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Syonan reflections

Home of the 5th division Imperial Japanese Army living history group

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5th Div History

Singapore war years

Here you will find our unit members kit up as various Japanese soldiers with descriptions on the type of uniforms and equipment worn...Enjoy!

Uniforms and Equipment

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Above - Group leader Alvin Lee outfitted as a Sergeant Major of the Japanese Kempeitai (Secret Military Police), in newly occupied Syonan-To, as denoted by the original armband he is wearing. The Kanji characters on the armband are pronounced as Xian Bing, meaning Military Police. Of interest is the pair of Jikatabi footwear worn in lieu of the leather combat boot. It’s made of rubber and cloth material and has a split toe design. He is wearing the cotton tropical shirt and trousers commonly seen in the hotter climate countries like Singapore. He also wears a Type 26 revolver holster and an original Type 30 Bayonet and scabbard with frog around his leather belt. The soft cotton cap with the detachable 4 curtain neck flaps is shown. It is also interesting to note that various cloth items shown are manufactured in different colour shades from a light tan to Khaki and Dark Brown.

The group’s alternate German impression, portraying soldiers of the Waffen SS, 1st Panzer Division, Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler. German impression Co-Founder Andreas Loh, on the left is wearing a rubberized motorcyclist coat with wool collar along with a leather hardshell Walther P-38 holster on his combat belt. Only the Unterscharfuhrer shoulderboards would denote his rank. Group leader Alvin Lee wears the M-36 tunic with dark green collar and is five buttoned as being Waffen SS issued. He displays the SS runes on his collar tabs and rank insignia of Rottenfuhrer (Corporal) along with the cufftitle and orange piped shoulderboards for SS Feldgendarmerie (Field police). Being on duty, Alvin wears the metal gorget of which the yellow portion glows in the dark and has a softshell Walther P-38 holster. Both men wear the M40 overseas sidecap with correct Waffen SS eagle and skull cloth insignia.

Left - Alvin is wearing the Heer Splinter A pattern winter parka which is reversible to white when worn on it’s other side over his tunic and M42 battle trousers. Waffen SS camouflage patterned parkas were issued to Waffen SS soldiers but however due to supply problems, soldiers wore what was issued to them and this included army pattern camouflage uniform items too. Also, the winter parka is more of a luxury issue item and a lot of soldiers had to relay on the greatcoats, torques and winter boots to provide warmth. The white string ties on the hood and lower edge of the parka can clearly be seen.

Right - Here we see Andreas displaying the white side of the winter parka. The parka, which is of 6 buttoned front and had two lower slashed pockets, gave adequate warmth to soldiers but the white side got dirty and muddy easily, sometimes giving away the position of the soldiers to the enemy. Note that his Waffen SS belt buckle is made of aluminum.