Unidentified Unknown IJN aviation pin badge

[rathbonemuseum]

Any ideas what this is? Issue? Fund raising? Any sense of value?

Thanks!

[JapanX]

Interesting badge Tod.

Never saw one like this one before.

The key for identification is inscription on reverse.

Let's hope somebody will be able to read it ...

[Jktu]

大東亞戰爭 - Great East Asia War: http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A4%A7%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%9C%E6%88%A6%E4%BA%89

[JapanX]

Thanks for translation Oleg!

P.S. By the way guys, obverse of this badge (by design) looks like a post-war to me :whistle:

Edited November 1, 2013 by JapanX

[dark379]

That is not an ordinary cheap badge ......it was made during WW2 era for Navy Pilot and it is rare also.

see photos but sorry cant read it.

Edited November 2, 2013 by dark379

[JapanX]

Very interesting!

I see the date September 2, 1944

[dark379]

Ya Mr. Nick, i think it was awarded in a victorious operation after the mission, to the pilots???

Edited November 2, 2013 by dark379

[rathbonemuseum]

Is that what is says in the text next to the picture? What book is that?

[dark379]

The book is an old Japanese book from 70's or 80's ( not sure need to check it again), the book cover is in the left side of the photo, inside it has an article of few pages about the badge but i can read it.

yes the description is beside the photo of the badge, it is say about during the Sept 2, 1944, with some squad numbers. cant read it very detail.

Edited November 3, 2013 by dark379

[Jktu]

1021空 = 第一〇二一海軍航空隊 - 1021^st Naval Air Group,

岡崎 – Okazaki,

八郎 – Hachirou,

義久 – Yoshihisa, (variant - 善久 http://papamama.asablo.jp/blog/2009/05/10/ ),

飛曹長 = 飛行兵曹長 - flying warrant officer,

授与されたバッジ – badge for awarding.

1021空の岡崎八郎義久飛曹長に授与されたバッジ - badge for awarding named after these warrant officers.

///

第153航空隊第901飛行隊の中川義正一飛曹(操)大住勇上飛曹 (偵) ペアも昭和19年9月2日夜の対B-24休当り攻撃の戦功により授与された

901^st Air Squadron 153^rd Air Group flight petty officers (飛曹 = 飛行兵曹) Yoshimasa Nakagawa (中川義正) – pilot (操), and Oosumi Yuuue (Yuugami) (大住勇上) - look-out (偵), were awarded this badge for crashing the B-24 September 2, 1944.

[JapanX]

Oleg

[dark379]

Wow nice translation, so it was awarded to pilot's during the war.

[rathbonemuseum]

Taiatan?

I am wondering if this badge was awarded to 1) personnel who commited Taiatan attacks, or 2) next of kin, or 3) was a unit badge?

I am wondering if the translation is related to these kinds of ramming attacks: (from Wikipedia)

The Japanese also practiced ramming, both by individual initiative and by policy. Individual initiative was involved in the bringing down of a lone B-17 Flying Fortress The Flying Swede on 8 May 1942 by a Nakajima Ki-43 fighter plane. After three of the Japanese fighters had each made two attack passes without decisive results, the bomber's pilot, Major Robert N. Keatts, made for the shelter of a nearby rain squall. Loath to let the bomber escape, Sgt. Tadao Oda executed a head-on ramming attack, known as taiatari (体当たり tai-atari^?, "body strike").^[15] Both aircraft were destroyed with no survivors. Sergeant Oda was posthumously promoted to lieutenant for his sacrifice.^[16]

On 26 March 1943, Lieutenant Sanae Ishii of the 64th Sentai used the wing of his Nakajima Ki-43 to ram the tail of a Bristol Beaufighter, bringing it down over Shwebandaw, Burma. Squadron Leader Ivan G. Statham AFC and Pilot Officer Kenneth C. Briffett of 27 Squadron RAF were both killed.

On 1 May 1943, Sergeant Miyoshi Watanabe of the 64th Sentai used his Nakajima Ki-43 to ram the rear turret of a B-24 Liberator after a drawn-out battle with the American bomber over Rangoon. Sergeant Watanabe survived the attack and made a forced landing.

