Senninbari : Japanese Landing Force at Milne Bay

Stained white cotton senninbari, or belt of a thousand stitches. The belt has a thicker middle section which is 420 mm long by 145 mm wide. Stitched on the upper centre of this section is a small square panel. Surrounding the panel in even rows are 1000 small stitches. Four of these are red, but the others have faded to an off-white. This main section is double layered with an opening at the top to form a pocket. There is a small hole on the left side of the main panel and a loop on the right. These are possibly used when securing the belt around the wearer's waist.

The senninbari, translated as thousand-person-stitches or thousand stitch belt, was a talisman presented to a soldier by a close female relative or friend. Each stitch, usually red, was sewn by a different woman and was thought to protect the wearer from the hazards of battle. This example, which belonged to a member of the Japanese landing force, was collected at Milne Bay by QX6868 Robert Henry Ferguson in early September 1942. Ferguson was born in Melbourne in April 1914 and enlisted in the army from Brisbane on 4 June 1940. He served with 2/9 Battalion and took part in the fighting at Milne Bay in late August and early September 1942. He was discharged from the Australian New Guinea Administration Unit with the rank of Lieutenant on 9 November 1945.