NAMBU Type 14 (Jūyon nen shiki kenjū)

1.   OVERVIEW by Trevor Oxborrow

In 2019, my dad and I donated a rusty Nambu Type 14 to the museum.  HOWEVER……without the benefit of Jed Oxborrow’s field notes, the details of the pistol’s discovery weren’t available. Then, last year, from a crushed cardboard box in an over-stuffed self-storage unit in Carson City, I retrieved bundles of tattered, half-forgotten composition books and tape-bound field notes going back to 1960.

Opening my grandfather’s handwritten field notes recently, I was delighted to discover his “Nakamura File”.

2.    THE NAKAMURA FILE

On May 16, 1964, Jed Oxborrow discovers a rusted NAMBU Type 14 in a Tinian cave. Believing he may have found the site of ‘Ogata’s Last Stand’, Jed partners with Film Militaria Consultant Yoshi Nakamura to forensically trace ownership of the pistol. Based on the cave’s location, condition within, and available WWII records, Yoshi suggests the Nambu Type 14 ‘probably’ belonged to Tinian Garrison Commander Colonel Kiyochi Ogata.

Off-and-on for a decade, Jed and Yoshi chase the unsolved double-mystery of the NAMBU’s ownership and Ogata’s disappearance. They become experts on NAMBU anatomy, the IJA 50th Infantry Regiment, and the details of the USMC search for Ogata. Cross-referencing G-2 intelligence records with IJA 50th Infantry war documents, Jed and Yoshi confirm every step of Ogata’s movements during the 7/24/44 – 8/1/44 Battle for Tinian. They interview 4th Marine veterans who participated in the 8/2/44 to12/30/44 Marpo Point Mop Up Operation. Because IJA Officers are required to purchase a Nambu Type 14 with their own money -- and register the weapon -- Yoshi learns that absolute proof of ownership can be verified by checking the pistol’s serial number against the registration files of Nagoya’s Imperial Military Arsenal and/or the Koishikawa Military Arsenal. Unfortunately, the NAMBU’s serial number is hidden under a thick layer of corrosion.

Jed Oxborrow and Yoshi Nakamura in Japan - 1965

3.   “WITHOUT HESITATION” – August 4,1944 

Private First Class Robert Lee Wilson is cautiously ‘taking the point’. Respected among his fellows, Wilson is known as a by-the-book, no nonsense, courageously loyal Marine. The eight-man Browning Automatic Rifle team of the Second Battalion, Sixth Marines, Second Division, follow Wilson closely.  

Lieutenant General Clifton B. Cates officially declared the Island “secure” three days ago. Today’s “mop up” assignment along the base of Marpo Point’s coral cliffs to capture Colonel Ogata and neutralize isolated points of resistance is ‘relatively’ routine for the crack team of Leathernecks.

Girlfriends back home will be impressed with the war trophies the BAR team walking behind Wilson have collected from caves they’ve cleared this morning. Wilson remains vigilant outside each cave. He watches over his men like a mother hen. Wilson believes the scuttlebutt that Ogata’s veterans are experts in marksmanship, camouflage, and organized resistance.  

Before Wilson calls it a day, he tells the team to clear one more cave.

Suddenly, from a recessed lair high on the vertical wall to their left, a Type 97 hand grenade lands with a dull thud in the midst of the team. Without hesitation, Wilson yells a warning then throws himself on the grenade absorbing the full blast with his body to prevent injury to his buddies (Pvt. Robert Lee Wilson is posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor).

Back at G-2, the word goes out. Ogata’s well-armed hold outs exist in the Marpo Point area with a ferocious fight-to-the-death spirit. During the next four months, the Marines mop up Marpo Point in a vain search for ‘Ogata’s Lair’……………no trace of Ogata is found.

 4.   OGATA’S LAST STAND? – May 16, 1964 (from Jed’s Nakamura File)

It’s been nearly twenty years since the fragmentation grenade exploded here.

Today Marpo Point is quiet……serene actually.

Snow white Frigate birds effortlessly ride the updrafts along these vertical cliffs. Like Flintstone condos, hundreds of cave openings pockmark the grey walls.

