The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Stained white cotton senninbari, or belt of a thousand stitches. The belt has a thicker middle section which is 420 mm long by 145 mm wide. Stitched on the upper centre of this section is a small square panel. Surrounding the panel in even rows are 1000 small stitches. Four of these are red, but the others have faded to an off-white. This main section is double layered with an opening at the top to form a pocket. There is a small hole on the left side of the main panel and a loop on the right. These are possibly used when securing the belt around the wearer's waist.
The senninbari, translated as thousand-person-stitches or thousand stitch belt, was a talisman presented to a soldier by a close female relative or friend. Each stitch, usually red, was sewn by a different woman and was thought to protect the wearer from the hazards of battle. This example, which belonged to a member of the Japanese landing force, was collected at Milne Bay by QX6868 Robert Henry Ferguson in early September 1942. Ferguson was born in Melbourne in April 1914 and enlisted in the army from Brisbane on 4 June 1940. He served with 2/9 Battalion and took part in the fighting at Milne Bay in late August and early September 1942. He was discharged from the Australian New Guinea Administration Unit with the rank of Lieutenant on 9 November 1945.
Rectangular linen hand towel printed in the centre with the insignia of an anchor with double chevron markings on either side. A small box to the side is printed with the characters for 'Name' and 'Gr
Japanese Naval flag, measuring 1720mm height by 2630mm width. The flag is heavily worn with many rips, tears and burn marks evident. Imperial Japanese Navy flag captured at Milne Bay by the Austral
Rectangular linen hand towel printed in the centre with the insignia of an anchor with double chevron markings on either side. A small box to the side is printed with the characters for 'Name' and 'Gr
White rayon body belt of a thousand stitches (senninbari or sennenbari), printed in red with images of the Japanese national and imperial ensigns and four characters wishing the wearer good fortune in
Silk Japanese 'good luck' flag or yosegaki hinomaru, with senninbari, or 1000 lucky stitches in red (normally sewn on a separate belt of 1000 stitches) taking the place of the printed or sewn central
Senninbari belt featuring a Japanese poem by Matsue Matsuo in calligraphy. A second belt, AWM2018.765.1.5, is embroidered with an English translation of the poem. It was stitched by a Japanese woman.
Japanese 'rising sun' naval ensign with reinforced hoist corners attached to braid ties. There are small black ink characters in upper hoist corner which translate as 'Yoko water 7369' and the name 'H
A traditional Japanese senninbari '1000 stitch belt' made from white cotton. The belt consists of a central hand sewn design of a pair of pink flowers attached to a brown branch. The middle of each
