British soldiers and the Japanese Sword

[Davis]

Hi

I once owned a yari that had been dug up from a WW1 battlefield in France and this makes me wonder how many British soldiers used/wore/carried Japanese weapons during the two World Wars. From memory and I stand to be corrected, I can recall three. WW1 Clement Milward/General Allenby. Post 1945 Field Marshal Festing. Also flipping the coin I can vaguely remember a European blade, polished and mounted in fine Meiji military mounts exhibited at the Ashmolean sometime in the sixties. Can anyone add more information? Unfortunately the references I once had are long gone.

Mick

[Geraint]

Hi Mick.

 

I believe there is a European dirk blade polished and mounted as a tanto in the Armouries at Leeds. I am sure that Ian will know much more.

 

All the best.

[Davis]

Hi

Glancing through Clive Sinclaire's excellent book Samurai Swords (p.8/9), I realise I should have also added the name of Captain Raymond Jonnes who carried a tachi in the trenches of northern France during the First World War.

Mick