Type 4 Grenade (& civil defense helmets)

[Staldion]

Hi,
Very interesting many thanks for opening this thread. Il heard civil defense helmets were used on chineese front but without much evidence I was quite reluctant about it.

Just one question, are you sure this young man was a soldier, rather than a japanese civilian on Iwo? Farmer, worker, student, I think everyone was thrown in to defend theese last islands before homeland.

If you were on Iwo or Oki in order to colonise and work for feeding the japanese economy, would you have been issued with civilian defense items? Then during the invasion did the army gave everyone a couple of grenades to attack and suicide ... or both?

The last battles were the bloodiest for civilians because of the number of japanese settlers effraid by what they were told about americans. Don't forget the military saw the 100 million japanese as soldiers then, teens, women, no exception.

I didn't see the footage, did you saw an arisaka, à bayo or something else on him or just à helmet and bag? Amazing pictures anyway, I believe you still can found ceramic shrapnels in the ground of theese islands.

[GeorgeP]

That is really cool footage! My grandfather brought back a Type 4 from Iwo Jima. I have it in my collection now. He was a photographer in the AAC and took a ton of photos while on Iwo. I will go through the negatives that I have later this year to see if these and/or the civil defense helmets pop up.

Tom

[RodneyO]

Hi All, sorry for the late response… had limited access and didn’t want to be on the free wiFi at the Aulani Hotel to long.

Hi burb1989, I really like the camo-helmet covers used during the Vietnam War with graffiti’s and cigarettes tucked under the elastic band. Please post your CD helmet you got from the navy corpsman on Okinawa. Is it complete with liner and chinstrap and what type of insignia if any is on the front? Can I find your dad’s stuff in the US forum section?

Hi Staldion, I’ve read that the civilians were evacuated from Iwo Jima in 1944. On Okinawa, civilians were forced to fight with the Japanese Army, students “Blood and Iron Corps” and the young women and girls were organized into the Himeyuri Nurse Corps.
That’s the only footage I found and couldn’t see any bayonet (scabbard) or ammo pouch(s) on him. Maybe he was ordered to drop his ammo belt before they searched his haversack.

Hi Tom, Great souvenirs from your grandfather!! Please post your grandfather’s Type 4 grenade (that would make a nice display on Iwo with burb1989’s CD helmet from Okinawa!!). With tons of negatives, there should be (I hope) one photo of a civil defense helmet or Type 4 grenade being used on Iwo. With all that negatives, it would make a great illustration book on the battle of Iwo Jima.

[GeorgeP]

Sure, once I get back to the States I will see if I can get a few photos up.


Tom

[RodneyO]

Thank Tom, can't wait to see them. Have a safe trip back home!!

[burb1989]

Hey Rodney. My helmet doesn't have a liner but it has a chinstrap that looks like it was a boot lace at some point but not recently. It doesn't have an insignia anymore on it since the star had broken off at some point forty years ago and it was lost. As to my dad's stuff most of it is in older posts but my dad's vc flag might be in a more recent post but I can't remember which one. You might have to search my username for all my posts and replies. Mostly I posted his items in the Indochina forum section. I got some pictures of my CD helmet that I can post when I get home later.

[burb1989]

Here's my CD helmet Rodney. It's a bit rough and you can see where it leaned against something for a while.

[burb1989]

Here's the interior of my helmet. I'm not sure if the stains on the chinstrap are rust spots or blood stains but it is no less a great piece to have

[RodneyO]

Thanks burb1989 for posting your civil defense helmet !... The CD helmet you have has the provenance from the Battle of Okinawa whereas the one I posted (shells only) is from an antique shop here in Hawaii. Wished I had a story behind ever item I pick up…….
I’ll search for your dad’s Vietnam War items.

[VPEP]

Im sorry I found this thread a year and a half too late but it si extremely interesting since I am now looking for a Japanese helmet. I think the jacket he is wearing is a kesenfuku. The slant of the breast pockets and wooden looking buttons have me leaning toward this type of coat which seems to fit with the use of the civil defense helmet.