Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

World War 2, South West Pacific Theatre, Imperial Japanese Navy, 1945

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Overview

Japanese Khaki Rubberised Cotton Raincoat, (donated 1979) This is a non-commissioned Japanese officer’s single breasted khaki rubberised cotton raincoat. There is a slight A-line shape to the coat with two flat waist pockets slightly angled with flap pocket tops. The khaki body is worn from usage with some marks and stains from wear, but the material is still supple. After 1942, a synthetic style of raincoat replaced the rubberised raincoat standardised in 1938 and oil-treated fabric raincoats issued prior to 1938.

Historical information

The Japanese Imperial Army and Navy, which had recruited volunteers 16 years old and over, lowered the recruitment age to 14 by the war’s end. Just before Japan’s surrender, student recruits received minimum training before being sent to the front.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-54-736

Inscriptions and markings

Block print in Japanese issue markings/script are located on the inside opening , along with four Japanese characters. The wording says the coat is a size for a student around 14 years of age. The company that made the coat is still producing cloth in Japan.

Contextual information

This uniform element formed part of the VP (Victory in the Pacific) special 80th Anniversary Exhibition presented at the Australian Army Museum of Western Australia from 6 to 24 August 2025

Last modified

Monday, 11 August, 2025

Completeness

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Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

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