Japanese tank flag : Autographed members of 9 Battery, 2/5 Field Regiment at Milne Bay

Place Oceania: New Guinea1, Papua New Guinea, Papua, Milne Bay
Accession Number REL/18436
Collection type Heraldry
Object type Flag
Physical description Silk
Maker Unknown
Place made Japan
Date made c 1941-1942
Conflict Second World War, 1939-1945
Description

Japanese National flag with traditional good luck slogan 'Wishing you long lasting good fortune in war' in black, and shinto blessing in red, on right side. Flag is marked with indelible pencil "9th Battery 2nd/5th Field Regt - A Troop Milne Bay" and signed by members of the troop together with their nicknames.

History / Summary

Those members of the battery killed or wounded at Milne Bay are listed on the central disc or hinomaru. The flag was taken from one of two Japanese Type 95 'Ha-Go' medium tanks captured at Milne Bay in 1942.

It is not one of the small flags carried on the tank but is likely to have been a personal flag carried by one of the crew members. The practice of carrying personal 'good luck' Japanese flags by Imperial Army troops was widespread through the Pacific.

The flag was 'upside down' when it was written on by the 2/5th Field Regiment. This is evidenced by the hoist for the flag, here shown on the left, is traditionally on the right side of the flag. The large handwritten Japanese 'kanji' figures in black, which reads 'Wishing you long lasting good fortune in war', is traditionally written vertically on the right side of the flag adjacent to the hoist.