Description:

JAPANESE BODY FLAG, NATIONAL FLAGS, CURRRENCY AND DOCUMENTS CAPTURED ON OKINAWA
A large grouping of items captured by U.S. Marine Corps artilleryman Verner F. Thomas, attached to the 2nd Defense Battalion, Special Weapons Group. These battalions were charged with coastal defense of various naval bases in the Pacific to repel landing forces. In late 1944, the 2nd, 5th, 8th, and 16th Antiaircraft Artillery (formerly Defense) Battalions prepared to invade the Japanese Home Islands. They landed on Okinawa in April, 1945 and became engaged in combat with the entrenched Japanese defenders. Included in Thomas'' grouping is: one of his USMC collar insignia; a 29" x 34" Japanese "good luck" body flag, a silk national flag bearing inked nationalistic slogans and exhortations, with an old display card found with the flag stating it had been recovered in a "banzai" charge; a similar silk flag, 27" x 36", unmarked; a 48" x 64" period national flag, cotton, with leather reinforcements and sturdy cotton ties at top and bottom of the hoist, unused; a Japanese sailor''s personal effects including naval service hand book, pay book[?], blank diary and notebook, and a photo of the sailor and two other sailor; and most interesting, a 11" x 6" x 3 1/4" wood box with metal handle containing within perhaps 500 or more unissued 50 centavo and one peso Japanese occupation banknotes intended for use in the Philippine Islands. An intriguing grouping with a tale to tell.

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February 19, 2017 10:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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