Old Marine Posted July 22, 2019 Share #1 Posted July 22, 2019 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Marine Posted July 22, 2019 Author Share #2 Posted July 22, 2019 the other side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Marine Posted July 22, 2019 Author Share #3 Posted July 22, 2019 The markings on the strap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Queen Posted July 23, 2019 Share #4 Posted July 23, 2019 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) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Marine Posted July 23, 2019 Author Share #5 Posted July 23, 2019 Thanks Eric. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiger41 Posted July 24, 2019 Share #6 Posted July 24, 2019 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Marine Posted July 24, 2019 Author Share #7 Posted July 24, 2019 Thank you for the info Tiger. Do you have any idea as to the translation of white painted characters? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiger41 Posted July 25, 2019 Share #8 Posted July 25, 2019 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Queen Posted July 25, 2019 Share #9 Posted July 25, 2019 Surname on the canteen is the same as on the strap............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Marine Posted July 26, 2019 Author Share #10 Posted July 26, 2019 Thank Eric. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stony Posted August 24, 2019 Share #11 Posted August 24, 2019 Here is the mark on the bottom of the canteen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiger41 Posted August 24, 2019 Share #12 Posted August 24, 2019 Looks to be "Showa 16th year" = 1941 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stony Posted August 24, 2019 Share #13 Posted August 24, 2019 Looks to be "Showa 16th year" = 1941 Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Posted October 13, 2019 Share #14 Posted October 13, 2019 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spag199th Posted January 26, 2021 Share #15 Posted January 26, 2021 Looks to be a good early example. IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now