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WW II Relics - Saipan. 7 years since my last post.

SaipanSam

New Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2014
Messages
16
Location
Saipan
I've spent most of the last 14 years on the Island of Saipan, the site of a bloody and pitched battle between the US and the Empire of Japan. Every free second I had I spent out in those battlefields - metal detector in hand - checking out every cave, cliff and fighting position - and there were many. What you see that follows is all that made it thru Customs in Japan and Homeland Security in the US... It's a fraction of what I attempted to bring back and even that was a fraction of what I found. Frankly, I'm lucky I'm not writing this from some jail in Japan because they were PISSED - and I even left the knee mortar back on-island lol. This is being written State-Side, sadly... I was called back for a family emergency and had to resign my job.

This is my second post. My first being March of 2014

I'll try to fit everything into this post... If not, I'll continue with another.

The first pic is of a Japanese Type 30 bayonette and the famous Marine Ka-Bar... Both badly rusted. The Type 30 was found in Death Valley, center island. The debris you see in the barrel receiver is a vine that grew through it... I'll leave it as it looks pretty neat. the Ka-bar was found north, in Marpi. It was found pointing up-hill and surrounded by Japanese fighting positions. It's clear what happened. Death Valley is the location where the actor Lee Marvin was hit ending his Marine career.

The pic of the medicine bottles shows containers for both injectables and pills. One of the bottles had pills still in it. The injectables bottle with the cap had a powder in the bottom of it. These were found in various locations but primarily in Paradise Valley near the village of San Roque... That was ALWAYS a great spot for prospecting.

The Bolt is from an Arisaka Type 99, probably. It's been stripped of all internal parts which is how the Marines disabled them. Push in and turn the back of the thing and the parts and springs just tumble out. It's a rare find and one of favorites.

The blueish glass bottle is one of two things.. Either a Saki bottle or Soy Sauce bottle. Both were emptied during the US preliminary bombardment and filled with drinking water. This is a rare one. It's intact. The Marines made it a point to destroy EVERYTHING that could be used by Japanese caught behind the lines. I can't tell you how many shards of this type of bottle I found over the years... So this is a rarity.

The case with the coins and other little goodies in it were found at the Japanese last command post in Paradise Valley towards the norther tip of Saipan. You'll notice two of the coins are fused together. This was, I suspect, from a Marine satchel charge used to destroy all the money and other things needed to run an economy found in that command post. It was here that Saito, the Island Commander and Nagumo, Commander of the Pearl Harbor attack fleet, committed ritual suicide. It's said that Nagumo only lightly cut himself with his sword and asked his Aid du Camp to put a bullet behind his ear - which was promptly delivered.

All I can say is I miss this place -E V E R Y D A Y-....

I can't begin to tell you the things that were lost. Awful....

Anyway.. there ya have it....
 

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Cool stuff and great write up and photos. I can imagine how hard it was to part with finds that meant so much to you. At least you can keep the memories and the feelings of adventure from those hunts. Sorry to hear of your family emergencv and the loss of your
job hopefully things in the future will be better for you. Thanks for sharing your historical finds .
 
I've spent most of the last 14 years on the Island of Saipan, the site of a bloody and pitched battle between the US and the Empire of Japan. Every free second I had I spent out in those battlefields - metal detector in hand - checking out every cave, cliff and fighting position - and there were many. What you see that follows is all that made it thru Customs in Japan and Homeland Security in the US... It's a fraction of what I attempted to bring back and even that was a fraction of what I found. Frankly, I'm lucky I'm not writing this from some jail in Japan because they were PISSED - and I even left the knee mortar back on-island lol. This is being written State-Side, sadly... I was called back for a family emergency and had to resign my job.

This is my second post. My first being March of 2014

I'll try to fit everything into this post... If not, I'll continue with another.

The first pic is of a Japanese Type 30 bayonette and the famous Marine Ka-Bar... Both badly rusted. The Type 30 was found in Death Valley, center island. The debris you see in the barrel receiver is a vine that grew through it... I'll leave it as it looks pretty neat. the Ka-bar was found north, in Marpi. It was found pointing up-hill and surrounded by Japanese fighting positions. It's clear what happened. Death Valley is the location where the actor Lee Marvin was hit ending his Marine career.

