Comes with hand-signed C.O.A.

Over the course of World War II in the Pacific theater soldiers and Marines were always on the lookout for bring back souvenirs on the battlefield. These souvenirs would often be items taken directly off the fallen Japanese soldiers in the very place they fell. Popular bring back items were always Japanese flags, swords, helmets, caps, personal photographs, and even the shoulder and collar rankings of Japanese soldiers taken from their uniform.

What made these Japanese insignia ranks so easy to “bring back” or take when looking for war trophies was they were flat, lightweight, and easy to carry…something that a soldier or Marine found useful and handy while still on an active battlefield in the Pacific. These photos would be stuffed into their pockets, bags, and sometimes even passed by U.S. ARMY or NAVAL censors in airmail back to the United States.

This specific Japanese insignia rank was a bring back of a Pacific Theater veteran who brought back more than fifteen of these captured Japanese insignia ranks. While it is unclear if these we all taken off of Japanese soldiers he killed in combat or traded for with other servicemen, the ranks are all of Japanese infantry soldiers and range from as low to a private to his highest insignia rank taken off a Japanese Sgt. Major.

This specific captured Japanese insignia is a rare Infantry Sgt. Major insignia taken off of the shoulder section of the Japanese soldier’s uniform.