Japanese Canteen

[Old Marine]

I believe this is a standard Japanese Army Enlisted man's canteen. I picked this up years ago. Can any of you guys translate the writing on the back or the strap? Do the numbers signify a unit?

 

Any help with the characters, comments or observations will be appreciated.

 

Thanks all

 

 

[Old Marine]

the other side.

[Old Marine]

The markings on the strap.

[Eric Queen]

Unfortunately these characters can represent several surnames.

 

新村 = Shimura, Mimura, Shinmura, Aramura, Niimura

 

I would guess that the numbers represent units (e.g. 3/5 = 3rd Company, 5th Battalion)

[Old Marine]

Thanks Eric.

[tiger41]

Old Marine,

Take the bottle out of the harness and look on the exterior bottom of the bottle....there should be a stamp into the metal or a paint stamp that will give you a date of the bottle...i.e. "Sho 15" similar to the stamps on the helmet liners. It is a used piece so it may not be in good enough condition to read. It likely is too faded but there was also an ink stamp on the shoulder strap with a date.

Tiger 41

[Old Marine]

Thank you for the info Tiger. Do you have any idea as to the translation of white painted characters?

[tiger41]

Sorry, but my Japanese is limited..I know what the individual kanji says but when used together is different. Looks like a name and a individual number on the bottle. Canteen harnesses and bottles were exchanged a lot when they got damaged or were taken from dead or wounded men. I've seen canteens with 3 or 4 different names on them. Still looks to be a good early example that is nicely marked.

[Eric Queen]

Surname on the canteen is the same as on the strap............

[Old Marine]

Thank Eric.

[Stony]

Here is the mark on the bottom of the canteen.

 

 

 

[tiger41]

Looks to be "Showa 16th year" = 1941

[Stony]

Looks to be "Showa 16th year" = 1941

 

Thank you.

[Rod]

Regarding the "3/5"; smaller units were often expressed in terms of fractions by Japanese soldiers, almost certainly a squad/company relationship. Japanese regiments generally had 3 battalions.

 

These fractions originate with Japanese Army map notations. Attached is a fragment borrowed from a handmade map of the Burma/China border, by a Japanese soldier. Still not sure of the unit represented though.

[spag199th]

Looks to be a good early example. IMO