Help Translating Name Tag and Interior Label

[cbuehler]

A very nice Navy name tag. I should point out here the usual error of calling the green Japanese Navy uniforms "NLF".
As I have often mentioned before, the SNLF was virtually defunct by the end of 1943 and the Navy introduced the green uniforms for all naval personel in that year as well.
The vast majority of Navy uniform items that collectors like to attribute to the NLF are in fact not.
All Naval personel were liable to become infantry towards the last years of the war, and that did indeed happen in most areas of the south west Pacific when seagoing crews had no more ships to be manned and Naval air units had no more planes to service.


CB

[Ryukyutunnelrat]

Hi CB,

You are absolutely right in regards to people calling any green Japanese Navy Uniforms "NLF." I probably should have posted the tunic along with the manufacture label I was asking to get translated. The photo below is a photo of the tunic that goes with the label. I think majority are in agreement that the three button navy tunics are most likely associated with Naval Landing Force as these were the only ones they are seen wearing. As for the Navy name tag, maybe calling it NLF was probably premature as these are seen sewn on the standard Navy green uniforms also. I used the sewn line on the tunic material to the NLF tunic I have and they matched BUT its up to interpretation I guess. Thanks for the post.

David.

[cbuehler]

Hi David,
Yes, that tunic you are showing is the only type of its kind we can attribute to the old NLF. It was of course replaced by the green tunic common to all in by the end of 1943.
I find that the "NLF" term is one of the most misunderstood and incorrectly used terms in the WW2 Japanese collectiing field. I was guilty of it for years until further research clarified the subject.
I think it actually stems all the way back to the war years when the term " Japanese Marines" etc. was incorrectly used in many contexts. There was also an aura of elitism attached to the NLF at the time, likely influenced by Tarawa.
In fact, the NLF, always a very small force, was not held in high regard by the Japanese Army, although that may be in part attributable to the well known rivalry between the Army and Navy.
The NLF was usually not very well equiped with arms and armaments, the best and most of which always went to the Army.
Cheers,

CB

[cbuehler]

Jareth,

I remember your set. Unfortunately these are two seperate pieces. I remember a special order that NLF uniforms were not to be taken as souvenirs by the GI's so I would think that they were cut off the uniforms for military intelligence, would make sense instead of taking the whole tunic.

Hey David,
I would be interested in knowing more of this order not to take uniforms. I have never heard of it (not that this means anything of course
If this order did exist, it would not likely have stopped many GIs from taking NLF uniforms or anything else they wanted

CB

[tarawa43]

Title tag

Hello Ryukyu Tunnelrat, would you ever sell the name tag or trade anything for it? Let me know