Imperial Japanese 'Type A' midget submarine souvenir : threaded piece of tube with nut

Souvenir metal fitting taken from one of the Japanese midget submarines sunk in Sydney Harbour on 31 May 1942. The fitting comprises a threaded steel tubular body with a hexagonal brass bolt attached. Both pieces were originally painted red, and areas of paint remain on each. Attached to the fitting with twine is a certificate of authentication. The manila cardboard label is printed in blue and reads: 'A Guaranteed Souvenir from the Japanese Midget Submarine Sunk in Sydney Harbour, Sunday, May 31st, 1942. Proceeds to R.A.N. Relief Fund and King George's Fund For Sailors. July 30, 1942.' The facsimile signature of Rear Admiral Gerard Charles Muirhead-Gould DSC, RN and his title 'Rear-Admiral in Charge, Sydney' are also reproduced on the label.

Small pieces and fittings from the two Japanese midget submarines sunk in Sydney Harbour after their attack on shipping on 31 May 1942 were sold for fundraising purposes. In 1943 a composite midget submarine made from parts of the two submarines recovered from the harbour were taken on a 4,000 kilometre tour to raise money for the war effort, under the command of Lieutenant-Commander John Sydney Bovrill, Royal Australian Navy. The tour visited Wagga, Benalla, Ballarat, Adelaide and along the Victorian coast to Melbourne, then back to Sydney. Souvenirs and postcards of the submarines were sold along the way, and "Periscope certificates" issued to those who had taken a submariner's view of the world. The tour was a huge success, the exhibit drawing vast crowds. In Wagga for example, a city with a wartime population of between 11 and 12,000, over 6,000 visited the submarine. At the close of the tour, the remainder of the souvenirs were passed on consignment in late April 1943 to the Australian War Memorial, which received "40,989 glass wool envelopes, 99,010 postcards (sold in sets of 9) and 565 dozen miniature lead sub models." The glass wool had been used as insulation in the submarines. In a letter of 5 August 1943, Rear Admiral Gerard Muirhead-Gould noted "313 dozen lead subs and 25,000 postcards disposed of through Department of Information to USA for sale." Proceeds of the sale of the souvenirs went to the RAN Relief Fund and King George's Fund for Sailors.