Original Item: Only One Available. This is an very nice and clearly stamped dog tag, with stamped characters indicating that this soldier was a part of the 2th Company of the 1st Engineer Regiment, soldier No. 20. This unit was part of the 1st Division of the Imperial Japanese Army, originally as a battalion but after 1937 as a full regiment. Imperial Japanese Army dog tags were first introduced on 22 June, 1894 by Army Ordinance No. 63 as “Specifications and Issuing Procedures for ID tags”, immediately before the Sino-Japanese War, which broke out only a month later.

On October 27, 1943, the final regulation said, “The purpose of an ID tag is to identify those soldiers and civilians serving the military upon death or injury, and are to be issued to officers and below upon mobilization. It is also to be issued to officers and below, who are assigned as replacements to a field unit”. From this time, even officers were now issued tags.

As best we can tell, this tag reads (right to left, top to bottom) 工 一 (1st Engineer Regiment), 中 二 (2nd Company), 番 二 〇 (Number 2 0). Measures approximately 1 3/4"H x 1 5/16"W.

As part of the 1st Division, this unit was one of the oldest in the modern Imperial Japanese Army. They were garrisoned in Tokyo, and remained to defend the homeland until the 101st division was created, after which the division saw service on the mainland against the Soviet Union. In 1944 they were reassigned to the Philippines as part of the Pacific War, intended to defend the Manila and Leyte areas from invasion. After the Battle of Leyte, the unit effectively ceased to exist.

This brass tag is in lovely patinated condition and comes more than ready for further research and display!