Japanese soldiers' identification tags

Discussions on all aspects of the Japanese Empire, from the capture of Taiwan until the end of the Second World War.
Post Reply
hysteric
Member
Posts: 105
Joined: 09 Apr 2015, 01:18
Location: North America

Re: Japanese soldiers' identification tags

#136

Post by hysteric » 20 Jun 2019, 06:30

Hi SignalCorpsLeonard,

You should be aware there is no surviving record of who carried tne tag, that information was destroyed in the field with his company's other documents.

Best to keep it, it's as much your family's heritage as anything else now. BTW, he was in the 6th Company (tag middle column), 16th Engineer Regiment.

hysteric

SignalCorpsLeonard
Member
Posts: 4
Joined: 15 Jun 2019, 18:31
Location: Madison, Wisconsin, USA

Re: Japanese soldiers' identification tags

#137

Post by SignalCorpsLeonard » 23 Jun 2019, 04:51

Thanks.


hysteric
Member
Posts: 105
Joined: 09 Apr 2015, 01:18
Location: North America

Re: Japanese soldiers' identification tags

#138

Post by hysteric » 15 Jan 2020, 22:38

I have a question about the significance of using katakana characters (ヘ, ホ, カ) on the following 5th Independent Mixed Regiment / 独立混成第5聯隊 tags.

Do they distinguish between each Company, instead of 1st Company, 2nd Company, etc.?
Occupations within the regiment?
5th Ind Mixed Regt 3 tags.jpg
5th Ind Mixed Regt 3 tags.jpg (120.44 KiB) Viewed 1203 times
Thanks,
hysteric

PhilFortman
New member
Posts: 1
Joined: 15 Mar 2020, 04:27
Location: Fort Lauderdale FL

Re: Japanese soldiers' identification tags

#139

Post by PhilFortman » 15 Mar 2020, 04:38

IMG_2531.JPG
I recently found this brass tag among my deceased father's items. During WW@, he was in a Marine air squadron on the island of Peleliu. Can anyone identify the information in engraved katakana characters.
IMG_2531.JPG (273.18 KiB) Viewed 1123 times
IMG_2531.JPG
I recently found this brass tag among my deceased father's items. During WW@, he was in a Marine air squadron on the island of Peleliu. Can anyone identify the information in engraved katakana characters.
IMG_2531.JPG (273.18 KiB) Viewed 1123 times

Jeromewaf
Banned
Posts: 38
Joined: 14 Mar 2020, 17:52
Location: Germany
Contact:

Japanese soldiers identification tags

#140

Post by Jeromewaf » 17 Mar 2020, 13:40

It could also be a marking used by a Japanese laundry during the US occupation. I have had US. Army uniforms in which this was done.

Maybe someone will translate the characters and shed more light.
<small>f.o.r.c.e. gmbh porsche original parts germany</small>

stulev
Member
Posts: 510
Joined: 14 Feb 2007, 15:54
Location: San Jose California

Re: Japanese soldiers' identification tags

#141

Post by stulev » 17 Mar 2020, 14:30

Code number 7746(top 4 characters on the right) is the from the 2nd Infantry Regiment witch was part of the 14th Division - this unit was on Palau
I must assume that the number 17 under the code number is the company number(?) - the left side is solder number 150

Jansob
Member
Posts: 2
Joined: 13 Oct 2020, 12:03
Location: Japan

Re: Japanese soldiers' identification tags

#142

Post by Jansob » 13 Oct 2020, 12:21

Hi there, my brother-in-law discovered some items his father apparently brought back from his time in the Pacific. He was not in touch with his dad for most of his life and knows very little about his service, other than that he was in the US Army and served in the Pacific. He doesn't even know if he was there during the fighting or the Occupation.
There are a couple of omamori, a neat folding omamori from a temple and a couple of private rank tabs. I am particularly interested in the ID tags, because they should tell the units the tags are from. From what I understand the numbers on the right side are coded references to units, and the center and left, subunit and soldier number. I also notice there is no kanji code...not sure what this means. The other tag, with the numbers running horizontally I have no clue about. Any info you can give would be highly appreciated.
Attachments
49738533-358A-4792-8A6D-69997D9EEAC6.jpeg

User avatar
Akira Takizawa
Member
Posts: 3343
Joined: 26 Feb 2006, 18:37
Location: Japan
Contact:

Re: Japanese soldiers' identification tags

#143

Post by Akira Takizawa » 13 Oct 2020, 16:05

Left top - 5640 (28th Cavalery Regiment - Miyako Jima, Iriomote Jima, Ishigaki Jima in Ryukyu Islands)
Bottom right - 5623 (36th Infantry Regiment - Mimamidaito Jima and Okinawa)
Bottom left - 10608 (105th Division Engineer Unit - Luzon)

He seems to have served in Luzon and Okinawa.

