IJA Field Marshals

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Wellgunde
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IJA Field Marshals

#1

Post by Wellgunde » 18 Apr 2014, 02:32

The following is a list of Imperial Japanese Army Field Marshals as of September 1945:
DOR=date of rank
DOC=date assumed command or position
1. HATA Shunroku [(畑 俊六](Prince)(b. July 26, 1879-d. May 10, 1962) DOR: June 2, 1944; Commanding General Second General Army - DOC: April 5, 1945
Arrested 1945; sentenced to life in prison for war crimes 1948, paroled 1954
2. NASHIMOTO Morimasa [梨本宮守正王](Prince)(b. March 9, 1874-d. January 2, 1951-heart attack) DOR: August 8, 1932; Member Board of Marshals and Fleet Admirals - DOC: August 1932; held no active commands during the Pacific War.
Uncle of the Empress Kojun (Nagako), consort of the Showa Emperor (Hirohito)
Grand Priest of the Ise Shrine 1937-1947
Arrested on suspicion of war crimes December 1945, released without charges April 1946
3. SUGIYAMA Gen [alternate reading: SUGIYAMA Hajime] [杉山 元](b. January 1, 1880-d. September 12, 1945-suicide) DOR: June 21, 1943; Commanding General First General Army - DOC: April 7, 1945
4. TERAUCHI Hisaichi [寺内 寿一](Count)(b. August 8, 1897-d. June 12, 1946-stroke) DOR: June 21, 1943; Commanding General Southern Army - DOC: November 6, 1941
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Re: IJA Field Marshals

#2

Post by ijnfleetadmiral » 18 Apr 2014, 07:17

Hata Shunroku was not a Prince; in fact, neither he nor Sugiyama held any nobility rank whatsoever, strange for having achieved Field Marshal rank.
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Wellgunde
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Re: IJA Field Marshals

#3

Post by Wellgunde » 19 Apr 2014, 03:29

Thank you, ijnfleetadmiral.
For some reason, the U.S. Military Intelligence Department thought that he was a prince. According to Wikipedia/jp he received "court rank" in connection with having been conferred the "Grand Cordon of the Order Koichi class." Perhaps MID thought that everyone who had court rank was a prince. I'm not sure exactly what "court rank" means or entails or if it is automatically derived from the award of certain medals and orders. In any case, the subject of the Japanese nobility from 1868 to 1945 is very confusing. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable on this topic will share a short exposition with us.

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Re: IJA Field Marshals

#4

Post by ijnfleetadmiral » 19 Apr 2014, 04:24

My guess is "court rank" means he could be present for audiences with the Emperor. I imagine that was a given due to his rank; Japan didn't hand out Field Marshal / Fleet Admiral pins willy-nilly.
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