Original Item: Only One Available. This is an outstanding WWII souvenir patch blanket made from an original Imperial Japanese Navy or Naval Landing Forces issue blanket and decorated by an American serviceman with approximately 130 U.S. military shoulder insignia, rank and service devices, overseas bars, and other wartime patches. Measuring an impressive 60" by 84", it is a remarkable one-of-a-kind display piece that brings together Japanese captured material and an extensive collection of American WWII insignia.

Before the late 1920s, the Imperial Japanese Navy did not maintain a separate permanent marine corps. Instead, temporary Naval Landing Forces, known as Rikusentai, were formed from ships’ crews who received infantry training for landing operations and other special assignments. During the late 1920s, the Navy began organizing standing Special Naval Landing Force units associated with the major naval districts of Kure, Maizuru, Sasebo, and Yokosuka. These units later served in China and participated in Japanese amphibious operations throughout Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

The blanket retains its original Japanese data tag, confirming its Japanese military origin. The printed information has become heavily faded and washed out, preventing the date and other details from being read accurately.

The blanket was reportedly captured by an American serviceman, possibly a Marine or Army soldier, and later used as the foundation for an ambitious patch collection. No written bring-back documentation accompanies the piece, so the identity and branch of the original American owner remain unknown.

Approximately 130 patches and insignia have been sewn across the surface. Some are arranged in deliberate organizational groupings, while others appear to have been added wherever space remained available. The overall composition looks unfinished, with a number of Army divisions and several Air Forces apparently still absent.

At the top is a bullion Combat Infantryman Badge positioned beside a Ruptured Duck discharge emblem and seven overseas service bars. These pieces create an especially strong focal point and suggest that the original assembler may have been attempting to record or display a broad range of wartime service insignia.

A vertical grouping of Marine Corps shoulder patches runs down the right side. The center portion includes examples representing U.S. Armies, Corps, and Divisions, although many National Army divisions are not present.

Several Armored Division patches appear closer to the lower section. The bottom portion contains a grouping of numbered Air Force insignia, with approximately ten to twelve examples apparently missing from a complete sequence.

Additional organizations represented include Amphibious Engineers, United States Forces in Austria, the Civilian Conservation Corps, and several other specialized or unusual units. One particularly interesting handmade-looking patch near the top bears the motto:

WE GUARD AS THEY DID

The exact unit or organization represented by this patch has not yet been identified and would make an excellent subject for further research.

The patches vary considerably in construction, age, condition, and method of attachment. Some appear factory manufactured, while others may be locally made or privately embroidered. The collection should be studied carefully to determine whether all insignia are wartime examples or whether a small number may have been added during the immediate postwar period.

The blanket shows expected age, handling wear, fading, staining, and minor fabric deterioration. The patches also display varying degrees of wear, oxidation, fraying, fading, and surface age. These condition features are consistent with a large textile display assembled and stored over many decades.

The size and weight of the blanket make it best suited for supported wall display or professional textile mounting. It should not be suspended solely from the original fabric without proper backing, as the combined weight of the patches could place additional stress on the blanket.

The combination of an original Japanese military issue blanket, surviving Japanese data tag, approximately 130 American military patches, bullion Combat Infantryman Badge, Marine Corps insignia, Army and Air Force groupings, and unusual handmade pieces makes this a spectacular WWII souvenir. Properly mounted, it would become an immediate centerpiece in a collection devoted to U.S. wartime insignia, Pacific Theater bring-backs, captured Japanese equipment, or WWII Home Front and veteran-made displays.