Interesting Late War Pilots Album-Neat Art

[FightenIrish35]

As some of you may know my primary focus is Aviation. I like to study uniforms/equipment/and accessories.

Every now and then Ill come across Pilot albums. This one caught my eye because of the various little art work added through out the album.

This album has a dragon head drawn on the top of the page , a rayed naval flag on another, meatball flags on other pages. Just some very interesting artwork to add that much more character to the album.

I've never had the album translated and admit I'm very curious as to what it reads. Any help with the reading of the album would be extremely appreciated.

From the uniforms the majority of the pilots are wearing uniforms that would date about 1943-1945.

I also can clearly tell 2 of the photos are of Army IJA Pilots. These are the only army pilot photos in the naval album and am curious as to why.

Id be very thankful for any help. Thank you. And I appreciate you guys taking a look. Happy to share.


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[GHP]

I can't read the Japanese, we'll have to wait to see if someone else is willing to do it -- or give you the synopsis.

The large painted kanji, though, is tamashi and means soul/spirit:

魂


--Guy

[J7W22007]

Facinating photos !!!

Me too was curious about the IJA pilots and Aircraft (Ki-49 Donryu). Maybe friends or relative that was happened to joined into the Army air force.

Underneath the Tamashi it is a poem written about his good old hometown. Which was in Saga Prefecture.

大坪　正信 - OOtsubo Masanobu (Name of the writer).

Photo # 2,3 is Masanobu

Photo #4 is 石井　久十 (Ishii Kuto) or (Ishii Hisato). Notice he is wearing his Navy Flight School service tunic (seven buttons) and hat.

Photo #5 is 江頭　昭男 - Egashira Akio

Photo #6 (Left) is 福地 廣次 - Fukuchi Hiroji
(Right) is 西村　保 - Nishimura Mamoru

Regards,
Taka

[GHP]

Another Poem ....

"Dragon Head" page, right side. Something like this (which I invite Taka-san to clarify!)

この目 この 口
すずを言はんとー
すずを語うん
とするか
のぞみは
果ーていづ二へ !!
=====
These eyes, this mouth
Cannot make any remarks
Cannot chit-chat
That has changed

Nozomi [girl's name] is
to perish for!! [or "the extreme"????]
======

[next to photo]
目本 パッチリー
いい男か
Grand conclusion:
A nice boy, am I????


[under the photo]
二十の春は
This was my twentieth Spring

============
Okay .... I'm not a poet!

--Guy

[J7W22007]

Hi Guy-san,

I wasn' t educated in Japan so, these writings are not easy for me to read.

They are also kind of poetic, still very interesting.

Nozomi (望み) in this case means wish, or desire.

Regards,
Taka

[FightenIrish35]

Simply amazing. Thank you so much Guy San and Taka San. That's great that not only is the album artistic but also poetic as well. Sad to think these late war prep school pilots could have actually compleyed there training courses and sent on there first and probably last mission.

Are the writings around the 2 other artistic photos written in a poetic way as well ?

[GHP]

Hi Guy-san,
I wasn' t educated in Japan so, these writings are not easy for me to read.
They are also kind of poetic, still very interesting.
Nozomi (望み) in this case means wish, or desire.

Regards,
Taka

Thanks Taka-san. Japanese letter script is hard to read! Thanks for clarifying that in this case he's talking about his desire, not a girl named Nozomi. But then again .....

I guess 希美 [Nozomi] could be his desire! 望み



望みが僕の望みです。

Sorry for the cheap joke!

--Guy