Imperial Japanese Army Shooting Badges and Watch Fobs

Same design of obverse - different inscription on reverse.

Reverse

名誉射撃優勝記念 - Honorary Shooting Victory Commemorative

歩兵第三聯隊 - 3rd Infantry Regiment

大正十年 - 1921


Another example that lost almost all of its silvering.

 

Obverse

射撃優等 之章 - Shooting Award Badge

賞 - Award

天津駐屯歩兵隊 - Tianjin Infantry Garrison

Original case.

 

Obverse

優勝記念 - Victory Commemorative

明治三十九年 - 1906

reverse

歩兵 - Infantry

第九連隊 - 9th Regiment


第五中隊 - 5th Company

 

I have in my collection two watch fobs of the same design in different materials.

Bronze version.

Obverse

優勝 - Winner

reverse

優勝競技會 - Shooting Competition

歩兵第二十九聯隊 - 29th Infantry Regiment

 

Silver version.

 

Different watch fob for different unit of the same design (see also https://asiamedals.info/threads/army-kendo-and-jukendo-award-watch-fobs-to.24548/#post-359421).

Obverse

優勝 - Winner

reverse

海拉爾 - Hailar

Hailar was founded as a Chinese fort in 1734, and during the administration of the Republic of China it was the capital city of Xing'an Province. It was a center of agricultural production on the historical Chinese Eastern Railway. Once known as Hulun, Hailar today is a relatively small but thriving modern industrial city of around 300,000, its population having soared from an estimated 20,000 in the mid-20th century. After the Mukden Incident in 1931, Japan invaded China's northeastern provinces and established the puppet state of Manzhouguo. Hailar Fortress, a huge underground Japanese fortress was completed in 1937 by forced Chinese laborers. The Kwantung Army garrisoned in Manchuria built the fortress complex as one of biggest Japanese fortifications in Manchuria. Some of the fiercest fighting of the Soviet–Japanese War in August 1945 took place around Hailar.​

早淵部隊 - Hayabuchi Unit

 

1st Infantry Regiment also used this design for its shooting competitions.

Obverse

優勝 - Winner

reverse

優勝競技會 - Shooting Competition

歩兵第一聯隊 - 1st Infantry Regiment

Thanks to original case we know that these watch fobs were manufacturered by Akiba Medals https://asiamedals.info/threads/badges-and-watch-fobs-made-by-akiba-medals-tokyo-akiba.21820

 

1936 variation.

Obverse

優勝 - Winner

reverse

恩賜記念 - Commemorative Gift from the Emperor

聯隊特別射撃優勝 - Regimental Special Shooting Championship

近衛歩兵第二聯隊 - 2nd Guards Infantry Regiment

二中隊 - 2nd Company

昭和十一年六月三日 - June 3, 1936


1938 variation.

Another watch fob with the same design of obverse is also known.
Specimen from the collection of Raymond LaBar. Photos courtesy of the owner.

Obverse

優勝 - Winner

reverse

恩賜記念 - Commemorative Gift from the Emperor

聯隊特別射撃優勝 - Regimental Special Shooting Championship

近衛歩兵第二聯隊 - 2nd Guards Infantry Regiment

二中隊 - 2nd Company

昭和十三年五月九日 - May 9, 1938

Both variations back to back.

 

Obverse

記念 - Commemorative

reverse

第壹回 - 1st

歩兵第二十五聯隊 - 25th Infantry Regiment

第六中隊 - 6th Company

名誉旗拝受 - Honorary Flag Acceptance

Honorary flag that was introduced in 1907 and was given to the best marksmanship company of the regiment. It is actually depicted at obverse.

 

Photo courtesy of the owner.

Obverse

射 - Shooting

In the sun

誠 - Sincere, Honest; True

In the rays five principles of military ethics from Emperor Meiji's Imperial Rescript to Soldiers:

信義 - Faithful
禮儀 - Courteous
忠節 - Loyal
武勇 - Brave
質素 - Frugal


reverse

賞 - Award

隊聨七十二兵歩 - 27th Infantry Regiment

Watch fob with similar design of obverse https://asiamedals.info/threads/man...adges-and-watch-fobs.23177/page-3#post-351509

 

Reverse

大正九年度 - 1920

名譽記念- - Honorary Flag Commemorative

第九中隊 - 9th Company

 

See also https://asiamedals.info/threads/army-kendo-and-jukendo-award-watch-fobs-to.24548/#post-356114

Obverse

賞 - Award

reverse

工兵二第大隊 - 2nd Engineer Battalion

 

Obverse

優勝 - Overall Victory, Championship

reverse

陸軍歩兵学校 - Army Infantry School

機関銃隊 - Machine Gun Squad

特別射撃 - Special Shooting Competition

 

Watch fob of same design from the same army school but with different inscription.

Obverse

優勝 - Overall Victory, Championship

reverse

陸軍歩兵学校 - Army Infantry School

教導聯隊機関銃隊 - Instructor Regiment Machine Gun Corps

 

Obverse

賞 - Award

reverse

昭和七年度 - 1932

春化部隊 - Haruka Corps

 

Private collection. Photos courtesy of the owner.

Obverse

賞 - Award

reverse

射撃賞 - Shooting/Marksmanship Award

柳川部隊 - Yanagawa Unit

昭和十三年度 - 1938 (not that originally this watch fob was made for the 1937 shooting competition but somebody later engraved one additional line between 二).

 

Obverse

賞 - Award

reverse

昭和五年度 - 1930

歩兵第四十聯隊 - 40th Infantry Regiment

射撃賞牌 - Shooting/Marksmanship Medal

Case.

賞 - Award

 

Obverse

賞 - Award

reverse

歩三 = 歩兵第三聯隊 - 3rd Infantry Regiment

機 for 機関銃 - Machine Gun

2587 - 1927

 

6th Infantry Regiment Award Watch Fobs/歩兵第六連隊賞章

All three belonged to the same soldier. Obverse 賞 - Award reverse 昭和十一年 - 1936 特別射撃 - Special Shooting 歩六 - 6th Infantry Regiment 第三機関銃中隊 - 3rd Machine Gun Company

asiamedals.info

 

Obverse

優勝 - Winner

reverse

歩四三 - 43th Infantry Regiment

II - Battalion (or 2nd Award)

射撃賞 - Shooting Award