On 26 October 1943, Captain Tomio Kamiguchi of the 64th Sentai used his Nakajima Ki-43 to ram a B-24 Liberator when his guns failed to fire. Already heavily damaged by the other Japanese fighters in the 64th, the bomber (belonging to the 429nd Bomb Squadron) crashed near Rangoon.

On 6 June 1944, having expended his ammunition in an extended dogfight, Sergeant Tomesaku Igarashi of the 50th Sentai used the propeller of his Nakajima Ki-43 to bring down a Lockheed P-38 Lightning near Meiktila, Burma. After the pilot bailed out, Igarashi attacked him in his parachute.^[17] The P-38 may have belonged to 10-kill ace Captain Walter F. Duke of the 459th Fighter Squadron who was lost in battle that day.^[18]

Starting in August 1944, several Japanese pilots flying Kawasaki Ki-45 and other fighters engaging B-29 Superfortresses found that ramming the very heavy bomber was a practical tactic.^[19] From that experience, in November 1944 a "Special Attack Unit" was formed using Kawasaki Ki-61s that had been stripped of most of their weapons and armor so as to quickly achieve high altitude. Three successful, surviving ramming pilots were the first recipients of the Bukosho, Japan's equivalent to the Victoria Cross or Medal of Honor, an award which had been inaugurated on 7 December 1944 as an Imperial Edict by Emperor Hirohito.^[20][21] Membership in the Special Attack Unit was seen as a final assignment; the pilots were expected to perform ramming attacks until death or serious injury stopped their service.

The Japanese practice of kamikaze may also be viewed as a form of ramming, although the primary mode of destruction was not physical impact force, but rather the explosives carried. Kamikaze was used exclusively against Allied ship targets.

Edited November 17, 2013 by rathbonemuseum

[JapanX]

Interesting variation of this badge is currently at eBay.

[JapanX]

Different type of pin + no inscription

[dark379]

I think that is a replica...? because it has no written words in the back and has a different type of pin

[fukuoka]

Could be…

Or perhaps the first one posted is a replica because of the general commemorative-style inscription on reverse. This kind of inscription is often seen on replica badges of various sorts. And on many wartime commemorative items.

Too bad the book doesn't have a picture of the reverse. It is hard to arrive at a firm conclusion without more examples and more documentation.

[JapanX]

Too bad the book doesn't have a picture of the reverse.

My though exactly!

I tried to compare obverses of three pieces - they are pretty close.

Some mini differences can be noticed though.

For example anchor flukes (palms).

Badge in post #1 has "arrows" right on the edge.

Badge from the book has left "arrow" outside of edge and right "arrow" right on the edge.

Anchor "arrows" of badge from post #14 don't reach the edge.

[dark379]

Nice observation Nick.... i have one in my collection ill try to post it.

[dark379]

here is the photo

[fukuoka]

Nice observation Nick.... i have one in my collection ill try to post it.

Yes, Nick, good points. 3 different badges (one an illustration/photo), 3 variations of anchor.

[fukuoka]

here is the photo

Interesting how the inscription is spaced differently on the two badges. You would think these would have been made from the same cast.

[JapanX]

Nice looking badge Melvin!

Same inscription on reverse as Tod's badge has, but again slightly different stamp.

For example, take a look at endings of last upper plumes or diameter of central stamen ;)

Edited December 22, 2013 by JapanX

[dark379]

Nice looking badge Melvin!

Same inscription on reverse as Tod's badge has, but again slightly different stamp.

For example, take a look at endings of last upper plumes or diameter of central stamen

Thank you Nick, i did bought it in a collector together with the book....Ya Nick your right about it and there is a slight difference in 2 badges, even the gap between the Sakura to anchor and wing, have different spacing....

Edited December 22, 2013 by dark379

[dark379]

Interesting how the inscription is spaced differently on the two badges. You would think these would have been made from the same cast.

I think it has a different cast or cast in different time..

Edited December 22, 2013 by dark379