Translation Requests

[ijnfleetadmiral]

Awesome...thanks!

[Joe504]

Hi everyone, Im back with another request. Here are some more pages from the journal I have. I would to know more about this soldier, and where he was. Thanks for your help.

[hisashi]

The last one is a manuscript of speech, on 'being determined'. He said being free of self interest, and seeing it is where one would die, one is ready to be courageous enough to fight to die.
The first three pics are quotations from famous militarymen, Napoleon and Sun-Tzu. He seemed really devoted to give a speech.

And second to last one. It is a list of personnel. 'Company leader and 15 braves', where only the CO is not named (so himself). They belonged to HQ platoon, courier section and the 2nd platoon. 15 men includes one officer, two WO (platoon leaders). The list continues to 3 KIA, 2 (or more) heavily wounded men, but only one man KIA is in the 15 under CO. List was dated as 10 May 1938.

What did it mean? I guess at landing 16 men shared a barge. For a while after the landing the 16 shared their destiny in deadly situation. After all was cleared, the CO counted three dead among his company.

So eventually his name is not yet given. He landed to Amoi in May 1938 and prepared speech materials partly from his experience. I am not sure where he gave the speeches, but surely he had young/inexperienced sailors to lecture.

[Joe504]

Thank you so much!

[Roman1981]

Hello,

Just few photos to translate, please help, if possible. Thank you in advance.

1. Brave young man - cavalry officer:

2. Navy officer with family:

3. Unknown general with moustache, i hope it would be useful to identify him:

[Roman1981]

The other side of the photo with general:

BR, Roman.

[hisashi]

1. Brave young man - cavalry officer:

He was a senior private (perhaps a draftee), Sasaki Tsunejiro or Jojiro, from Akita pref. After 3 months' basic training all soldiers became 1st private (ittohei) and in their second service year men of good record go to the rank of senior private (Jotohei), on several waves. Usually a half of men became jotohei at the end of two years service.

This leaf was presented to his comrade, senior private Morohashi Kazuyoshi on Sasaki's retirement, with the word 'of A soldier's mate I talk for long'

His neck shows '24', 24th cavalry regiment. It was one of two regiments in the 3rd cavalry brigade, a GHQ cavalry unit, stationed in Morioka city, and Sasaki from Akita might well be allotted.

Cavalrymen and other solders/NCOs who served on his saddle were issued swords, though they looked less prestigeous compared to officers' swords.

2. Navy officer with family:

Taken in 28 Jun 1942

from right
Yamada Kesayoshi?
Kikuko 11 years old
Akira 13 years old
Hasuko

Lines on his sleeve hard to see but perhaps he was a Sub Lt. A line officer was usually offered a marrige at 1st/Sub Lt. or army Capt./navy Lt. He looks young and Hatsuko's eye and bree resemble those of Kesayoshi, so the others might be his younger brothers/sisters.

3. Unknown general with moustache, i hope it would be useful to identify him:

LGen Yamamoto, Kakuichi, noted as MajGen, the brigade commander. He led 18th (infantry) brigade from 1923 to 1925. Retired in 1933.

[VJK]

Here's a brief bio of YAMAMOTO Kakuichi:

Kind regards,

VJK

[Roman1981]

Thank you, Hisashi san and Valdis! much appriciated, really useful information.

Roman.

[shidan]

I have a question about the kanji used for prisoner/captive: 俘虜

Is this purely for military personnel taken captive or is it a more general term that includes civilian captives? Were other kanji combinations used during WW2 to separate those who were from the military as opposed to civilians captured? Any help greatly appreciated, thanks!

Tom

[hisashi]

俘虜 is an older synonym of 捕虜. It does not include civilians, though some gray zone remains such as hired civilians. Until 1945 all Japanese POW camp were officially 俘虜収容所. Nowadays Japanese call all kind of POW camp as 捕虜収容所, but it is inaccurate on our own camps.

When the U.S. force expropriated some sectors for their base in Okinawa, they set up camps to move civilians lived there. The camps were called in Japanese as 住民収容所 avoiding negative image.

Camps for forcefully detained civilians are 強制収容所. This word has strong negative nuance. In Japanese Internment (1942-1946), camps have often been described as 強制収容所 in Japanese literature.

On the contrary, Japanese government set up 34 敵国人抑留所 by Dec 1941 for civilians from hostile countries. The number of camps decreased for centralization but recovered somewhat while they accomodate civilians captured in newly occupied territories. 抑留 is an internment. For 敵国人抑留所 a good reference is available in Japanese.

http://teapot.lib.ocha.ac.jp/ocha/bitst ... 470995.pdf

The word 抑留 has been used for soldiers interned by (mainly) the USSR, emphasizing that most of them were interned after the hostility ended, without combat.

But at large Japanese youngsters forgot the word 抑留, and is seldom used nowadays.

[shidan]

Thanks, Hisashi, it is very much appreciated!



Tom

[Wellgunde]

俘虜 (furyo) and 捕虜 (horyo) can both mean prisoner of war although I think horyo is more common. If additional specificity is needed you will sometimes see 戦争捕虜 (sensō horyo) war prisoner or 戦場捕虜 (senjō horyo) battlefield prisoner. There is also 抑留 (yokuryū) internee, which refers to persons detained for political or military reasons. Persons held or incarcerated for civilian criminal justice reasons are referred to as 囚人 (shūjin).

[shidan]

Thanks for the info.!



Tom

[ach66]

Hi

I am researching my Great Grandfather who was a Japanese POW i have managed to get his index card but cannot read Japanese.

would someone please be able to translate it?

I'm particularly interested in the second page but if someone would be able to do the front as well I would be very grateful

Many thanks

Aaron