US made (fantasy) Japanese paratrooper insignia?

[Eric Queen]

This is a strange one and really did not know where to post it. If this is the wrong place please let me know.

 

There has been much talk about this insignia (design) over the years. The consensus seems to be that it is a complete fabrication made up by the US war departments MID. It appeared first (as far as I know) in the US army publication War Department Military Intelligence Division Special Series # 32 dated July 01, 1945.

 

Please bear with me. I am getting to why I think this belongs in a US militaria discussion.

 

 

[Eric Queen]

During extensive interviews of nearly all surviving Japanese paratroopers in the 1970's, not one had ever seen nor heard of this insignia. There is simply no record at all of it being a Japanese design.

 

In the mid 1980's collector Pat Anthony picked up (out of the bush) this piece (below) which was in a box of original Japanese cloth insignia which had been glued (as has this piece) to something at one point.

 

My only guess is that this is a US made representation of a fantasy Japanese insignia used at one point on a display board of "Insignia of the Enemy" or something of a similar nature.

 

Has anyone else ever seen anything like this or know the reasons why it could have been made?

 

Thanks

[Eric Queen]

In hand it looks, feels, smells old. I do not think it is a modern "reproduction"

[Tonomachi]

There is another one out there somewhere as I kept a photograph of one. Unfortunately I don't remember where I copied this from.

 

 

[Tonomachi]

I have what is supposed to be a WW2 Japanese Army patch associated with their airborne units which is a circular piece of Khaki material with red felt like material machine sewn on like your patch. I don't know if it is real but I got it off of eBay a long time ago and the seller had two of them which supposedly came out of a batch of WW2 era US patches. I need to find it and take a photograph of it.

[Eric Queen]

Thanks Dennis. I believe what you have there is a NCHS copy of the patch I have shown. It was George who got it from Pat. He had copies made and then sold the "original" to me. It has a feel of being from the period but what exactly it is I have no idea. My only logical guess is what I have stated above.

 

It is interesting to note also that even though this piece was most like copied from the illustration in the MID magazine it was not copied exactly. The mum and the rope are missing.

[Tonomachi]

Here is a photograph of one with the mum that was in an older collection which was liquidated after the owner died. I don't know what became of this piece.

[Tonomachi]

This is a poor photo but if this patch ever existed this is the one I would pick as being authentic as it is very well made.

[Eric Queen]

Thanks. The first one you posted is intriguing. Crude, similar to mine, rope also missing. Yet another mystery. I have seen several of the second one you posted. I believe these were made in the 80's.

[Tonomachi]

Here is the piece I was talking about in post 5. Like your first patch it too is made of multiple pieces of I guess felt sewn onto a base material. I have no idea if this is real.

 

 

[gwb123]

Sorry guys, but it is a real stretch to say that this belongs on a US Militaria forum because reproductions were procured, bought and sold by US dealers. That would open us up to endless discussions of Third Reich reproductions as well.

 

For my two cents, the last two versions of this patch show craftsmanship that is far and above the first two.

 

With that said, I am locking this as not related to US Militaria.

 

However, feel free to continue the discussion by Private Messaging.