on this helmet might helmet to confirm or deny this. Inside the helmet is fitted with the correct Army style liner and it looks to me as if the chinstraps were cut off on the battle field when the helmet was recovered. When I went to look for the liner date which is a 14 I noticed that there was another set of Kanji present and the numbers 103 along with some mud! Help with the translation of the Kanji would be greatly appreciated. I am hoping that it might be some kind of unit identification which might help place this helmet on Iwo Jima. Here are the pictures and thanks for the help. -Jeremy

[LetsGo82nd]

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[blinky]

The writing on the rim appears to be a name, Ito(o).

I'm not sure about the liner, it reads migarimo.....or morigami if read from left to right....which is a name as well.

Interesting helmet, perhaps it was issued to one man and later to a second.

[Der Texaner]

You might approach it from the direction of researching the vet who brought it back. I think you would have better luck. See if you can find his service record, if his unit was ever on Iwo Jima. If it was, I'd feel better about it. But most people who don't know too much about the wars have always heard about Iwo Jima, so it is the first thing that comes to mind if you are a non collector trying to "embellish". Great looking helmet btw, congratulations.

[LetsGo82nd]

Thanks guys for the help on this one. The helmet was an indirect purchase from the family so unfortunately I don't think there is any chance of researching the US veteran. I only have the story that came with it. -Jeremy

[Papa Nambu]

The mud you cleaned out might have been the real proof of where it was from if you had a geologist look at it.

[LetsGo82nd]

The mud you cleaned out might have been the real proof of where it was from if you had a geologist look at it.

I didn't clean any of the mud out. It is still exactly as I got it, mud undisturbed. That idea might be worth a shot. Thanks. -Jeremy

[Der Texaner]

Might sound like a weird question, but any indication of black sand in the mud, or black sand trapped anywhere in the helmet?

[LetsGo82nd]

Might sound like a weird question, but any indication of black sand in the mud, or black sand trapped anywhere in the helmet?

That is what I was hoping for also but it just looks like brown mud to me. -Jeremy

[LetsGo82nd]

The writing on the rim appears to be a name, Ito(o).

I'm not sure about the liner, it reads migarimo.....or morigami if read from left to right....which is a name as well.

Interesting helmet, perhaps it was issued to one man and later to a second.

Underneath the writing on the front rim there appears to be another name in Kanji so I think the chances of this helmet being owned by more than one soldier are good. -Jeremy

[Der Texaner]

Might not hurt to get a bit of the mud, pulverize it and look at it under a microscope or very good magnifying glass.