Hello! I have been a lurker here for many months; looking at posts almost daily but without much knowledge to contribute so I remain mute. I live on Guam, and enjoy exploring the jungle around my house looking for WW2 remnants. Just about the only thing left at this point are bottles, and I've acquired a reasonable collection of American and Japanese wartime bottles. I'd like to share four items with the forum members. These are unique finds for me, unusual because there generally is not much variety outside from WW2 coke, soda, and beer bottles.
The first is the real question mark for me - not a bottle but perhaps a jar. I found this in what was probably an old trash pit located near Northwest Field, a B-29 bomber base built in 1945 and occupied until 1952. This object was found alongside coke and beer bottles dated 1944.
The 2nd photo shows the base (?) and grooves for a quarter-turn lid or attachment point. There is a small amount of rusty metal left from whatever it was attached to. This really baffles me - I pride myself in identifying objects through Google and this one has me stumped. It almost looks like a light globe, but the glass is too dark to pass light. The nipple on the globe also serves some purpose but what?
The next two photos are of a Magnolia Milk bottle. I believe this is from the Philippines. Found in the same vicinity as the above object - Northwest Field in an undeveloped bivouac area that was occupied by support personnel from 1945-1952 as far as I can tell (by dates on bottles found).
What makes this bottle unusual (to me) is the Owens-Corning data on the bottom. According to what I've seen published here, the 23 references the Los Angeles plan that supposedly opened in 1959. The 1 indicates either 1931 or 1941 since they supposedly went to a two-digit date in the late 40's. The Duraglas logo dates this to after 1940 or so. I suspect this bottle was made in 1951, but that would prove some of the accepted published data as false.
Most clear glass bottles I find are hazed like this. I suspect from the alkaline limestone rock. They will not clean up, even with acid. There are hundreds of 1944 and 1945 clear coke bottles laying around and 99% are hazed like this.
The next bottle was found in a former Japanese encampment area later occupied by the Americans. Many dozens of Japanese Dai Nippon and Kirin beer bottles laying everywhere, along with some other Japanese artifacts. Also found are some American bottles from 1944-1947 (most recent). There are shell craters here as well - so you can deduce with the Japanese beer bottles that they were having one heck of a party that ended very violently and abruptly.
I suspect this is a Japanese bottle, due to it's somewhat crude manufacture. I've never found another one like this, with the lip design and deep non-uniform base.
The last bottle below was found in an old dump with bottles dating from 1944 (and likely earlier) up until 1952. This is a turn-mold bottle with no seams anywhere including the lip. Unusual base also. I've not found anything else like this. I suspect Japanese sake bottle. All these finds were on Northern Guam which was relatively untouched until 1944 and the liberation. Thousands of Japanese soldiers were scattered in the jungle, planning to fight a guerrilla war once the American's broke through the beach defenses. Ultimately, they had a very difficult time due to hardship - lack of food, water, and organization. They ultimately were killed or surrendered. The last hold out surrendered in 1972.
I would appreciate any feedback on the above bottles, especially the small black glass globe which is the real head scratcher for me. I hope I posted these correctly - it is my first attempt! Thanks for looking! I have documented most of my explorations and finds at my web site, http://www.n2nl.net if you'd like to take a look (I also post about my other hobby, Amateur Radio, but most of the recent posts are bottle related).
Regards,
-Dave
The first is the real question mark for me - not a bottle but perhaps a jar. I found this in what was probably an old trash pit located near Northwest Field, a B-29 bomber base built in 1945 and occupied until 1952. This object was found alongside coke and beer bottles dated 1944.
The 2nd photo shows the base (?) and grooves for a quarter-turn lid or attachment point. There is a small amount of rusty metal left from whatever it was attached to. This really baffles me - I pride myself in identifying objects through Google and this one has me stumped. It almost looks like a light globe, but the glass is too dark to pass light. The nipple on the globe also serves some purpose but what?
The next two photos are of a Magnolia Milk bottle. I believe this is from the Philippines. Found in the same vicinity as the above object - Northwest Field in an undeveloped bivouac area that was occupied by support personnel from 1945-1952 as far as I can tell (by dates on bottles found).
What makes this bottle unusual (to me) is the Owens-Corning data on the bottom. According to what I've seen published here, the 23 references the Los Angeles plan that supposedly opened in 1959. The 1 indicates either 1931 or 1941 since they supposedly went to a two-digit date in the late 40's. The Duraglas logo dates this to after 1940 or so. I suspect this bottle was made in 1951, but that would prove some of the accepted published data as false.
Most clear glass bottles I find are hazed like this. I suspect from the alkaline limestone rock. They will not clean up, even with acid. There are hundreds of 1944 and 1945 clear coke bottles laying around and 99% are hazed like this.
The next bottle was found in a former Japanese encampment area later occupied by the Americans. Many dozens of Japanese Dai Nippon and Kirin beer bottles laying everywhere, along with some other Japanese artifacts. Also found are some American bottles from 1944-1947 (most recent). There are shell craters here as well - so you can deduce with the Japanese beer bottles that they were having one heck of a party that ended very violently and abruptly.
I suspect this is a Japanese bottle, due to it's somewhat crude manufacture. I've never found another one like this, with the lip design and deep non-uniform base.
The last bottle below was found in an old dump with bottles dating from 1944 (and likely earlier) up until 1952. This is a turn-mold bottle with no seams anywhere including the lip. Unusual base also. I've not found anything else like this. I suspect Japanese sake bottle. All these finds were on Northern Guam which was relatively untouched until 1944 and the liberation. Thousands of Japanese soldiers were scattered in the jungle, planning to fight a guerrilla war once the American's broke through the beach defenses. Ultimately, they had a very difficult time due to hardship - lack of food, water, and organization. They ultimately were killed or surrendered. The last hold out surrendered in 1972.
I would appreciate any feedback on the above bottles, especially the small black glass globe which is the real head scratcher for me. I hope I posted these correctly - it is my first attempt! Thanks for looking! I have documented most of my explorations and finds at my web site, http://www.n2nl.net if you'd like to take a look (I also post about my other hobby, Amateur Radio, but most of the recent posts are bottle related).
Regards,
-Dave
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