A Near Pristine WW2 Japanese Officer's Sword Knot Of Company Grade

Blue and brown coloured cords and tassles in excellent condition and with still vibrant colours. The reputation of Imperial Army troops during the Pacific War of refusing to surrender was established by the low number of Japanese survivors in numerous battles throughout the Pacific Campaign; 921 captured out of a garrison strength of 31,000 in the Battle of Saipan, 17 out of 3000 in the Battle of Tarawa, 7,400–10,755 out of 117,000 in the Battle of Okinawa, with a high number of battlefield suicides sanctioned by the Imperial Army. In the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) just over 1,000 surrendered in each of 1942 and 1943, around 5,100 in 1944, and over 12,000 in 1945, and might have been greater except for disease. Propaganda through leaflet drops by the Americans accounted for about 20% of surrenders; equating to about one POW for every 6,000 leaflets dropped; while the Japanese objected to the "unscrupulous" leaflets, which contained some truth with regard to the willingness of American forces to accept surrenders from the Japanese. This was in contrast to Imperial Japanese Army practice of depicting American troops as cruel and merciless, referring to them as Kichiku Beihei, lit. Demonic Beast and informing their own troops that Americans would rape all captured women and torture the men, leading directly to brutal treatment of Allied POWs in incidents such as the Bataan Death March and the mass suicide of Japanese soldiers and civilians during the Battle of Saipan and Battle of Okinawa. It was from Japanese officers such as these that these knots were carried on their swords, and taken at the surrender of the officers.

Code: 25020