Original U.S. WWII 32nd Infantry Division Captured Japanese Army Officer Sword & Shin-gunto Katana War Trophies with Original Ship-Home Box - Carl Barile Jr., 126th Infantry Regiment

Original Items: One-of-a-Kind Set. The end of WWII marked the beginning of the sword ownership ban in Japan. By law, Japanese citizens were forbidden to own swords. General McArthur did not want the general population to be able to arm again. Most soldiers and citizens surrendered their swords to the American occupying forces.

The Americans destroyed a large number of swords by dumping them into the ocean or by melting them. But a small percentage made its way back to the United States and into the collector market by way of "War Trophies" brought home by returning USGIs. The majority of Japanese swords at large are the result these actions.

This is an unprecedented pair of such swords, possibly the most outstanding “Ship-Home” box we’ve ever offered. These swords were captured by Private First Class Carl Barile Jr., 1st Battalion Headquarters Company, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division and sent home to his parents in Euclid, Ohio. During World War II, the 32nd Infantry Division was credited with many "firsts". It was the first United States division to deploy as an entire unit overseas and among the first of seven U.S. Army and U.S. Marine units to engage in offensive ground combat operations during 1942. The division was among the first divisions to engage the enemy and were still fighting holdouts after the official Japanese surrender. The 32nd logged a total of 654 days of combat during World War II, more than any other United States Army division.

The ship-home box measures 43 x 7½ x 5” including the lid. The lid shows heavy warping and cracking so it doesn’t perfectly fit over the crate, but it sits great for display. The box is still filled with wood shavings/dried grass which was used as padding for the swords during transit. The lid of the crate is inscribed:

From: P.F.C. Carl Jr. Barile 35852622
1st BN. HQ. Co. 126 INF. A.P.O. 32
℅ Q.M. San Francisco, Calif.

To: Mr. & Mrs. C. Barile
20630 Westport Ave.
Euclid, Ohio

The lid also mentions a clearance slip in the box which is no longer intact. The lid has three postage stamps on top with a faint ink stamp over it. 

Carl Barile Jr. was born on June 30th, 1926 in Cleveland, Ohio. He grew up in Euclid, Ohio and attended Euclid Shore High School. He was inducted into the U.S. Army on October 31st, 1944, and was sent overseas as a replacement for the 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division. He likely took part in the Battle of Leyte & Luzon before the war ended. He passed away on January 14th, 1980.

This is an outstanding set of swords sent home by a soldier of the 32nd Infantry Division, ready to become the centerpiece of your collection!

More About the Swords in this set:

The swords sent home by Barile are relatively standard examples used by officers in the Imperial Japanese Army. The first sword is a wartime produced Japanese Officer Katana in the Type 98 Shin-Gunto (九八式軍刀 kyūhachi-shiki guntō) setting. The Type 98 fittings (koshirae) are slightly simplified compared to the earlier Type 94. A Shin-Guntō (新軍刀, new military sword) is a weapon and symbol of rank used by the Imperial Japanese Army between the years of 1935 and 1945.

The sword does have a few parts that are more simplified than the usual, so it looks to possibly be late war, or possibly assembled / repaired at one of the arsenals on the islands. It also looks to have seen rather heavy use, as indicated by the level of soiling on the cloth grip wrappings (Ito). The blade is in good shape, though it is VERY sharp, and should be handled with care. It shows a GUNOME (zig zag) shaped HAMON (temper line), which looks to be oil tempered or possibly etched. There is some oxidation on the blade near the edge over a good length of the blade, and the last 1/2" at the very tip also shows rusting.

We pulled the handle, and the unsigned tang is somewhat crudely made. shows grinding and hammer marks, and also has three holes in it. This may indicate that it was possibly an NCO Sword blade that was repurposed, or it may have been a general purpose blade. The handle itself is relatively standard, with the correct brass fittings and cherry blossom motifs. The TSUBA cross guard however is an older style, in the MOKKO GATA (quince) shape, with two HITSU-ANA for accessories. It may have been repurposed for use during WWII, and it is stamped with the cherry blossom emblem of the Imperial Japanese Army. The handle is tight on the blade, however the cross guard is quite loose, as there look to be SEPPA spacers that are missing.

The Shin-Gunto comes with a wooden scabbard with a leather field cover, often seen on lower end officers katanas. The leather has shrunken and the seam split at the very button, so the wood is now exposed. It has a metal hanger ring near the top, and there are some snaps to secure the cover, which is too tight now to remove from the wood. Overall the sword is in lovely service used condition, one that was REALLY THERE, probably used on the Islands during WWII.

The other sword in the offering is a well-worn Imperial Japanese Army Type 19 Kyu-Gunto Officer’s Parade Sword with Scabbard, which looks to have seen actual service during the war. The sword blade was originally fully plated with a faux hamon, however it now shows a good amount of wear and oxidation. The brass hilt has a lovely patina, having lost the original gilding, and the wooden grip shows cracking with some chunks missing at the bottom.

The scabbard also shows patination overall, with some dents about 5 inches above the bottom, and the plating is missing in areas. It looks to be chrome plated, which is more of a blue color than nickel plating.

Specifications (Type 98 Shin-Gunto):-
Blade Length: 25 1/2”
Blade Style: Shinogi-Zukuri Katana
Overall length: 36 1/4“
Scabbard Length: 29 1/8”

Specifications (Type 19 Kyu-Gunto):-
Overall length: 38”
Blade length: 32 3/4”
Hand guard: 4” width x 5” length
Scabbard length: 34”