Jed wonders if anyone – anywhere --knows Robert Lee Wilson’s story.

“There should be a monument here”, Jed jots in his notebook.

Rock climbing a seriously vertical wall, Jed is midway between the spongy jungle floor and the barely visible cave entrance still 30 feet above. Abundant thorny vines and dive-bombing Frigates aren’t helping his progress. Thankfully, hand holds in coral divots are plentiful. Jed hoists himself onto the cave’s ‘porch’. Feet dangling over the precipitous drop-away he calls down to Ted with promising news. The cave appears to be un-scavenged. In his ever-present notebook he jots,  “…….cloudless day…..spectacular penthouse view…..cobalt sea…..Aguiguan’s profile 5 miles SSW…..”

Removing a dog-eared USMC Monograph from his rucksack, Jed turns to page 102. His position (close to Hill 560) is confirmed by the coordinates on Map #11. Jed is now positive he has reached the general area of the August “enemy offensive” misleadingly noted as “Ogata’s Last Stand”.

As Ted joins his father, they enter the 10’by 20’ cavern together. In the darkness they realize they’ve discovered a destroyed redoubt of the 50th Infantry….. but…..a cave never visited by Marines. Among the relics of war, Jed discovers a rusted 20-year-old NAMBU pistol in plain sight…..” oddly, the magazine is loaded”.

5.   HITCHING A RIDE 

1960 - Jed and Isabel Oxborrow relocate to Guam from California. They are following a dream to own a sailboat marina. Paradise Pier soon becomes the home port of the HAVAIKI (a 50’ sea going Catamaran) and WANDERER (a double-ender 45’ Tahitian Ketch) in Merizo village.  

When Bunzo Minagawa and Masashi Ito are captured near Talafofo Falls, Jed is present. The event is covered by the Honolulu Star Bulletin, Japan Times, and NHK. Additionally, Ely Kahn’s book, THE STRAGGLERS, describes how these soldiers hid out in Guam’s dense jungles for 16 years, refusing to believe the war had ended. 

1961 - An intense student of the Marianas campaign, Jed amasses an extensive library of U.S.M.C. monographs, maps, and photos. Enthusiastically he explores Guam’s remote battle sites and researches the details of the 2nd and 4th Marine invasions of Saipan and Tinian. 

1963 - Ted Oxborrow arrives from Perú to help at Paradise Pier. Befriending College of Guam professor Paul Carano, co-author of A COMPLETE HISTORY OF GUAM, Ted supports Carano’s efforts to establish a Guam Museum. A complete B-29 is being cut-up for scrap aluminum at abandoned Harmon Field. Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go Light Tanks are being buried alongside Sherman tanks in the Tank Graveyard above Asan village. The mood among island leaders is “forward looking” with little interest in preserving war relics from the past. The ‘museum’ idea is scrapped along with the B-29.

1964 – Visiting Saipan isn’t easy (commercial tourism is a decade away). Travel requirements include a current passport, space available on the non-scheduled Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) DC-6, and an official invitation from TTPI Headquarters. Visiting Tinian is a separate challenge altogether.

On Wednesday, May 13, 1964, Dr. Viterelli invites Jed to interview for a TTPI position on Saipan. Boarding the DC-6, Jed carries a copy of THE SEIZURE OF TINIAN, U.S.M.C. Monograph, by Major Carl W.Hoffman, 1951. Jed hopes to visit Tinian following the Saipan interview. Ted talks his way onto the DC-6 at the last minute.

Following the Capitol Hill interview, Jed and Ted spend the afternoon exploring Saipan.

