WW2 Japanese Navy Pilot’s Canvas Armband

Japanese pilots, both Army and Navy, were authorized to wear a flag on their flights suits. Not all did.

Regardless, when they did wear a flag, photographs show an amazing variety such as National Flags, Army Rising Sun flags & Navy Rising Sun flags. In fact, Imperial Japanese Army Navy Uniforms & Equipment by Tadao Nakata & Japanese Naval Aviation Uniforms and Equipment 1937-45 by Gary Nila both show various pilots wearing flags on their flights suits and life jackets.

These flags were made in a variety of sizes and materials. Most were tacked on at the corners. This easy-to-remove attachment is true of Naval rank too. If he were shot down, as his plane sunk, the pilot would rip off his rank and flag and send them to Davy Jones’ Locker along with his plane and parachute. The ability to quickly discard such insignia was so that a Navy Pilot could claim to be a land based army pilot; a commissioned officer could claim to be an enlisted pilot and a Petty Officer Pilot could claim to be a simple, ill informed, gunner or crew member. The armband type of flag, likewise, could also be easily discarded if a pilot went down in the ocean.

This is a rare canvas armband for a Japanese pilot.

The sun, as is customary for Naval rising sun battle flags, is offset towards the halyard side of the flag.

The edges are tuned under twice, and sewn down, as is the center seam.

Naval Officers who wore rank on their flights suits, wore it on their left sleeve. Conversely, Petty Officer Pilots wore their rate on their right sleeve. This armband is perfectly correct for either rank.  This is true because you can simply turn it upside down for whichever sleeve you wish to display it on. We have shown this fact by photographing it both ways.  On either sleeve, as you can see, the sun is closest to the halyard and the sun’s rays trail.

This armband was obviously used quite a bit. It has wear and soiling evident.

If you collect Japanese Naval Aviation items this is a fantastic opportunity to proudly enhance your pilot’s flight suit.