Need a little japanese assistance...
Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 8:43 am
I collect helmets from World War II. I have quite a collection with genuine helmets ranging from US M1 helmets to Camouflage patterned German M42 and quite a few in between.
I bought a helmet from Japan almost 6 months ago. It is an American front seam M1 helmet made by Schleuter. It looks pretty weathered and has a large dent on the crown possibly from a rifle butt, there are some mud residue on it as well. The seller says it was dug up, but since no battles were on the mainland of Japan I still have no idea were it originates from. It could be as simple as being an old throw-away from a US military base or, hopefully, a bring back by a Japanese soldier from the Pacific Campaign.
Curiosa:
1) It is a front seam helmet, thus the early model which were replaced by the rear seam just before end of the war.
2) It is a Schleuter with a really low heat treatment number which gives it an early to mid 1943 date, or even possibly a late 1942. Alas it is an early M1 helmet
3) It looks like is a combat helmet, hard to describe but when they have seen action there are a lot of nicks and dents on them. When you handle the stuff you get a feel for it, I could be wrong (happened before!) but some of my helmets ooze of it while others don't. This one does.
So to cut to the chase:
What I need help with is to identify a possible Japanese sign written inside, it is smeared out somewhat but perhaps someone who is fluent in the Japanese way of writing can decipher it? It could just be a stain, I don't know...
I have attached the picture from inside the helmet with this post.
Thanks!
//Nick
I bought a helmet from Japan almost 6 months ago. It is an American front seam M1 helmet made by Schleuter. It looks pretty weathered and has a large dent on the crown possibly from a rifle butt, there are some mud residue on it as well. The seller says it was dug up, but since no battles were on the mainland of Japan I still have no idea were it originates from. It could be as simple as being an old throw-away from a US military base or, hopefully, a bring back by a Japanese soldier from the Pacific Campaign.
Curiosa:
1) It is a front seam helmet, thus the early model which were replaced by the rear seam just before end of the war.
2) It is a Schleuter with a really low heat treatment number which gives it an early to mid 1943 date, or even possibly a late 1942. Alas it is an early M1 helmet
3) It looks like is a combat helmet, hard to describe but when they have seen action there are a lot of nicks and dents on them. When you handle the stuff you get a feel for it, I could be wrong (happened before!) but some of my helmets ooze of it while others don't. This one does.
So to cut to the chase:
What I need help with is to identify a possible Japanese sign written inside, it is smeared out somewhat but perhaps someone who is fluent in the Japanese way of writing can decipher it? It could just be a stain, I don't know...
I have attached the picture from inside the helmet with this post.
Thanks!
//Nick