Jed Oxborrow at the “Red Beach” landing zone assigned to the 2nd Marine Division on June 15,1944. (Photo by Ted Oxborrow 5/14/64)

Ted Oxborrow on one of 100 M4A4 Sherman Tanks launched from LSTs during the V Amphibious Corps assault. This particular M4 was stopped 300 meters off Susupe’s shore. (Photo by Jed Oxborrow 5/15/64)

5/16/64 - TTPI permission to visit Tinian is granted. The Oxborows hitch a ride across the channel on a vintage LCU. George Flemming provides a war era jeep, one of several in his family’s San Jose yard. Exploring Mt. Lasso and North Field, George shares ‘stories’ from Tinian’s past: 

“After the bomb….Japanese gone…. Americans leave fast….planes are at South Field….. over here…..I’ll show you…...I  can sit in any plane I want……push buttons…..turn propellors till motors stop……key in every Jeep…gas in every truck.”

Eager to explore Marpo Point in search of the area designated as Ogata’s Last Stand (photographed and mapped in great detail in Hoffman’s Monograph), Jed enlists George as a local guide. George refuses. Too dangerous! The Naval EODT (Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team) is headed by Chief Petty Officer Steve Aiken. The EODT is contracted to clear live WWII ordnance on Saipan. Rumor says Tinian is next….. but yet to be scheduled.

Parents warn their kids to stay out of the jungle. Live tank mines. Unexploded grenades. Ghosts of dead soldiers!

George provides 2 machetes. In the jeep, then on foot, the Oxborrow’s follow Hoffman’s map toward Hill 560…….without George.

6.   OGATA’S PISTOL?

 The 4th Marines were ‘mopping up’  Marpo Point from August 4TH to December 30th. USMC records dated 8/12/44 assign teams to remote areas with the notation: ‘Capture Ogata’.    

✓ The NAMBU is a bona fide ‘Officers’ pistol.

✓ G-2 records confirm Ogata is the only surviving officer after the clash.

✓ G-2 records document Ogata’s cunning in avoiding capture.

✓ G-2 records directly link Pvt. Robert Lee Wilson’s death to Ogata’s guerillas.

✓ G-2 interrogations confirm Ogata’s hideout is in a remote Marpo Point cave.

✓ G-2 interrogations confirm Ogata wore a NAMBU pistol.

✓ For Marines, the NAMBU officer’s pistol is a coveted war trophy.

7.   A 2025 NOTE ABOUT COLLECTIBLE TYPE 14s

Today the NAMBU Type 14 continues to increase in value as a highly sought Imperial Japanese Army collectable. For example:

 • 4/4/25 - gunbroker.com - NAMBU TYPE 14 (SN 64875) for $1,200. Like new finish with two original magazines.

 • 4/4/25 - Invaluable.com - NAMBU Type 14 (SN 3561) for $7,500 including 2 magazines numbered to match the pistol, original checkered mahogany hardwood grips, original brown leather clamshell pattern holster with hand-written kanji on inside flap, and a cleaning rod;

• 4/4/25 - truegunvalue.com - “the collectable demand for the Imperial Japanese Army NAMBU Type 14 Officer’s pistol has risen 25 units over the past 12 months.”

8.   A 2025 NOTE ABOUT INTRINSIC VALUE

The experts at gunbroker.com would turn up their noses at Jed’s NAMBU Type 14 find. Market value for the corroded relic might range between $29.99 and $55.00. However, considering the1964 discovery date and historic discovery location, Jed’s NAMBU has inestimable intrinsic worth.

With a curator’s expertise, the rare pistol can be an eye-popping educational tool. It can preserve the otherwise forgotten story of two very similar, very courageous men – American Robert Lee Wilson and Japanese Kiyochi Ogata – each connected to the NAMBU, the Marpo Point cliffs of Tinian, and, by extension, the Enola Gay.  

The NAMBU Type 14 can also teach gun aficionados about an unusual, classic Japanese firearm. Every officer who wanted the NAMBU had to purchase the pistol with his own money. Even though Its limitations were known – vastly inferior muzzle velocity compared to the American Colt 45 -- it was sought-after by Japanese officers because of its nobility. Named in honor of the 14th year of Emperor Taisho’s reign, it had an aura of divinity. According to Japanese militaria consultant Yoshi Nakamura, officers who carried the NAMBU Type 14 into battle believed the pistol kept them safe from harm.

9.  A PARTIAL INVENTORY

The following is a partial list of relics Jed observed in the Marpo cave. The list will undoubtedly increase as time passes because several 1964 notebooks have yet to be opened.

