Personal Flag?

[Brian R]

Hi Guys - Forgive me if this is a pretty elementary question, but I am way out of my league with Japanese items.

This cloth was brought back by my grandfather - he was a combat engineer in the 1st Marine Division. He saw action at Okinawa and did occupation duty in China. I'm guessing this is some kind of personal flag he got off a casualty or prisoner (or even traded for it of found it). It seems to have specific phrases on it, as I see similarities to the characters posted by Nick in this thread...

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=493366

Can you guys help me understand what this is?

Thanks,
Brian

[GHP]

Not a personal "flag," just a piece of material with the unit name and owner of whatever it was attached to (sword?)

第百十八師団工兵隊
Dai Hyaku-jū-hachi Shidan Kōheitai
No. 118th Division Engineer Battalion

陸軍少尉 山田 ...
Rikugun Shōi Yamada
Army 2nd Lieut Yamada [the given name is to faint to read].


--Guy

[Brian R]

Guy - This is very helpful. Thank you!

He brought home a handful of items which I always assumed were from his occupation duties. The best items were two samurai swords. I always wanted them, and asked him for them for years as a kid in the 1980s. But, he, or my step-grandmother, ultimately sold them. Somewhere I do have the slip of paper that detailed them as bring-backs, so I'm guessing this cloth was with them at some point too.

Thanks again
Brian

[GeorgeP]

I would imagine he received it while in China, maybe off of one of the two swords you mentioned The 118th Div. was activated in North China area in 1944 and was identified as part of the Mongolian Garrison Army in late 1945 (per Underwood OOB). Don't know the size of the engineer unit, but I would imagine small considering these types of divisions were infantry battalion heavy.


Tom

[Brian R]

Yup, here's one of the other items...