The pic of the medicine bottles shows containers for both injectables and pills. One of the bottles had pills still in it. The injectables bottle with the cap had a powder in the bottom of it. These were found in various locations but primarily in Paradise Valley near the village of San Roque... That was ALWAYS a great spot for prospecting.

The Bolt is from an Arisaka Type 99, probably. It's been stripped of all internal parts which is how the Marines disabled them. Push in and turn the back of the thing and the parts and springs just tumble out. It's a rare find and one of favorites.

The blueish glass bottle is one of two things.. Either a Saki bottle or Soy Sauce bottle. Both were emptied during the US preliminary bombardment and filled with drinking water. This is a rare one. It's intact. The Marines made it a point to destroy EVERYTHING that could be used by Japanese caught behind the lines. I can't tell you how many shards of this type of bottle I found over the years... So this is a rarity.

The case with the coins and other little goodies in it were found at the Japanese last command post in Paradise Valley towards the norther tip of Saipan. You'll notice two of the coins are fused together. This was, I suspect, from a Marine satchel charge used to destroy all the money and other things needed to run an economy found in that command post. It was here that Saito, the Island Commander and Nagumo, Commander of the Pearl Harbor attack fleet, committed ritual suicide. It's said that Nagumo only lightly cut himself with his sword and asked his Aid du Camp to put a bullet behind his ear - which was promptly delivered.

All I can say is I miss this place -E V E R Y D A Y-....

I can't begin to tell you the things that were lost. Awful....

Anyway.. there ya have it....

Some great finds there , verry interesting
 
I agree. Very interesting finds. Especially anything to do with an Arisaka rifle. My father served in the Philippines during WW II. I inherited his souvenir working Arisaka sniper rifle with bayonet. It was missing the coveted scope which is one of the rarest things to find.
Again, congratulations and hope you’re able to return for more.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Father serving in the Philippines World War 2

I agree. Very interesting finds. Especially anything to do with an Arisaka rifle. My father served in the Philippines during WW II. I inherited his souvenir working Arisaka sniper rifle with bayonet. It was missing the coveted scope which is one of the rarest things to find.
Again, congratulations and hope you’re able to return for more.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My dad also served in the Philippines during the last part of the war in a medical unit on a small island . Brought back some paper money but nothing else i know of. Been to the Philippines a number of times and my wife is from Bohol , Philippines . That is in the central part of the nation. I have taken a detector over a couple of times. :detector::tropical::digginahole:
 
Siapan Sam, Thank you so much for sharing some of your finds and for the knowledge you have shared! At one time, KT had an Ariska rifle, brought back from the Phillipians as a war souvenier by a soldier. The fellow who sold it to me had a letter from his relative who brought it back that he found it in the waning days of the war, obviously dropped by one of Japan's soldiers when captured. When I got it it still had sand around the bolt action. It was one of the rifles KT sold when He bought his Honda ACE 750 motorcycle years ago! As I remember it had a Chrysanthymn factory emblem on the receiver.
 
Ariska rifle

Siapan Sam, Thank you so much for sharing some of your finds and for the knowledge you have shared! At one time, KT had an Ariska rifle, brought back from the Phillipians as a war souvenier by a soldier. The fellow who sold it to me had a letter from his relative who brought it back that he found it in the waning days of the war, obviously dropped by one of Japan's soldiers when captured. When I got it it still had sand around the bolt action. It was one of the rifles KT sold when He bought his Honda ACE 750 motorcycle years ago! As I remember it had a Chrysanthymn factory emblem on the receiver.

I imagine 1000s were captured as the Japanese troops surrendered in the Philippines , if i recall right around 7000 Japanese surrendered on Cebu Philippines alone. There is army film of them surrendering. on YouTube . There is a good Artice on this rifle on https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/arisaka-rifle-weapons-for-the-imperial-japanese-army-way-of-war/ . video of the Japanese surender on Cebu , Philippines https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...62C17739DDF22AD1E1A562C17739DDF22AD&FORM=VIRE
 
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I imagine 1000s were captured as the Japanese troops surrendered in the Philippines , if i recall right around 7000 Japanese surrendered on Cebu Philippines alone. There is army film of them surrendering. on YouTube . There is a good Artice on this rifle on https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/arisaka-rifle-weapons-for-the-imperial-japanese-army-way-of-war/ . video of the Japanese surender on Cebu , Philippines https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...62C17739DDF22AD1E1A562C17739DDF22AD&FORM=VIRE

Thanks, David!:D:D
 
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