Please help with Japanese Translation

[flyboy_trav]

Im looking for a little help with translating / identifying these pieces. Im pretty sure the book is a field diary but Im not sure what the document or the scarf are. Thanks in advance.

[GeorgeP]

Your red tri fold document is an insurance policy, and the green booklet is a late war guntaitecho, basically an IJA soldier's record booklet that recorded his personal information as well as unit information (movement, battles fought, hospital stays, etc.) If you don't mind, I would really like to see the handwritten portions of the green booklet. They should be in the middle of the booklet after the printed black/red Japanese portions. If there is enough information there, I should be able to get you unit information as well as where the booklet was souvenired if it is a vet bringback.

Tom

[GHP]

Tenugui

The cloth towel (te-nugui) is shown from the reverse.

一徳一心
It'toku Is'shin
Wholehearted Virtue
literally: Virtue/Benevolence; One's whole heart


--Guy

[flyboy_trav]

Additional photos

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[GeorgeP]

Thanks for the picture, it is a good start. This shows the payment notification section that gives information on when the soldier's last unit paid his salary before unit transfer. It shows him being a part of the 18th Regiment replacement unit, 3rd Company, but it seems that he was transferred to another unit due to this payment entry. The 18th Regt. ultimately became a part of the 29th Div. which ended up on Guam/Saipan and destroyed in 1944, but the date for transfer is 1939, which predates any movement into the 29th and the Marianas. Are there further hand written entries? If you have the time, please check out Nick Komiya's excellent write up on these booklets here:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...=349674&page=2

Specifically, post numbers 19 through 22 in this thread show the pages in the booklet that would the most information on the soldier's last unit. Any pics. of these pages would be of great help.

Tom

[flyboy_trav]

more photos

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[flyboy_trav]

more photos 2

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[flyboy_trav]

another photo

This stamp was also included with the book

[GeorgeP]

Thank you for the pictures. Here are some highlights for this booklet:
1939: Started out as a replacement for the 18th Infantry Regiment Sept. 1st. (medic)
Nov. 1939: With the 34th Infantry Regiment
March 1940: Promoted to Medic - Private 1st class
Sept. 1940: Promoted to Medic - Superior private
Nov. 1941: Division Maneuvers
April 1942: Spent time at Shizuoka Army Hospital
Sept. 1942: Promoted to Lance Corporal
retro dated to 1940: Awarded China Incident Medal and what looks like a monetary award
April 1944: Joined "Homare" 11943: code for 43rd Division Hospital

Booklet souvenired most likely from Saipan where the 43rd Div. was garrisoned and destroyed.

Very cool, thanks for sharing!

Tom

[GHP]

His Name Was ....

石渡清
Ishiwata Kiyoshi

The bag seems to be written in his hand:

貴重品
kichō-hin
Valuables

The stamp [shown upside-down] is his personal seal
石
渡

Previous Personal History
昭和七年三月二十八日賀茂郡城東尋常高等小学校卒業〇
March 28, 1932 Kamo District [Shizuoka] Kito Ordinary Higher Elementary School Graduation 〇

[Higher Elementary Schools combined elementary with upper-elementary courses -- somewhat like American junior high schools].


--Guy

[flyboy_trav]

Thanks

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate the help