Translation Requests

[Wellgunde]

What would be the most likely reading of this name 徳久捨馬 (Major General, class 17)? Would anybody be willing to give an educated guess?

TIA

TOKUHISA Teruma. The given name is a problem. The character 捨 can be read in names as teru, ie, eda, sha, and sute. The character 馬 can be read in names as ba, me, uma, ma, and muma. When you examine the various combinations, Teruma is the only one I am familiar with as actually being a name (although with different characters). Some of the combinations do not sound pleasant to the ear or do not seem logically Japanese. TOKUHISA Teruma is also alliterative, which is sometimes a factor in Japanese name selection. I hasten to point out that this is just a guess. This is a rather obscure individual. A Major General TOKUHISA does not show up in any U.S. intelligence documents with which I am familiar.

[Steen Ammentorp]

Thanks Wellgunde,

Yes - the given name is a difficult one. Beside date of birth/death I only have that he was an infantry officer promoted to Major General 1st August 1940 and at the same time attached (附) to 55th Division. Most likely just before his retirement, but I don't know.

[VJK]

Hi Roman,

Your Lt. General is in fact a Lt. Colonel - take a close look at his shoulderboards. All I could decipher is that his surname begins with KITA..... Unfortunately I couldn't read the Maj. General's or Naval Capt.'s names, we'll have to wait for our Japanese friends for that.

Kind regards,

Valdis

[Roman1981]

Hi Valdis!

Yep! You are right, of course, liet. Colonel. Fixed it. Thank you.


Roman.

[ijnfleetadmiral]

Got another name: 長藤季久土

Part of it reads Nagafuji, but the rest comes out as "Suehisa tsuchi". Any ideas? TIA for any help.

[Roman1981]

I have more photos in my collection, i did not find these generals in the thread regarding their identification.

Maybe the writings on the back will help. Please help with the translation.

1. unknown Liet. Colonel

2. unknown Maj. - General.

3. Naval Captain.

Dear Hisashi-san and Taki-san,

Any chance to understand the handwritings?

Sorry for annoying .

Very best regards, Roman.

[Akira Takizawa]

1. unknown Liet. Colonel
Only state "When he was serving in North China".

2. unknown Maj. - General.
Gen. Junshi Hitomi

3. Naval Captain.
Captain 宇宿主一
It would be read as Shuichi Usuki, but the correct reading is unknown.

Taki

[Roman1981]

Thank you very much, Taki san. much appreciated.

[VJK]

Hi Roman,

Here is a brief bio of HITOMI Junshi.

Kind regards,

Valdis

[Roman1981]

Thanks a lot Valdis, that is really cool information about him.

[Steen Ammentorp]

Hi,

I have encountered another general, where the possible reading of the given name gives me trouble. It is 中島三栖雄
Nakajima ? Would anybody give an educated guess at the reading of the given name.

TIA

[Akira Takizawa]

His given name is Misuo. Not a guess, but according to a general dictionary.

Taki

[Steen Ammentorp]

Thank Taki,

Much appreciated!

[guadalcanal42]

Hello, I think this reads 霞ヶ浦海軍航空隊 or Kasumigaura Naval Air Group. A paper tag came with it saying "fished out of water while looking for survivors August 8th 1942." Was there a unit with this name stationed in Rabaul who would have attacked the Americans at Guadalcanal?

[hisashi]

I am suspicious about this piece. This pennant for sailors was called in IJN as 'pennento'.

1. Only sailors wore pennento, while only officers wore caps with black brim.

2. Kasumigaura NAG was a training unit. On graduate or transfer from Kasumigaura NAG, they returned pennento showing 'Kasumigaura NAG' and temporarily used 'Dai Nippon Teikoku Kaigun' pennento until they received new pennento from their unit. So they must not be in Rabaul.