• 1 disintegrating Type 92 Kyuni-shiki ju-kikanju machine gun mounted on a steel tripod / corroded 7.7x58 cartridges and empty magazines beneath.

• 7 Type 90 helmets / 1 with star on front / 1 with Naval anchor emblem / 5 mostly disintegrated.

• 3 live Type 97 Kyūnana-shiki Terūdan fragmentation hand grenades / the same Type 97 that killed Pvt. Wilson in 1944.

• A webbed waist belt with separate pouches containing live 7.7 rounds.

• 4 brass-banded Type 89 knee mortars.

• 6 round-rim “Tojo” eyeglasses / all partially broken.

• Various toothbrushes / rice bowls / mess kits / glass morphine vials.

• Several individual, well-worn rubber-soled Tabis.

• 2 separate skeletal remains with skulls.

• 6 Type 98 “Meiji“canteens.

• 2 Type 99 bolt-action Arisaka rifles / 1 rusted with broken stock

• 1 well-preserved / bayonet type 30 ‘straight guard’ and scabbard

• 1 officer’s Wakizashi (short sword) / the blade is rusted and deteriorating but well-crafted with chiseled blade ornamentation below the Habaki (blade collar) / decorative two-layer Tsuba (possibly copper-gold alloy for smaller layer and brass with rising sun ornamentation for larger layer) / possible copper-alloy Fuchi featuring flower motif / possible copper-alloy Habaki suggesting specialized craftsmanship. An art treasure in its own right. In the words of Yoshi Nakamura, “This Wakizashi possesses moral and physical characteristics connected to a divine spirit”.

• 1 Nambu Type 14 officer’s pistol, right side.

• Remnants of gas masks. 

Regarding Gas Masks: the NAKAMURA FILE mentions “Japanese and American gas mask remnants litter battle sites on Saipan and Tinian”. According to Guy Gabaldon -- 2nd Marine Division veteran of Saipan and Tinian – “gas masks were issued to soldiers on both sides……I threw mine away on day one”.

The U.S. Navy War Crimes Commission on Guam,1945, and the War Crimes Trials in Khabarosk,1949, confirmed that Japan planned to use germ and chemical warfare on Saipan and Tinian. The Kamo Detachment, a branch office of General Shiro Ishii’s infamous 731 Unit was established on Saipan in 1943 with the purpose of using chemical warfare against the Americans.

The Kamo Detachment planned to introduce bubonic plague-infested fleas to infect the advancing Marines. The War Crimes Commission cited the story that Nana-san-ichi-Butai dispatched infected flea containers by submarine to Saipan in 1944……..however the sub was attacked en route and sunk).

10. UNANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM THE NAKAMURA FILE

• Will electrolysis reveal the NAMBU serial number?

• Why did the Marines ignore the NAMBU and other trophies in1944 ?

• Who loaded the NAMBU magazine then left it on the stone shelf?  

• Does one of the two skeletal remains belong to Ogata?

• Is the Wakizashi Ogata’s sword?

• What became of Ogata?  (Major Carl W. Hoffman’s official USMC Monograph, The Seizure of Tinian, reports that Ogata disappeared; Nathan N. Prefer’s THE BATTLE FOR TINIAN, Vital Stepping Stone in America’s War Against Japan, page155, “Colonel Ogata’s body was never officially identified and there were conflicting tales of just where and when Ogata met his fate”; a current Wikipedia account unconvincingly has Ogata “committing seppuku after the battle”, providing no sources or details regarding positive identification.)

For the moment, Landon, these questions remain unanswered, however the rusted Nambu – now in your care -- provides a relevant tactile teaching tool student-visitors can ponder and physically examine. Thoughtful discussions can be encouraged about the historic juxtaposition between:

• Marpo Point on 8/4/44 vs. Wendover on the same day…..between…..

•  Pvt. Wilson’s duty vs. Colonel Ogata’s duty…..and between…..

• a Japanese NAMBU Type 14 vs. an American B-29 Super Fortress.