WORLD WAR II: JAPANESE IMPERIAL NAVY..

Silk Japanese Rescue Flag. [Japan: recovered from the Pacific Theater, 1942-44.]

Silk Japanese Rescue Flag. [Japan: recovered from the Pacific Theater, 1942-44.]
Small silk Japanese national flag, mounted on a telescopic bamboo pole, collapsing to 8 inches (200 mm), with black-stained bound string strengtheners, the corners padded out with kapok stuffing allowing the flag to float on the surface of the sea and be visible from the air. 30.5 x 39 inches (780 x 990 mm).

A very rare Japanese pilot's light weight silk rescue flag, mounted on a light weight bamboo flag pole, generally included in a pilot's rescue kit along with maps, compass etc. An essential tool for a shot-down pilot to signal to a friendly rescue plane. This would appear to be an early Pacific War pilot's item, as from late 1944 onward, silk supplies were running out, and many of the pilots were on kamikaze missions and did not expect to return home, or equally the dearth of Japanese planes in the air or ships at sea, meant that a downed-pilot had little hope of being rescued.