Help with IJN vs SNLF hat?

[cricket]

Looking to get some help identifying this hat. I do not collect Japanese headgear but have recently acquired a few pieces and want to know what I have. I've done a little research and see that there is quite a difference in price/scarcity between a regular IJN hat and a SNLF hat. Can anyone tell me what this one is (what the writing etc. is) and an approximate value?? Thanks in advance for any help.

[GHP]

Flight Mechanic Hat

I have difficulty clearly seeing the writing on the tag and have to get clues from parts of kanji; however, I *THINK* it originally was issued to:

土居 明
Doi Akira

呉志整四三五三
Kure-Volunteer-Flight Mechanic-4353

See Nick Komiya's explanations of IJN personal ID numbers here in the WAF pinned article.

Issued in August 1943 from the Yokosuka Stores.


The name on the outside is to a man named Satoh
サトウ
Satō
in kanji that would be:佐藤



--Guy

[cricket]

Guy,
Thank you for that fantastic info!! So if I'm following it was issued around 1943 to a flight mechanic?

[GHP]

Guy,
Thank you for that fantastic info!! So if I'm following it was issued around 1943 to a flight mechanic?

That's what it looks like to me; with perhaps a reissue to a feller named Satō -- therefore the name outside the cap.


--Guy

[Jareth]

Collectors really only acknowledge one field cap as true SNLF. That's an early green wool cap with leather chinstrap , cheese cloth liner with sewn in label & a two piece felt yellow anchor on green oval. All other caps should be considered NAVY unless some handwritten owners kanji points to SNLF or NLF usage. SNLF, NLF & navy shared/issued many of the same items.

[cricket]

Thank you both for the quick replies. I'm excited it's flight related as that's more my area of interest, It would be nice to be able to tie it to a carrier.

Thanks again...