Japanese Naval Officer's Kai-gunto sword and scabbard : Lieutenant A P Coxon, 55/53rd Battalion

Japanese kai-gunto naval officer's sword and scabbard. The hilt has standard Imperial Japanese Navy gilded brass fittings of a fushi, kabuto-gane and cherry blossom menuki under the brown handle binding, over black rayskin. The guard is a plain blackened brass tsuba with two large seppa of a sun ray pattern (one on each side) and four smaller seppa (two each side) with serrated edges. A Japanese army junior officer's brown and blue sword tassel is attached to a webbing loop through the kabuto-gane when a plain brown naval tassel should be attached. The sword has not been altered since it was collected in 1945 and the reason for this anomaly is unknown.

The scabbard is wood, covered in black polished rayskin and has gilded brass fittings to match the hilt. Two loose belt hanger rings are attached to the scabbard bands. The scabbard has a brown leather battle cover stitched down one edge and four broken press studs fitted around the hanger rings. The blade is slightly curved with a single edge that has a straight harmon. The tang is unsigned and has a single peg hole. The habaki is plain copper with silver plating. A linen tag with Japanese characters is attached to the top scabbard ring and translates as 'Third Detachment,105th Air Base Unit, Naval Lieutenant Kodama Kasuo'.

Originally carried by Lieutenant K Kodama, 105th Air Base Unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy, this sword was obtained by NX151319 Lieutenant A P Coxon, 55/53rd Battalion, probably at Rabaul in September 1945. Born in July 1922 at Sydney, NSW, Alfred Peter Coxon was a member of the Militia when he enlisted in the Second AIF on 11 August 1942. Lieutenant Coxon served with the 55/53rd Battalion in the South West Pacific Area. He received his discharge on 26 April 1946.