Japanese Bolo, with capture paper
 

Unusual. Saw a few Bolos claimed being so, stories only, no paper. First time seeing one with paperwork.

Found in an arsenal in Japan. Dated Oct 24, 1945.

http://www.am-firearms.com/viewer.as...m10-650bap.jpg

The document doesn't look right to me. Maybe I'm just being sceptical,
but it just doesn't appear to show ageing, outside of the folds.The paper and ink look too fresh. It also looks home made. There aren't any document or form numbers pre-printed on the form. I could be wrong, just an observation.

Hm
 

24 October 1945, why not : October 24, 1945 ?
24 October 1945 is the European way to write the date.
:confused:

25 April 2010. that's the way the military did it.

FN

First time seeing a paper like this.

The guy is still alive. Was the whole purpose to pump price a few hundred..... plain gun like this market price is $1k - $1.1k, plus this piece of paper asking $600- 700 more, including dealer's 30% profit?

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[Edit] Have you noticed its bottom half is duplicate of the top half?

Paper looks kinda fresh.

Personally I could care less-it only shows the pistol was cleared at one time as a souvenier-so what?

I have a couple pics of vets holding items they brought back.
That interests me.

I'm getting a Nambu and sword later today from a 94 year old friend.
Getting pics of him.

That is a nice pistol you posted.

I believe the paperwork may be correct. I have a set that looks very simular that I know is good.

Somehow, the Japanese oriented Broomhandle stories were all around Bolos. Maybe accidentally, maybe not.

James Brown's book "Imperial Japanese Handguns -- Studied Again" presented a rare long barrel prewar Bolo claimed being surrendered on famous battleship USS Missouri in 1945. I had an original salt blued postwar Bolo, the folklore said it was carried back by a U.S. Army Major served in occupied Japan, no paper though. This one is also a Bolo, claimed being captured from Japan as well. Historical period picture showing two IJN landing troopers fighting in Shanghai with Bolos in hands..... May all these inspired by that photo.... lots of myth.

The paper is interesting. USAFFE (United States Army Forces in the Far East) was in the Phillipines. The 132nd Infantry Regiment was detached on 14 January 1942. On 21 February 1942 the division was re-designated the 33rd Infantry Division. The division formed part of the occupation forces of the Japanese home islands and was inactivated there on 28 February 1946.
Wonder why its still listed the 132nd on the paper when it was re-designated the 33rd in 1942? There was no HHC 132nd when the paper was signed/dated.


The division served in the south Pacific, fighting in New Guinea and in the Philippines. In 1944/1945 the division contained:

123rd Infantry Regiment
130th Infantry Regiment
136th Infantry Regiment

HHB Division Artillery
122nd Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
123rd Field Artillery Battalion (155mm)
124th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
210th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)

33rd Reconnaissance Troop, Mechanized
108th Engineer Combat Battalion
108th Medical Battalion
33rd Counter-Intelligence Corps Detachment
Headquarters Special Troops
Headquarters Company, 33rd Division
33rd Military Police Platoon
733rd Ordnance Light Maintenance Company
33rd Quartermaster Company
33rd Signal Company
33rd Band

132nd was pre-printed on paper, not filled in. As we have noticed, unlike guns captured in Germany, those guns captured in Japan seldomly came with paper. Assumption could be so few papers were issued, old blank paper was still available and one was used.

On my intuition, I felt this one most likely being right. First, the gun is healthy. No doubt about that. Second, the story is not colorful, fake story is supposed to be more complex. The paper itself does look too new for its age, could be a re-print.

The good thing about this one.... the soldier is still alive, story can be verified.

Sold. It's a good buy. If not because I have already gotten many Bolos, this could have come to me. Bolo grip size was right for Japanese. A popular C96 there, relatively.