Japanese 51st Division Headquarters flag captured at Lae, 16 September 1943: 'D' Company, 2/25 Battalion

Scarlet and white cotton fish-tail flag flown above the Lae headquarters of the Japanese Imperial Army's 51st Division. The flag is made up from three lengths of cotton, sewn horizontally, with a vertical cotton hoist to the left hand side.

Divisional flag flown by Lieutenant General Hidemitsu Nakano, the commander of the Japanese 51st Division at Lae above his Headquarters when it was captured by the Allies on 16 September 1943. The flag was hauled down by members of 'D' Company, 2/25 Battalion, at 3:30pm. The flag was apparently given to Lieutenant Colonel Harry Marsen, commander of 2/25 Battalion, as he donated it to the Lae RSL Sub-Branch in September 1968. Also hauled down was a Japanese flag (REL/12747) which shares this flag's history.

The 2/25 Battalion was (with 2/31 and 2/33) was part of 25 Brigade under the leadership of Brigadier Ken Eather and had been flown into Nadzab on 7 September. By 10:45am on 16 September they had successfully advanced into the outskirts of Lae. However, Eather considered that the battalion’s advance was not speedy enough. In a highly unusual move, he went forward in a jeep to lead the advance into Lae. The commander of ‘C’ Company, Captain Butler was stunned by this and commented:

“The old Brig jumped out and started urging the troops to hurry along. The troops weren’t very impressed as they thought the Jap was in front. Finally the Brigadier, armed with a pistol, acted as leading scout, and the troops followed in column behind… A brigadier is not an ideal section leader. Unfortunately we advanced too quickly - due to no opposition - and the Yanks came over and strafed us.”

Lieutenant General Hidemitsu was captured at Wewak where he was interrogated by Major Vernon Manson Corr on 20 December 1945, who was investigating war crimes against Chinese and Indian prisoners, which Hidemitsu denied knowledge of. However, he did summarise his military record, noting that he was born at Saga, Kyushu in 1890, entered military university (1917-20) and spent most of the 1920s and 30s in either China or Korea, mostly attached to the Kwantung Army as either a Staff Officer or Intelligence Officer. In March 1938 he was appointed Commander of 13 Regiment, 6 Division, which fought in the Nanking and Hankow regions. He commanded the 39 Infantry Brigade Group in Korea from March 1940. After further staff appointments, and rising to the rank of Lieutenant General, he took over command of 51 Division, then in Canton, in November 1941.

A year later the Division was sent to Rabaul. Hidemitsu noted: "About a third of the Division, including myself, landed at Lae on 3 March 1943, another third having gone in January to Salamaua. The Salamaua unit was under direct command of 18 Army, being detached from the Division.... The portion of the Division which I accompanied was sunk in Dampier Strait and I reached Lae with only 100 men. In March I set up my HQ at Lae and resumed command of the Salamaua detachment. I ... moved my HQ from Lae to Salamaua in May 43, remaining untill August. Later I went with the general retreat from Lae. In January 1944 I went to Hansa Bay with my unit. My HQ arrived in Wewak in March when we retreated towards Mt Tazarki."

Hidemitsu Nakano reportedly told Tokyo that holding Salamaua was the Division’s responsibility and they would never retreat. ‘If we are unable to hold, we will die fighting. I will burn our Divisional flag and even the patients will rise to fight in close combat. No one will be taken a prisoner.’ However, he was ordered not to do this and instead to retreat from Salamaua. Hidemitsu Nakano died in 1982.