Nanjing Red Swastika Society Duty Officer Second Sino-Japanese War – Custom Printed Brick Block Figure

English Title & Specific Name

Figure Title: Nanjing Red Swastika Society Duty Officer Second Sino-Japanese War

Historical Era: Second Sino-Japanese War / 1937–1945; Nanjing relief context, 1937–1938

Faction / Military Branch: China / civilian humanitarian relief; Red Swastika Society theme

Detailed Character Identification, Description, and Historical Background

Character Identification

This custom printed brick block figure portrays an unnamed duty officer in a Nanjing Red Swastika Society relief theme. An off-white cap and jacket, a diagonally printed Chinese-lettered sash and a dark red-brown printed bag distinguish this figure from the physician.

Detailed Character Description

• Headgear & Face: The off-white cap has a broad crown, a low front band and small raised side details. The face has dark brows and eyes, a closed mouth and fine cheek lines.
• Torso & Uniform: An off-white jacket displays outlined lapels, buttons, pockets and small red collar markings. A blue circular chest design and dark seam printing add contrasting detail.
• Sash & Printed Equipment: A diagonal white sash bears a red swastika and Chinese characters. A dark red-brown bag is printed at the front beside the waist; these are printed surface details rather than separate bag accessories.
• Rear Printing: The collection rear-view photograph shows the off-white designs with crossing strap lines and a light bag-shaped back print bearing a small red swastika.
• Legs & Footwear: Gray trousers have dark pocket, seam and crease outlines. The black shoes have pale scuffed-looking accents along their toes and edges.
• Pictured Headgear: The full figure includes its pictured front-view cap; no additional loose equipment is shown with this individual figure.

Historical / Thematic Background

Nanjing became the center of a major humanitarian crisis after Japanese forces entered the city in December 1937. The Nanjing Massacre and the displacement of civilians created an urgent need for shelter, food and care. This unnamed duty-officer figure introduces the organizational side of that relief setting.

The Red Swastika Society was a Chinese charitable organization involved in aid work in Nanjing. Its red swastika belongs to the Society's humanitarian and religious tradition, in which the symbol expresses auspiciousness and compassion. On this figure, it identifies the Chinese charity theme rather than a German military affiliation.

Relief depended on organized distribution as well as donations. A 1938 report of the Nanking International Relief Committee describes investigating family needs and distributing food through a joint committee with the Red Swastika Society. That documented work provides context for a duty role: coordinating people, directing assistance and helping limited supplies reach those in need.

The white cap, diagonal sash and printed bag give this miniature an administrative appearance within the four-member collection. It can represent the practical coordination behind a civilian aid scene, alongside the physician and two care workers. The focus is on an unnamed humanitarian role, allowing a display to show how organization and hands-on care contributed different parts of the same response.