kaigunair

Thanks JapanX. Guess they're finally putting more effort into the fakes, unfortunately. Much appreciated.

I'm thinking this is a reproduction of a late war 1st class Navy Pilot's badge. Is nakata making repros of these? The propeller in the lower right corner seems to have the "enamel" leaking off the side. http://www.ebay.com/itm/WW2-Japanese-Military-Aviation-Honor-Prize-Badge-Fighter-Air-Force-Medal-flag-/200954929607?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ec9d8e1c7#ht_621wt_935

Wow, great photo evidence for wearing of both 1st and 2nd class navy badges. You have a keen eye!

great write up. this should be a sticky thread! I think its time for a new Japanese Medals book to be put out, and JapanX should write it!

can't make those out, but that's another great photo. where do you find these?! thanks for sharing them

looks like the top is a IJA observer badge? The medal badge kinda looks like a pilot's badge. Neat photo.

thought I'd post this one. looks like the die had some damage... http://www.ebay.com/...=item2a25dd25bf

The bottom of the jugs are marked "NS" and "Juichiya". I also thought at first that these could be post war put togethers. At the same time, the insignias were applied pretty nicely, and they were bent/formed seeming well to the shape of the curve of the pitchers without damaging the badges. The milk pitches themselves seem of some quality. I guess we'll never know unless some photos show up with this type of item laid out on a mess table. If this is a post war "bubba" job, it would be a shame since these 2nd class badges are $$ on their own. Now if they were 1st class badges, I'd have laid out some $$$ for them... :love:

Didn't win this one (I tried), but thought it would make for a good discussion. http://cgi.ebay.com/...em=280979585186 First time I've seen something like this. Is it a post war made item, or do you think they various groups on the ships had their own serving sets?

So in the breat badge, some of the rays yellow but on the neck badges (and ribbons) all of the rays are red?

Rich, you're the best!!!! Thank you for the pics!!! I've think I've seen these come up before, but didn't know what they were for. Much appreciated! :beer:

Was reading about a Scottish aviator who was suspected about being a japanese spy during the war. The article talked about him being awarded the 3rd Order of the Rising Sun; 2nd Order of the Sacred Treasure and a Special Medal of the Imperial Aero Society of Japan in the inter-war years. Any info on the Aero Scociety medals out there? Article: Churchill protected Scottish peer suspected of spying for Japan. Second World War: Government papers show prominent aristocrat was believed to be leaking naval secrets to Tokyo. What follows is a minor abbreviation of the paper’s article. A senior Scottish Lord was suspected of being part of a Japanese spy ring in London during WW2, according to recently released documents at the Public Record Office at Kew,U.K. Lord Sempill, a naval commander at the Admiralty, was accused of passing sensitive information to the Japanese Embassy in the lead-up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. The documents show that British security services suspected at least five British citizens in London of providing information to the Japanese. "What this shows for the first time is the existence of a highly organized Japanese spy operation in Britain," says Dr Richard Aldrich, a historian from Nottingham University. At one point the Attorney-General secretly considered prosecuting Lord Sempill. However, when the Admiralty confronted Sempill and wanted him to resign, Winston Churchill interceded and only required Sempill to be "moved". Educated at Eton, William Forbes-Sempill was apprenticed to Rolls-Royce in 1910. He became a distinguished aviator, joining the Royal Flying Corps at the beginning of the First World War. He later transferred to the Royal Naval Air Service where he rose to the rank of Commander, and he was awarded the Air Force Cross. Although he retired from the services in 1919, his engineering knowledge led to a life-long involvement with aviation. His first contact with the Japanese came in 1921 when he headed an official British mission to organize the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Service. During his visit Sempill became a confirmed Japanophile, striking up close and long-standing relationships with the Japanese military. The Japanese were very impressed and awarded him the 3rd Order of the Rising Sun; 2nd Order of the Sacred Treasure and a Special Medal of the Imperial Aero Society of Japan in the inter-war years. A photo of Captain Sempill and Admiral Togo Heihachiro in 1921 speaks to an early association with a member of the Japanese Armed Forces (Figure 5). Commander Forbes-Sempill succeeded his father in 1934 and became the 19th Baron Sempill, inheriting Craigievar Castle, Aberdeenshire. When the Second World War broke out, he rejoined the Royal Naval Air Service. He was assigned to the Admiralty and worked in the Department of Air Material. There he had access to sensitive information about the latest aircraft. Suspicions about Sempill were aroused in June 1940 when MI5 intercepted messages from Mitsubishi to London and the Yamagata Naval Air Force headquarters in Japan. These referred to payments being made to Sempill. When Sempill was suspected "of disclosure of secret information about Fleet Air Arm aircraft,"the matter was discreetly referred to the Attorney-General and Director of Public Prosecutions. "The Attorney General advised against prosecution, but Sempill was strictly cautioned," said the file. Lord Sempill denied the allegations and said he had not received payments from an "improper quarters." He told the Admiralty Board that the money had stopped on the outbreak of war. MI5 tapped Sempill's phones and found Sempill had kept up his contacts with the Japanese. A year later he again came to the attention of the security services and was suspected of passing information about the Battle of the Atlantic - the continuing efforts to get merchant convoys to and from the US. At the time Britain was not at war with Japan, but it was considered only a matter of time before war was declared.

wow, unless that person bought that medal from you, that is outright fraud! I'd report the auction to ebay and post links to your webpage....

here it is in the peterson book. I just really like the design!

I liked the look of this one that was up for auction recently, but was out of my price range. Does anyone know what this Military merit badge was awarded for?