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I am new to this site and just picked up an interesting item. I hope you can give me your opinions on it's authenticity, and or what particular parts they may be. Also who might be able to help me authenticate the item.
I went to the Estate Sale of Mrs William Henry King Jr. Wm H King Jr, her husband was in the 40th Division stationed in Oahu from '42-'43. He was an Ordnance officer, and one of their duties was to protect the outlying islands of Hawaii after Pearl Harbor. He died in 1977 but his wife kept most of his items. He was an avid collector/maker of Trench art. Most of his trench art was geared towards his cigar habit. I got a set of items that were shells made into humidors, one small and one large and an ash tray. The reason I mention this is because it lends credence to the story. One piece was an ashtray made from parts he obtained from the Ni'ihau incident. I'm sure you know of it but to refresh your memory: Airman First Class Shigenori Nishikaichi crash landed on Ni'ihau and eventually was killed by natives. I have included pictures of the item. There was a History Detectives program about this very same type thing. Some fellow who's father had been on Oahu at the time got two pieces of the plane. They confirmed that his pieces were authentic. So pieces were "liberated" from the plane. Captain King was there at the time, was an Ordnance officer, and was assigned to clean up the islands of hazardous debris so the story rings true. I have his photo albums and he has many pictures of him diffusing bombs and cleaning up areas of the islands along with of course many sight seeing pictures. I hoped that he would have a picture of the plane, but if he did, I didn't get it. Taped to the bottom of the item is a piece of paper that says this:
"The metallic parts of this ashtray were taken from a Japanese airplane which participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Plane crashed on the island of Ni'ihau where the Pilot, who was unhurt, terrorized the population for three days until he was killed by a sixty year old native Hawaiian. These parts were removed from the plane, by Capt. Wm. H. King. ordnance department, U. S. Army"
There is also a card taped to the bottom that reads: "Colonel King my best to Mrs. King." written and printed "Lieutenant Colonel Charles M Jaco Jr. Assistant Army Attache' Embassy of the United States of America."
I suspect Col. King Jr had the parts for a good while then Lt. Col. Jaco had them made into an ashtray as a gift. Maybe even a retirement gift when King retired as a Colonel in 1965.
Any help or opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Gneagle