Nambu Type 14 Pistol : Gunner W L Cubitt 2/3 AA Battery

Nambu Type 14 semi automatic pistol. Machined blued steel frame and top slide with a three ring knurled cocking knob at the rear. It has a safety lever on the left side and a large trigger guard. The frame is stamped on the left side with four Japanese characters designating 14 Year Type and on the right the symbol of the Nagoya Arsenal, the serial number 97121 and 18.10 (1943 October). The grips are serrated wood and there is a fixed lanyard loop at the rear of the action. It is complete with a magazine that has an alloy end cap.

This pistol was given to NX120114 (N171366) Gunner Walter Leslie Cubitt, 2/3 Anti Aircraft Battery by an unidentified American soldier who said that it came from or in the vicinity of Sandakan prisoner of war camp, North Borneo.

Cubitt was born on 18 May 1923 in Greenwich, NSW. He was in the boot trade when he enlisted with the militia on 27 October 1941 and was posted to the coastal defences at North Head, Sydney. In September 1942, Cubitt was transferred to the AIF and posted to 2 Australian Anti-Tank Regiment.

He was then posted with the New Guinea Force in March 1943 and to the 16 Anti-Aircraft (AA) battery. The next month Cubitt was attached for duties to the 395 Gun Station until July 1943. At the beginning of October, Cubitt embarked the 'Duntroon' at Townsville and arrived at Milne Bay on 7 October and was posted to 2/3 AA Regiment. After spending around 7 months in New Guinea Cubitt embarked the 'Ormiston' at Lae and disembarked in Townsville on 3 May 1944.

On 10 April 1945, Cubitt embarked 'Sea Ray' in Brisbane with the advanced echelon party to Morotai and arrived twelve days later. At the end of May he embarked LST 584 for service in British North Borneo. Cubitt was then transferred to the 2/3 Tank Attack Regiment on 28 November 1945. He embarked at Labuan on 'Kingspoint Victory' on 12 February and arrived twelve days later in Brisbane. Cubitt was discharged on 6 June 1946 and died on 18 December 1987.