Japanese identity disc : Lance Sergeant F W Dove, 3/14 Field Ambulance

Oval shaped metal disc with Japanese characters stamped into one side only. At two ends of the oval are two rectangular holes for the necklace to be attached to the disc.

Japanese identity disc collected by Lance Sergeant Frederick Walter Dove in the Sanananda region of New Guinea. The Japanese characters on the disc have been translated as 'No 66 Nishi 37842', Nishi meaning west and 37842 representing a code for a particular Imperial Japanese Army unit. Dove was born on 16 December 1918 in Guildford, NSW. He enlisted as a private with the Citizens Military Force on 9 January 1940 and was assigned number N57644. He served with 14 Field Ambulance in Australia until May 1942, and then in Papua New Guinea, where he was promoted to acting corporal, up until March 1943. Dove then joined the AIF on 18 July 1943 and was assigned number NX172948. On 20 September Dove became part of 3/14 Field Ambulance when his unit was amalgamated with 3 Field Ambulance. He remained in Australia until February 1945 when he sailed for Aitape. Dove was appointed lance sergeant on 13 June 1945. He returned to Australia on 18 December 1945 and was discharged on 4 February 1946.