Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This is a rare World War II Japanese pilot’s bail-out survival meatball float flag. The flag is constructed of silk with a stitched and stuffed buoyant border to assist in the flotation of the flag on the water for a Japanese pilot who crashed in the sea. The flag is in very good condition and is still attached to its original telescoping bamboo pole. This poles can be collapsed to a compact size of only 8 inches and extended to a length of 40 inches which was important for allowing the pilot to signal other aircraft and ships. These have become increasingly difficult to find and the first one we have had in several years. Flag measures approximately 39” by 31”.

The flag was signed by multiple USGIs, we have transcribed many of them below:
Irvin T. Durhrm - Dry Fork, Box 136 - Virginia

Peter Cristantell - 107 Myrtle St - Rochester, N.Y.

John Bernrdeci - 42 Butler Place - Rosebank Staten Island N.Y.

Thomas Thisbodean - 4506 Eighth Washington N.C.

Arthur L. Jacobs - Billings, Montana

Orville Meece - Dykes Ky

J R Vassallo - "Rocco" - 2213 West Venango ST - Philadelphia, PA

Victor A. Hisler - Webster City, Iowa RR #3

Anthony Lasota - Eden, N.Y.

PFC Richard E. Smith - Coffeyville Kansas

Virgil H. Davis - Lacy Virginia (?)

Cecil N Brown - Denver Colorado

Richard L. M Odere - Berwyn, Pa.

Frank Rydzewski - 7671 Westwood - Detroit Mich

We did some cursory research and found Orville Meece who was from Kentucky and his Army Serial Number was 35981193. His grave can be seen at this link.

The Japanese call their country's flag hinomaru, which translates literally to "sun-round", referencing the red circle on a white field. When the hinomaru was signed, the Japanese characters were usually written vertically, and radiated outward from the edge of the red circle. This practice is referenced in the second term, yosegaki, meaning "sideways-writing". The phrase hinomaru-yosegaki can be interpreted as "To write sideways around the red sun", describing the appearance of the signed flag. This particular example completely unique is written in old KANJI the writing are mainly Japanese names of this soldier's family and friends with quotes and phrases.