Japanese army cap early prototype

[Remka]

Hello everyone,

I just got this cap from the Japanese army. It seems to me that this is a prototype that was very little distributed in the early 30s during the camp of Manchuria.
This is a rare model, there is a presentation on this site: http://www.roswitha.jp/nishiyubou(1).html

Do you have more information on this type of course? Also an estimate of its value?

Best regards.

[GHP]

That site writes:


椀帽・わんぼう
略帽が使用される前に満州で一部の部隊で試作品として装備されました。

非常に希少で滅多に資料館でも見られません。陸軍中尉の行李の中から出て来ました。

満州事変から弟二次上海事変頃の写真の中に
椀帽を被った兵士（おそらく衛生兵）の写真がありました。


"Wanbō" [Bowl-cap]
Issued as a prototype to some units in Manchuria before the hat was generally issued.

Very rare and rarely seen in archives. It came from the wicker trunk of an Army first lieutenant.

There is a photo taken from the Manchurian Incident ~ Second Shanghai Incident time period of a soldier (most likely a medic) wearing this cap.




--Guy

[GHP]

Nick Komiya says this cap is not a prototype, but a "B-specification Substitute"

He has written a comprehensive article about the The Development of the Army Field Cap (1932-1938).

Also, he states that the name "Wanbō [bowl cap" was used only for the rabbit fur cap.



--Guy

[lorre]

Imo a felt cap exclusively issued to rear-echelon troops within Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Pity the interior is missing.

[GHP]

Imo a felt cap exclusively issued to rear-echelon troops within Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Pity the interior is missing.

Yes. According to Nick:

There was a question raised about the field cap variation made out of pressed felt, so I will explain what those were. In one word, I should say that it is the field cap version of the so-called Type 3 officer’s sword (or more accurately the 1940 variant of the officer’s sword). It was conceived roughly at the same time for the same reasons as the sword.

The massive mobilization for the China Incident brought shortages of various items in 1937. As a result of this, the army had to devise fallback plans in the form of substitute materials that could be used. The substitute of uniform wool was felt made out of rabbit hair, which Japan didn’t seem to lack so badly. So they decided to make use of the felt for field caps. These are called Wan-bo (pronounced like “one”) by collectors in Japan as they are shaped like the wooden bowl for soup and is a cap shaped by pressing instead of sewing panels together. These were not prototypes, but a poor man’s version field cap issued to troops within home territory only (including Taiwan and Korea). Everyone else in China, Manchuria, Northern Territories and officer candidates were to be issued the proper standard woolen caps according to Army Ordinance 1389 issued on 1st May 1939. In May 1940 the 6th Tank Regiment and 3rd Antiaircraft Gun Regiment got issued the caps followed in July 1940, by the students at the Kumagaya flight school. On 9th August 1941, Army Ordinance 1740 again confirmed that felt caps were to be issued to home territory troops only, until inventory was exhausted. They likely used up what was left of the felt caps within 1941.


Post #6

[GHP]

I have to correct an error I made:

Nick Komiya says this cap is not a prototype, but a "B-specification Substitute"

He has written a comprehensive article about the The Development of the Army Field Cap (1932-1938).

Also, he states that the name "Wanbō [bowl cap]" was used only for the rabbit fur cap.

The way I wrote that highlighted passage makes it sound like a different hat was called "wanbo" -- what Nick actually wrote is, "...That was only the nickname for the rabbit fur felt field caps only issued to inland rear line troops...."


Sorry for confusing anyone.




--Guy

[Jareth]

I agree with above. Not a prototype & it's missing it's liner. White stripe is a first for me! There's one for sale on a dealers site languishing at $595.

[Remka]

Hello,

Thank you all for your answers and help.

Best regards.

[Remka]

So to summarize,

This cap made of rabbit fur felt and which was nicknamed "Wanbō", was distributed in 1937 due to a shortage of materials during the invasion of China. They were only distributed to the soldiers present on the territory (Japan, Korea, Taiwan) until the exhaustion of the stocks, around 1941.

So this model of cap is rare, I guess it was not produced in large quantities.

[Remka]

This one, is a good cap in very good condition and the star has been removed?
? Or is it a copy?

[lorre]

i d'ont like it. how could it be that the chinstrap is so used as the rest is nearly mint. And a Strange cuttingline of the cap.