Japan Any Examples of the Imperial Aeronautical Society Medal?

[kaigunair]

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.

[mickey]

hi all interesting photo of the asahi shimbun purchased k15 aircraft(2nd prototype) named kamikazi became the first japanese aircraft to fly to europe and in in record time (51 hours) for the coronation of king george the 6th in 1937 pilot masaaki linuma and navigator kenji tsukagoshi both received the french legion of honour it is also noted that both men received aero society of japan medals some time later as well as japanese goverment medals ???? asahi shimbun also commisioned sake bottles with images of the aircraft i wonder if any collectors have one, both men were treated as heros in japan im sure there must be some photos of them wearing their medals

[JapanX]

... Special Medal of the Imperial Aero Society of Japan in the inter-war years...

Hmmm...

I wonder if they translated the name of the society right

The only medal that I can think will be Merit Badge of Imperial Aviation Society (Teikoku Hikou Kyoukai), [after 1940 it was called Great Japan Aviation Association (Dai-Nippon Hikoukai)]. It is indeed looks like a medal and usually hanging from the ribbon that has reverse colors of rising sun order ribbon.

Rare and beatiful one.

Made in high-grade gold

Here it is.

[JapanX]

Another variant

[JapanX]

Close ups

[JapanX]

[JapanX]

Cased specimen with different position of inscription

[JapanX]

[JapanX]

[JapanX]

[kaigunair]

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:

[mickey]

thanks for posted photos nick high quality medal for a big achievement perhaps ?

[JapanX]

thanks for posted photos nick high quality medal for a big achievement perhaps ?

Yep, another possible scenario "for long meritorious service"

The quality of these medals is unbelievable ...

No wonder though ... Looks like they all were made by private jewellery workshops.

[mickey]

the pilot was lost in action over cambodia in 1942 the navigator disapeared over the indian ocean in an experimental aircraft in 1943 flying to germany one wonders if any evidence of documents or medals of these men still exist

[gor]

One more badge

[JapanX]

Nice one

 

P.S. Gilded silver? 

Edited March 7, 2015 by JapanX

[gor]

Nice one

 

P.S. Gilded silver? 

 

Yes, the badge is made of gilded silver in 1928.

[PATOUT]

About this matter.....

Case offered by the minister of the imperial japanese navy in 1919.

 This box contained an imperial japanese flying association merit medal awarded to under lieutenant : Lecomte Lucien Edmond in 1919 who was member of the french aeronautical mission managed by colonel Faure in Gifu. This mission was received by the defense minister Tanaka Giichi ( 田中義一) , the director of aeronautics Inoue Ikutarō (井上幾太郎 ) and  amiral Tōgō Heihachirō (東郷 平八郎).

The medal is gilded silver and the inscription reads 'Imperial Aviation Society Merit Badge. Taisho 8 [1919].

I had never seen this type of box and writing and it seems to me that the medal had to be in another box inside this one ? Am I right or wrong what do you think ?

Thank you very much dear friends collector for your valuable help

[JapanX]

I think this is a very nice medal you`ve got there.

Lacquered case is the wrong one for this medal.

I think it was used for some other memento or was a memento by itself.

Best,

Nick  

[PATOUT]

Thank Nick

Always present and effective to bring help to your colleagues collector.

Unfortunately it's the wrong case...I'm disappointed

Regards

Patout

[JapanX]

Another possibility - outer case for original box   

[PATOUT]

What a beautiful (a little bit flashy ! and old fashion) but very rare case... congratulation Nick very beautiful set.

Probably of your personal collection I suppose ?

I think that I do not have to hope to find one day an empty case for mine.....but I can always dream

Patout

[JapanX]

Naaa, not mine  

Just an example of another type of the case/

[PATOUT]

Hello !  happy new year dear fellow collectors I wish you that the year 2020 was suitable for you to find good discoveries....... or nuggets, !!!!

For me the dream came true I finally found the gold medal of imperial aviation society I’d been looking for years.

And luckily this medal is complete with its case, and will be perfect next to the silver gilt model I own.

I have a request about the inscription inside the lid. Can someone translate it ? and especially the left column

Nick said : another possible scenario "for long meritorious service"  but, does this inscription refer to a higher class or a special service? that would differentiate this model from the basic silver gilt model ? because I do not know if the case and the inscription are identical on the basic model (silver gilt) and the gold one.

Most of the models encountered are from the Taisho era, is this medal was distributed a lot under the Showa era or was its manufacture stopped? and when?

 

Furthemore It seems to me that the medal (with ribbon) was reserved for foreigners and the version badge (without ribbon) was given to Japanese.

This because I have never seen a picture of a Japanese pilot (civilian or military) with this medal. What do you think of this hypothesis ?

I see that no one presents a picture of the diploma accompanying the medal is it because  is it because no one among our colleagues has it ?

Regards

Patout

[JapanX]

On 16/01/2020 at 19:46, PATOUT said:

I see that no one presents a picture of the diploma accompanying the medal is it because  is it because no one among our colleagues has it ?

This is how diploma looks like.