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Flags trophies and personal property


Ian B3HR2UH

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An American Army regulation bought in on 6th Dec 1948 prohibited the return to the United States of enemy equipment other than one sword and one pistol . A number of letters requesting permission to take more swords back to the States are contained in the file,  Flags trophies and personal property which is amongst the digitized occupation force documents at the National Diet library . The amount of stuff  that some men were returning with is staggering.

 

For example Brig. Gen Beaslay sought permission to take back a sword and sabre formerly owned by Lt Gen Ito surrendered about Oct 1945 as well as approximately1000 small pieces of miscellaneous sword furniture from destroyed swords and knives.

 

Major Slade sought to take back six modern swords , ten matchlock muskets , seventeen other guns, six mounted swords , four blades in shirasaya including a 600 year old blade by Bizen Morikage as well as a Kamakura era Ken sword .

 

Captain Gaunt was returning with a sword some daggers and 140 Japanese sword guards the majority of which were obtained from ordinance collecting points for Japanese weapons as well as 100 assorted metal decorations used on old swords 85 % of which were obtained at ordinance points with the rest being purchased at Japanese shops . Lt Col Williamson had eight swords including a Kanemoto , Tadatsuna and a Yasutsuna . Captain Johnson was only taking back three swords but these included a Kunitoshi that was described as a class A sword .

 

Perhaps the most interesting haul was that of Sgt Torazo Hikida . The sergeant said he was a member of the Society for Preservation of Art Swords National Museum Ueno Park . He was asking permission to take back eight swords including , a Rai Kunimitsu, kanemitsu , Tadahiro , Naotane katana , Naoe Shizu Kaneuji , a Norishige tanto and an Enju Kunisuke.

 

Has anyone ever heard about what became of the Sergeants swords or indeed has anyone ever come across one of these large collections bought back from Japan after the war  . Regrettably the largest group I have come across was only three

 

Ian Brooks

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Good info. Seems obvious that there were some astute members of the army that knew full well the art aspect of Japanese swords, and the value of good fittings, and were gathering what they could. I expect the fittings they were acquiring must have been visually excellent. Can you imagine the power to go through thousands of swords and cherry pick whatever you want to take?

Wow.

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In the early 1990's I purchased a collection from the widow of an army officer.  As I recall he was Colonel Henry.  The collection was primarily fittings with several swords.  The colonel was deceased but his widow told me that the colonel and other officers were allowed to go into a storage room and remove the fittings from swords. There collection contained about 50 sets of fuchi kashira , a similar number of menuki sets, a few kozuka and kogai but no tsuba. Many of the fuchi kashira still had remnants of the ito.  The quality was very mixed, a few quality items but mostly run of the mill.  The swords were mounted but of mediocre quality and condition. 

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I obviously can't speak conclusively for what may have happened to other collections brought home after WWII. However, I can say what occurred with my Fathers collection (An 11th Airborne Sgt). He brought home several swords and bayonets, some of which I never saw, but according to my Mother he gave some away as gifts to friends and other family members. Those of which he kept eventually ended up in the possession of my brothers and myself.

 

I suppose it is possible some of the collections mentioned in Mr. Brooks post could still be intact, but suspect they most likely have gone the way of my Fathers, disseminated amongst friends and family through the years...

 

Dave M.

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I've been collecting militaria since I was 6, and have seen quite a few collections in my hometown broke up from both theatres. The best was a Battle of the Bulge grouping that retained a few items, most notably a dated Fallschirmjager smock and an SS smock, taken straight from the depot. There was a P38 and a K98 at one point, but was taken by the family along with other things for the sake of sentimentality (sold individually).

 

As for swords, I've only seen a few groupings. I bought a Type 95 and a Kai Gunto that had been lying in a garage for 57 years. Another collection of swords was given to a random auction house and broken up. With my family doing estate sales, there was a China Marine vet with another sword. This was taken by the family before I have a chance to buy it. This was after the contract was signed that all items not included in the sale was taken from the estate.

 

This happens everywhere and I'm sure many vets would rather have their family sell their pick-ups, with many others hoping it would stay. But most seem to be sold for less than their worth to buy games or other items that lasted a short time to please their tastes. It's their right, but a lot of it goes to greed.

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I had the opportunity last year to buy a tosogu collection similar to what Dale was offered, minus any blades. What was sad was that the seller bought the collection in one of those storage auctions, & the entire unit sold for $150. I sure don't want my collection going, like that!

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