Japanese Army Officer's Shin-Gunto sword with scabbard and surrender tag : SBA (Sick Berth Attendant) F R Leece, RAN

Japanese Shin-gunto Army officer's sword and scabbard. The hilt has the standard army style gilded brass Shin-gunto fittings with cherry blossom menuki (hilt ornament) on each side of the handle under the binding, and a scabbard button catch. The tsuba (guard) is rectangular in shape with cherry blossom motifs in the corners and has three spacer plates on each side. The kabuto-gane (pommel) is in place, but the sarute (loop) is missing. The tang is engraved with markings which indicate that the blade was made by the swordsmith Kanemichi. The steel scabbard is protected by a leather battle cover. Attached to the hanging ring is a cloth surrender tag on which is written in Japanese, the name of owner of the sword, 'URANOSUKI NAKABAYASHI' and the Japanese characters for the word, 'YAMAKA'.

Collected by SBA (Sick Berth Attendant) F R Leece, Royal Australian Navy (RAN) at the end of the Second World War. Born in 1925 at Glenn Innes, NSW, Frank Robert Leece enlisted in the RAN on 26 April 1943. SBA F R Leece was serving in the Corvette HMAS Junee when the Second World War ended. At the cessation of hostilities on 15 August 1945, HMAS Junee was acting as a harbour defence ship at Balikpapan. In September, the Junee took part in the evacuation of' Australian Prisoners of War from Ambon. Later in the month she evacuated civilians from Menado (Celebes) to Morotai, and assisted in the transport of the Australian occupation force to Ambon. SBA Leece received his discharge from the RAN on 27 September 1946.