Army Technology Merit Badge/陸軍技術有功章

Established on August 18, 1941 almost simultaneously with Naval Technology Merit Badge https://asiamedals.info/threads/naval-technology-merit-badge.23345/

Official name of the badge

陸軍技術有功章 - Army Technology Merit Badge.

Awarded by ministry of the army for different innovations in warfare (new army weapons and innovations like Kaitens, Fu-Go balloon bombs, etc).

"Awarded by the Minister of War to those who have made outstanding research, inventions, or inventions in the field of military technology".

「 陸軍に闘する技術上の顕著なる研究、發明又は考案した 者に陸軍大臣から授興せらる。」

Second time awardings of the badge were possible.

All badges were made in pure silver by Hattori workshop https://asiamedals.info/threads/history-labels-i-marks-of-hattori-watch-shop-tokyo.19361/

Badge No. 2

Lowerest known number for today.

Size 55×43 mm.
Weight 40 g.

Obverse

技 - craft; ability; skill

reverse

陸軍 - Army

技術徽章 - Technology [Technique; Engineering] Badge

Marked 純銀 - pure silver.

Another set of marks could be found on the back side of the pin.

純銀 - pure silver + "Martlet" - mark of the Hattori workshop.

Original case.

陸軍技術徽章 - Army Technology Badge

 

Badge No. 23

Size 55×43 mm.
Weight 40 g.

Pin marked with 純銀 - pure silver + "Martlet" - mark of the Hattori workshop.

Original case.

 

Badge No. 49

Pin marked with 純銀 - pure silver + "Martlet" - mark of the Hattori workshop.

Original case.

 

Badge No. 77

Hook was re-soldered.

Marks.

Case.

Badge No. 81

 

Badge No. 96

Marks.

Case.

 

Badge No. 126

Pin is unmarked.

Case.
Note the lower quality of interior than previous case had.

Rarely survived original outer cardboard.
Badge number is stamped on the side.

 

Badge No. 138

Punched number and mark 純銀 - pure silver.

Original case.
Again low-quality interior.

 

Badge No. 169

Size 55×33 mm.
Weight 40.94 g.

Punched number and mark 純銀 - pure silver.

Original case.

 

Badge No. 203

Size 55×33 mm.
Weight 39 g.

Punched number and mark 純銀 - pure silver.

Original case.

 

Badge No. 214

Photo courtesy of the owner.

Punched with number 214 and mark 純銀 - pure silver. Maker's mark is missing.

 

Badge No. 260

Maximum known number for today.

Size 56×34 mm.
Weight 40.8 g.

Punched with number 260 and mark 純銀 - pure silver. Maker's mark is missing.

 

Unnumbered badge.

If the number was polished than it was made very accurately.
No visible depressions on the surface of reverse.

 

Documents.

Document issued on April 8, 1942.

Details.

 

Badge and document issued to aircraft designer Takeo Doi on December 21, 1943 aircraft designer Takeo Doi https://asiamedals.info/threads/pho...-merit-badges-on-cavaliers.23664/#post-348985

 

Document and badge issued on April 14, 1943 for development of "secret warfare weapons". Currently in the collection of Meiji University, Ikuta Campus (ex 9th Army Research Laboratory).

 

Document with the latest (known for today) date.
Issued on April 29, 1945 for development of Fu-Go balloon bomb https://asiamedals.info/threads/pho...-merit-badges-on-cavaliers.23664/#post-348984

 

Document issued on December 21, 1943.

Height 38.5 cm.
Width 54.5 cm.

Issued to three engineers of Shoda Aircraft Factory:

Hiroo Kobayashi /小林乕男/

Kondō Zen'ichirō /近藤善一郎/

Matsuyama Tadashi /松山端/

 

Two documents for two badges awarded to the same team of researchers.

Second document that was issued on October 7, 1943.

陸軍技術有功章常狀 - Army Technology Merit Badge

特殊實包ノ考案 - Special Ammunition Invention

主桂者 陸軍兵技少佐従六位勲四等 北川堅 - Principal Honoree: Army Military Engineer Major (holder of Junior 6th Court Rank, 4th class order of merit cavalier) Ken Kitagawa

協力者 陸軍大佐 正五位勲三等 大村亀太郎 - Collaborator: Army Colonel (holder of Senior 5th Court Rank, 3rd class order of merit cavalier)
Kametaro Omura

/Artillery Colonel Kametaro Omura between March 9, 1939 and July 7, 1945 was attached to Kwantung Army Headquarters/

同 陸軍技手 伊藤龍雄 - Collaborator: Army Engineer Tatsuo Ito

 

Same team of researchers were awarded with a badge in 1941.
Document issued on November 14, 1941 (the earliest known for today document).

陸軍技術有功章常狀 - Army Technical Merit Badge

一特殊實包 - Special Ammunition

發明研究 - Developmental Research

主桂者 陸軍兵技少佐従六位勲四等 北川堅 - Principal Honoree: Army Military Engineer Major (holder of Junior 6th Court Rank, 4th class order of merit cavalier) Ken Kitagawa

協力者 陸軍大佐 正五位勲三等 大村亀太郎 - Collaborator: Army Colonel (holder of Senior 5th Court Rank, 3rd class order of merit cavalier) Kametaro Omura

協力者陸 軍技 手伊藤龍雄 - Collaborator: Army Military Engineer Tatsuo Ito