I wanted to share a PO savings pass book that I picked up recently that has the person's location as being that of the aircraft carrier Ryujo. The interesting thing about the stamps within the booklet is they record deposits from 1941 through most of 1943. Looking at the Ryujo's history, one can see that she was sunk in the fall of 1942 in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons. From the way it looks, the individual was with the carrier originally and then was transferred off, ultimately ending up on an island where the booklet was captured (in this case, I believe Saipan). Going back to my heading, it seems like a lot of IJN paper collecting (at least for me), particularly when it involves connections to vessels, revolves around sailors who initially spent time on ships and then for whatever reason, found themselves based on islands and atolls around the Pacific. I suppose fairly obvious when one looks at it, but I find it interesting that much of what is found within vet bringbacks concerning IJN material points to a sailor's former life and duties before becoming part of an island garrison. For the most part, these past postings found in paperwork are the few tangible connections left from ships that were sunk during the war.
I will be setting up a small display at the MAX show this coming October, so if you have anything like this pass book or other IJN/IJA paperwork for show or sale, or just want to swing by to say hello, please stop by. Thanks!
Tom
I will be setting up a small display at the MAX show this coming October, so if you have anything like this pass book or other IJN/IJA paperwork for show or sale, or just want to swing by to say hello, please stop by. Thanks!
Tom
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