The Adam Park Project

Item Information:

Catalogue Number: 16/16/004, 16/09/001 Source: TAPP Archaeology Surveys Location: No16 Adam Park Report No: Report No.11 Artifact Type: Button Production Date: 2012-09-06 00:00:00 Dimensions of Item: 20mm dia Copyright with The Adam Park Project

Other Description:

The two brass buttons with no face design may well be come from Japanese uniforms. Plain brass 20mm buttons with eyelets were commonly used on early war uniforms. Smaller buttons were used for the breast pockets. As resources ran as the war went on out the buttons were made of rubber and wood.

Historic Context:

The discovery of Japanese buttons were indicative of Japanese soldiers in combat. Buttons tend to break off when a soldier is fighting. The fact that the buttons were not retrieved is alos indicative of loss during the battle. Contemporary photographs of the 41st Regiment in dress uniform shows the men wearing similar buttons on their Type 98 cotton tunics. The early production buttons were made of brass and gold coloured; later buttons were merely painted gold or green.