Dog Tag Western New Guinea ????

[muddyboots]

I picked this tag up last week and was looking at Nick’s dog tag post and I think I got this tag narrowed down to where it was picked up at. I think it came out of Western New Guinea with the code mark 東 . Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Nick Komiya]

1998 stood for the Independent 68th Anti-aircraft Cannon Battalion (FLAK) of the 5th Area Army, covering northern Japan like Hokkaido

[muddyboots]

While looking around the web for information on the 68th I found this information on Axis History Forum post the 68th Ind. AAA Bat. 達28793 in Northern Japan and then I found the 68th Field AAA in Hollandia, April 1944 and in Vogelkop area, 1944.

[Nick Komiya]

It appears I mixed up info of two similarly named units. I'll give you the raw data released by the Repatriation Bureau's 11th Feb. 1946 code list. It said 1998 stood for 野高砲６８大, which would be a contracted form of 野戦高射砲兵第６８大隊 ( 68th field AAA Battalion ). However, the closest I could find in unit profiles was for the 68th Independent AAA Battalion, so I assumed these were the same. But the 1946 list does indeed say that 28793 stood for 独高砲６８大 or 独立高射砲兵第６８大隊（ 68th Independent AAA Battalion). Both are confusingly "68th AAA Battalions", but one is prefaced "Field" and the other "Independent". I could find no history for the former designation, but as it is now clear that we now have two different closely named units, the former "68th Field AAA" is what you have.

[muddyboots]

I have heard the 68th was possibly in Eastern New Guinea as well but everything points to the West.

[Rod]

Hi James,

You're right about this tag being from New Guinea.

The "Tobu" 東部 designation is interesting, unfortunately it only suggests the unit is comprised of men from the 'Eastern Army District' in Japan. Maybe that's where the confusion lies as there is no clear connection outside of the administrative one.

東部1998 was the 68th Field Anti-Aircraft Battalion with the 2nd Army. The 2nd Army was responsible for "Sarmi, the coast west of Sarmi and strategic areas in the Suneau Mountain Range" New Guinea.

There it is. Cheers!