Item Description
Original Items. One-of-a-Kind Grouping. This is the outstanding Navy Corpsman grouping of Pharmacist Mate 3rd Class Primo Frank Cardinalli, who served in the Fleet Marine Force with D Medical Company, 4th Medical Battalion, Service Troops, 4th Marine Division. The grouping includes his uniform jacket & enlisted visor, his USMC Bolo Machete & a gorgeous theater-made fighting knife, and a fantastic collection of his captured Japanese souvenirs, including a battlefield-captured blood-stained Japanese flag. This grouping came directly out of Cardinalli’s estate, so we are certain that every item in the group belonged to him.
Primo Frank Cardinalli was born on October 7th, 1921 in New Village, N.J. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on March 31st, 1942, and spent a year attending the US Navy Hospital Corps School at Norfolk Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia. He first trained as a Hospital Apprentice before becoming a Pharmacist’s Mate around February of 1944. Cardinalli’s Marine Corps muster rolls note that he participated in the Battle of Saipan from July 1-9th, 1944, as well as the action against enemy forces on Tinian, M.I. from July 24-31st, 1944. We were able to find that he was wounded in action, possibly at Tinian, as there aren’t any later muster rolls listing him until he’s back in the states. After being wounded he returned to the United States and was discharged.
This fantastic grouping includes:
- USMC WWII Uniform jacket with 1941-1942 Quartermaster date. The name CARDINALLI P.F. is written in the right shoulder. The jacket bears a 4th Marine Division patch and Pharmacist’s Mate 3rd Class rate on the left sleeve, Enlisted EGA Collar insignia (both EGAs are damaged, one is missing most everything besides the globe and the other is missing one wing on the eagle), and a 3-place ribbon bar above the left breast pocket with the Navy Presidential Unit Citation, American Campaign Medal, and Pacific Campaign medal with two campaign stars. The jacket retains all buttons and is a good example.
- Cardinalli’s WWII Marine Corps Service Visor with EGA by Bailey’s Inc. in Chicago, Illinois. The sweatband is marked for Size 6⅞ and has the initials P.F.C. for Primo Frank Cardinalli.
- WWII USMC Bolo Knife by Chatillon, N.Y. with BOYT 1943 Scabbard. Oxidized service worn condition.
- Gorgeous WWII Theater-Made fighting knife with thick cast aluminum hilt, brass crossguard, and 9¾” bowie style blade. Shows heavy field use. 15½” overall. The 10” leather sheath has two gorgeous knotted braids which have been on there forever. Including the belt loop it’s 15¾” long. A great knife on its own but almost certainly carried by Cardinalli as it came from his estate with everything.
- Captured Japanese national silk flag with a small bit of writing in one corner, roughly 27 x 30”, hard to get an exact measurement due to the tearing. This flag is very obviously a battlefield-pickup, and is stained in several places with blood. The writing by one of the corner reinforcements is definitely period and translatable. One of the more grim-looking Japanese flags we have seen.
- Captured Japanese 28 x 30” hand-sewn multi-piece Good Luck Flag inscribed “Nanga” in incredibly large Kanji characters. Rising sun is a sewn-in separate piece.
- 7 x 10” Japanese Enlisted man’s cloth cover Family Photo Album with U.S. Passed Censor stamps. This confirms it as a trophy of war. 94 photographs total, probably 10 military photos. A scarce piece on its own.
- Japanese Arisaka bayonet, missing the mounting mechanism & button. Rough condition overall, could be a battlefield pickup but likely just improperly stored. Roughly 21” overall.
- Captured Military Manual in Japanese.
- Several pieces of captured Japanese paraphernalia, small pouch with religious chits, a bottle opener, small pouch with star and crossed rifle insignia pinned on.
- A rubberized case with captured Japanese letters, postcards, and other ephemera. One letter is stamped as passing censor by the Joint Intelligence. One postcard was translatable, describing the scarcity of food in the innards, and how the children are working to increase production. Tons of research potential.
- Two packs of captured Japanese cigarettes, scarce to find.
- Coupon for ticket on Parmelee Transportation Company train in Chicago, stamped by Agent Byrnes.
This is one of the greatest groupings of war trophies we have seen, let alone being identified to a wounded Navy Corpsman. This grouping requires much more research and will display extremely well with the flags framed. You do not find groupings like this often, as most are gutted for their more profitable parts, so don’t miss out on this great opportunity. Comes ready for further research and display.
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