'Separate Movement Forces' Tanto?

[cthal]

Here's an interestingly mounted tanto. Full leather Gunto style! It is missing the hanger, but had one when picked up 'on the island' by the GI it came from. I was told that it says 'Separate movement' or Special movement' force on it (The purple ink stamp? Any thoughts welcome. Hal

 

http://halkct.myphotoalbum.com/albums.php

[Aloof Pegasus]

Group not force

 

Philip

[Aloof Pegasus]

Hi Hal

 

A quick check of on-line info suggests your best bet would be to try and identify the purple stamps because they are probably the same as the shoulder patches for whichever raiding group this tanto was carried by. Can you make out what kind of image the stamps contain? The kanji are tough! No one who s seen em can translate em. Its not Teishin Shudan nor Giretsu Kutestai or Daisan Dokoritsu Hikotai which I had hopes of since they raided the B29 bases in the Mariannas and Saipan and one other island which fits with the island part of your provenance. Maybe its a Marine Commando unit.

 

Philip

[cthal]

Across the center of the stamp it looks like 9. 6. 5 or possibly 8. 6. 5. I am trying to take some better pictures to post. I'll put them up if they come out. Hal

[Toryu2020]

Heres what I see;

 

別働隊　玉友

 

Bestudôtai Tama-tomo

 

Bestudo-tai is translated as "detached force, flying column; partisan." Tama-tomo if this is in fact what we see would be "friend of the jewel" or more likely "a friend [as precious as] a jewel". So your original translation is pretty close, this may not be a recognized group or unit but something for a "Third Column" member. The tama I am not so sure of, maybe will see it as something different with your new photos.

 

Just MHO but don't think the stamps are military look more like postage cancellations to me, then again looking forward to seeing those pics for more info...

-tom

[John A Stuart]

How about it being Mobile Labour Force an engineering corps like sappers, miners in the military sense ie. such as the SeeBees, Construction Battalion in the US military? The purple stamps really do look like date stamps like the post uses. John

[Nobody]

The last part of the writing is Kunitomo (国友), which seems to be someone's family name.

[Toryu2020]

Yes Kuni!

and it makes a hellavu lot more sense. Thank you Mr Moriyama,

-t0m