| Accession Number | REL46349 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Badge |
| Physical description | Acetate, Cotton, Ink, Metal, Tin |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | Japan |
| Date made | c 1945-1955 |
| Conflict |
British Commonwealth Occupation Force, 1946-1952 (Japan) |
Identification name badge : British Occupation Force Japan
Description
Rectangular shaped tin name badge featuring a pair of Japanese kanji characters written in black ink on a piece of cotton. The cotton piece has a tin backing which is folded around the edges, securing a piece of protective yellowed acetate. The back of the name badge has a metal safety pin attached to the tin backing via a pair of horizontally aligned brackets.
History / Summary
During the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces (BCOF) period in southern Japan, between the years of 1945-1952, many Australian servicemen and women interacted and worked closely with local Japanese authorities and civilians. To assist each other with their names, identification badges such as this were often worn.
Japanese Imperial Army and Navy troops during the earlier Second World War used to wear a similar simple identification tag on their combat and fatigue uniforms.