Japanese medal bar: please help

[Ulsterman]

I bought the below bar this week from an impeccable source. However, I know nothing about Japanese medals beyond the basics- Rising Sun, Sacred Treasure, WW1 victory, Red Cross etc.

Would anybody please be so kind as to let me know what the medals on the bar are and what they represent: navy NCO, army officer, postman, municipal recreration director?

My deepest thanks.

[Guest Rick Research]

I think somebody has messed with the tabbies like on German bars

1) Don't think this is Japanese-- Manchkuon?

2) Order of the Golden Kite

3) China 1937 War Medal

4) Order of the Sacred Treasure (ahead of OGK)

5) 1940 medal for 2600 Years of Dynasty

6)

7)

8) Red Cross membership

[Ulsterman]

"tabbies"-cats?

Hmmm.....

I think # 7 is supposed to be a WW1 victory-odd Japanese variation. I have read that they ignored the light blue stripe on the earlier ribbons.

Edited April 2, 2006 by Ulsterman

[Guest Rick Research]

Isn't each ribbon tabbed on by C ends to the backing, wide flat "pin" on back? I don't have one of that type... only one I have is circa 1900:

[attachmentid=32931]

1) Rising Sun

2) Sacred Treasure

3) Golden Kite

4) 1894-95 war with China (annexation of Formosa/Taiwan)

[Ulsterman]

Hmmmmm.... I am beginning to seriously wonder....

[Guest Rick Research]

Yup, correct WW2 style. But I think some of the ribbons have been moved.

"Saint Stanislaus" 3rd from last is really bothering me, because I should remember what that was.

[Ulsterman]

Hmmm...I really need to get the OMSA book.

Interesting stuff.

Do you think it's pre 1946?

Edited April 2, 2006 by Ulsterman

[Guest Rick Research]

I doubt anybody wears the 1937 China Medal in public nowadays!

3rd from last is the 1912 Taisho enthronement medal-- knew I should remember seeing it.

[JBFloyd]

1. Manchukuo Order of the Auspicious Clouds

6. Showa Enthronemeny Commemortive

7. Manchukuo Border Incident War Medal

[Guest Rick Research]

Wupsy-- so 1926 and not 1912? (Iyam sooooo old my references are in B&W and don't show colors, only stripes )

Is the Manchukuo "Incident" 1931 or 1937?

[Ulsterman]

Thank you Mr. Floyd and Mr. Lundstrom!!

So a Japanese officer on loan to the puppet state?

Edited April 3, 2006 by Ulsterman

[Laurence Strong]

1931 I think

Manchurian Incident

Manchurian Incident or Mukden Incident,1931, confrontation that gave Japan the impetus to set up a puppet government in Manchuria. After the Russo-Japanese War (1904?5), Japan replaced Russia as the dominant foreign power in S Manchuria. By the late 1920s the Japanese feared that unification of China under the Kuomintang party would imperil Japanese interests in Manchuria. This view was confirmed when the Manchurian general Chang Hs?eh-liang, a recent convert to the Kuomintang, refused to halt construction of railway and harbor facilities in competition with the South Manchurian Railway, referring Japan to the Nationalist central government. When a bomb of unknown origin ripped the Japanese railway near Shenyang (then known as Mukden), the Japanese Kwantung army guarding the railway used the incident as a pretext to occupy S Manchuria (Sept., 1931). Despite Japanese cabinet opposition and a pledge before the League of Nations to withdraw to the railway zone, the army completed the occupation of Manchuria and proclaimed the puppet state of Manchukuo

[Paul L Murphy]

This ribbon bar is a complete fabrication. The ribbons are the Order of the Auspicious Clouds, Order of the Golden Kite, China Incident War Medal (awarded 1940), Order of the Sacred Treasure, Medal for 2,600th Anniversary of Imperial Dynasty (awarded 1940), Taisho Enthronement Medal (awarded 1912), Manchurian Border Incident War Medal (1938) and Red Cross Members Medal. You sometimes come across bars like this that were made up with correct pieces but put together in impossible combinations.

[Ulsterman]

Hmmm... I got it from a pretty knowledgable source.

Why do you think it is a fabrication?

What exactly is wrong with it? I know little about who got what Japanese awards.

[Paul L Murphy]

The order in which the ribbons are on the bar is completely incorrect. The orders should come first, in order of class, so the Golden Kite, Sacred Treasure and Auspicious Clouds should be the first three (the exact order depending on what class of each was held). After that would be the Taisho Enthronement, China Incident, 2,600th Anniversary, Manchurian Border Incident and Red Cross in that order.

However, if they were in that order it would leave us with a member of the military (due to the Golden Kite) who got the Taisho Enthronement Medal in 1912 but did not see any service in 1914-15 or 1914-20 and did not receive the Showa Enthronement Medal in 1928. IMHO from what I have seen over the years it is not possible to have this combination of awards, even if they were in the correct order.

[Ulsterman]

Well, I did not know & knowledge is power.

I orginally bought it from Eric Doodey on a whim as an Xmas present for Rick , but I got him something else instead so decided to post it.

Oh well-

ignoranece WAS bliss-

Edited September 12, 2006 by Ulsterman