Battle of Manila

[Christine]

Maybe not appropriate for this forum, but after learning a bit about the matchlock gun my father-in-law acquired in post war Japan, I started watching YouTube videos and surfing the internet for information about his other war stories and memorabilia from the Pacific theater.  He at one time had three swords he said were samurai swords he picked up during the battle of Manila.  He earned 4 Purple Hearts so saw much battle with the Japanese.  One awful story he told was how he came upon a Japanese soldier who had lined up nuns and was beheading them.  He shot the soldier and took the sword.  He and my husband always thought they were real samurai swords but my reading about them after joining this site reveals they weren’t. Regardless,  I wish we still had them.  Unfortunately, during his many moves in the military they disappeared.  

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks for the interesting story! Curious as to why you decided they were not samurai swords. Many officers and sometimes an NCO carried old family blades handed down through the centuries. Yes remounted in military fittings most of the time.  So wondering what you learned about them that made you rule out the possibility.

[Christine]

I read an article that said Swords used during WWII were modeled after the original samurai swords but not genuine.  After I posted, I found another article that says what you said and made more sense.  So I now wish even more that we had those swords just to study the history.  My father-in-law only shared the story behind the one sword and now we can’t ask questions as he passed several years ago.  

[Bruce Pennington]

I know the feeling! I still have the sword from my dad, but he’s gone now and I never asked him how he got it. Wish I had.

 

Well, there are plenty of both kinds to be found these days. You should pick up one or two and get hooked to the hobby like the rest of us!

[Bugyotsuji]

8 hours ago, Christine said:

  My father-in-law only shared the story behind the one sword and now we can’t ask questions as he passed several years ago.  

Christine, are you suggesting that you still have one of them, or were they all sold off in some manner?

[Kolekt-To]

Christine,

 

The Battle of Manila was incredibly tragic and horrific! Manila is considered the second most devastated Allied city of World War 2. So many Filipino civilians lost their lives. James Scott's book "Rampage" details the battle and the atrocities committed there: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/43726532-rampage

Thank you for sharing a little about your Father-in-Law and his experience from that battle.

 

And, from a collector's perspective, there must have been some Type 97 (Kai Gunto) U.S. Army veteran bring-backs from that battle, since most of the Japanese troops involved were navy.