Body Armour, Model 38, Aerial Type III, Japanese

This body armour consists of a rectangular dished chest plate and a roughly triangular groin plate. The groin plate is attached to the chest plate by three straps. Both plates are covered with a lightly padded khaki drill outershell. The inter facing surface of both elements of the armour outer shell is marked with a large anchor. The entire assembly is worn on the front of the body, and suspended by two 50mm wide cotton drill straps which pass upward over the shoulders, cross over one's back and fasten at the sides under the arms.

The attribution of this armour to aerial use was given by the United States Military, who captured a similar example in 1944. This was later described and tested at the Aberdeen Proving Ground Maryland. The body armour was part of a set which also included an armoured helmet and full length articulated leg protectors. The entire ensemble was illustrated in Australian Military Forces, Technical Intelligence Summary, No 18 October 1944, pp91-96.