captured Japanese photo from an 11th AB album

[R MICHAEL]

Hello all I acquired an 11th AB album recently and in the album was this photo. I would love to find out more about it.
Are these fellow Imperial Marines or just navy?

Thanks! Mike

[R MICHAEL]

Here is the backside am I correct in assuming the script are the names of these fellows? I would love a translation.
This would have been picked up in the philipines as the note in the album states that it was picked up off a dead soldier. I am saying this as the 11th AB fought in the Philipines.

Thanks, Mike

[Banzi64]

By the looks of the uniforms I would guess these to be shipboard navy guys

[Jareth]

Yes Navy. Note round shoulder rating. Aviation!

[Striking 9th]

Nice picture.
Scott

[cbuehler]

Great picture! The rating on the sleeve if for Navy Aviation ground crew (Seibitai) and I would presume the others are as well even though we cant see what is on their sleeves.
I am sure this picture was taken in the Philippines as it follow the style of photos commonly made there. The tropical uniforms are also typical of the area and the Philippines also had the largest concentration of aviation for both the Army and Navy in the south west Pacific.
Also, note that the rate patch is the old style generally replaced by the more commonly seen 1943 issue woven yellow anchor and bars with the branch colored cherry blossoms. The old style patches were often seen in use by Naval aviation up to the end of the war.

CB

[cbuehler]

Just noticed by reading the back that it was indeed taken in Manila. As a further note, all of these guys would have been converted to the infantry role by 1945 when all the many airbases and aircraft were destroyed by returning US forces.
All remaining Naval personel were organized into ground units and attached to the Army for the final battles in the mountains throughout the Philippines. Some of course also remained with the Manila defense force which defied General Yama****a's order to vacate.
I have a sword scabbard finial and ring for the slings from a Navy officer's sword which I aquired ago from some Aetas (native aborigines) way up in the mountains above Clark Airbase near Mt. Pinatubo. I wondered at the time, what was a Navy sword doing way up here? Of course, now I know well that there were many Naval troops assigned to the Kembu group which defended the area in 1945.

CB

[R MICHAEL]

Wow thanks for the great information! I was away over the weekend and just now checked this thread. I really appreciate the information.
What does the rest of the writing say besides Manila?

Thanks guys! Mike

[cbuehler]

Wow thanks for the great information! I was away over the weekend and just now checked this thread. I really appreciate the information.
What does the rest of the writing say besides Manila?

Thanks guys! Mike

I can read the date of November 5, 1944. It looks like the other writing may be the unit name, but I am not sure.

CB

[Jim B.]

Nice pic Mike. Makes you wonder if the one who died was in the photo or another guy in the unit.

I'm curious what the forum thinks of the following cap features:

- Left side standing, what do you think of his chinstrap? Also, the cut looks different... almost like he is wearing a converted army cap (not saying he is, just the lighting probably).

- Right side standing, is that a Type II or a bleached-out Type III?

Jim

[cbuehler]

Still looking at this pic makes me think quite a bit. Having been taken in November, the expression on these men does show a sense of impending doom. They were surely aware of the fighting in Leyte at the time and it was only 2 months to go with the landings on Luzon. While we will never know for sure, I would hazard a guess that at least some of these men may have remained in the Manila area with the Naval Manila defense force. The 11th AB came up from Tagaytay in the south along Highway 17 and first encountered Naval troops along the Genko line, which was a heavily fortified defensive line stretching from edge of Manila Bay at Paranaque through Fort Mckinley to Laguna de Bay. This was in early February by which time there were no Japanese flying aircraft or operational airfields on Luzon any more, and all personel were on the ground fighting. The Japanese Navy had rigged many AA guns and even aircraft or ship mounted guns into prepared fortifications here.
(Colonel Haugen of the 511th PIR was killed at Paranaque bridge by one of these horizontally rigged heavy AA pieces).
Since the 11th AB remained as the principal fighting division in the provinces south of Manila, it would seem likely that this photo was obtained in the fighting for the southern entrance to Manila. Not very many Naval troops survived in this area.
Note that each of their uniforms is slightly different. They were using anything they could get by this time and the Navy was on the short end of priorities for materials of all sorts, the Army number 1 for everything.

CB