Taki

Jansob
Member
Posts: 2
Joined: 13 Oct 2020, 12:03
Location: Japan

Re: Japanese soldiers' identification tags

#144

Post by Jansob » 14 Oct 2020, 00:25

Wow, thanks so very much! We really don't know if he got these from someone else as souvenirs, or found them himself. The condition of the omamori gives me some hope that at least one of these guys made it back.

LineDoggie
Member
Posts: 1275
Joined: 03 Oct 2008, 21:06

Re: Japanese soldiers' identification tags

#145

Post by LineDoggie » 14 Oct 2020, 04:34

Jansob wrote:
14 Oct 2020, 00:25
Wow, thanks so very much! We really don't know if he got these from someone else as souvenirs, or found them himself. The condition of the omamori gives me some hope that at least one of these guys made it back.
The father may have served in the US 7th or 77th or 96th divisions as they fought in the Philippines and Okinawa campaigns
"There are two kinds of people who are staying on this beach: those who are dead and those who are going to die. Now let’s get the hell out of here".
Col. George Taylor, 16th Infantry Regiment, Omaha Beach

Underscore
Member
Posts: 2
Joined: 28 Dec 2020, 21:44
Location: Virginia, USA

Re: Japanese soldiers' identification tags

#146

Post by Underscore » 28 Dec 2020, 21:47

We recently found these among my grandfather’s possessions. Might we get some assistance in identifying them? Thanks!
Attachments
3BE7E0DC-930E-4D4F-8881-C32F77CDA487.jpeg

User avatar
Akira Takizawa
Member
Posts: 3343
Joined: 26 Feb 2006, 18:37
Location: Japan
Contact:

Re: Japanese soldiers' identification tags

#147

Post by Akira Takizawa » 04 Jan 2021, 13:07

Both were from the same unit, Arashi 934(?) unit. Arashi means 116th Division. But, such an unit code as 934 is not known.

Taki

User avatar
fontessa
Member
Posts: 4488
Joined: 25 Mar 2011, 17:29
Location: Yokohama, Japan

Re: Japanese soldiers' identification tags

#148

Post by fontessa » 04 Jan 2021, 14:12

Akira Takizawa wrote:
04 Jan 2021, 13:07
Both were from the same unit, Arashi 934(?) unit. Arashi means 116th Division. But, such an unit code as 934 is not known.

Taki
Isn't it was 風 Kaze, not 嵐 Arashi?
風 was the 兵団文字符 Unit Code Letter of 陸軍航空本部 Army Air Administration HQ. 風934 seems to have be deactivated before the war.

fontessa

stulev
Member
Posts: 510
Joined: 14 Feb 2007, 15:54
Location: San Jose California

Re: Japanese soldiers' identification tags

#149

Post by stulev » 04 Jan 2021, 14:40

I make the lower one to be KAZE 9314 My list shows that it is KAZE and is the 13 Field Air Repair Depot

the top one I make as 7314 that should be HIROSHI for the 58th Division BUT IS NOT

User avatar
Akira Takizawa
Member
Posts: 3343
Joined: 26 Feb 2006, 18:37
Location: Japan
Contact:

Re: Japanese soldiers' identification tags

#150

Post by Akira Takizawa » 04 Jan 2021, 16:43

fontessa wrote:
04 Jan 2021, 14:12
Isn't it was 風 Kaze, not 嵐 Arashi?
風 was the 兵団文字符 Unit Code Letter of 陸軍航空本部 Army Air Administration HQ.
But, such a central unit as 陸軍航空本部 used ID tag? It located in Japan and never fought in the front.

Taki

Post Reply

Return to “Japan at War 1895-1945”