IJA paratrooper postcard Translation HELP Please

[beretta1934]

Love the artwork of Army paratroopers in an assault. Anything interesting being spoken of on the backside writing?

[GeorgeP]

Content is non military related. From what I can tell, it is about family members going into 1st and 3rd year of school and if they are studying hard. I don't have a unit code for this number, but it is for a member of the 29th Army within the Malay Expeditionary Army.

Oh, looks like the soldier was writing to a child with all of the hiragana (that and to future collectors as well -- gotta love these kinds of postcards!)


Tom

[GHP]

Dunno how this made it past the censors!

To Suzuki Kazuo-sama, Tokyo.
From Suzuki Raizo


Kazuo-san,

In the next term you will be in the third grade! And Shigeko will soon enter the 1st grade. You all must be quiet [behave]! This year again the season will be warm, eh?

Bye-bye!

====
Suzuki Raizo's military postal code is

マライ** [Marai?? -- I can't read the two kanji]
[deleted kanji] 定㐧一〇九〇三部隊本廣隊

Set: No. 10903 Corps Main ? Group
The questionable kanji looks like 廣 [yoko/side] to me ... but that can't be right -- it doesn't make sense.


--Guy

[GHP]

Front Side

大空に花と咲く
挺身落下傘部隊の活躍 （パレンバン）
昭和十七年二月

藤田嗣治筆
Fujita Tsuguharu-hitsu

Blooming as Flowers in the Great Sky （Palembang）
Volunteer Paratroopers’ conspicuous service
February, 1942

Painted by Fujita Tsuguharu

I saw a bio on NHK tv about Fujita ... quite famous.

--Guy

[imperialjapan]

マライ** [Marai?? -- I can't read the two kanji]

--Guy

They are 派遣 (haken), meaning 'dispatch.'

[GHP]

They are 派遣 (haken), meaning 'dispatch.'

Thanks Rich!

By the way ... you MUST have the ikkyu-level in the 日本語能力試験 (Japanese Language Proficiency Test).


--Guy

[Rod G]

Tom is right it's from the 29th Army. Seems maybe the unit was transferred from the 7th Area Army - “Oka” 岡 to its subordinate 29th Army - “Tei” 定 around the time the postcard was mailed? Just speculating out loud.

定10903 is the 43rd Independent Infantry Defense Battalion under the 12th Independent Defense Unit, 5 battalions (probably understrength) and a headquarters.

Everyone's done such a great job on this there isn't anything much left to know, pretty darn cool!

Rod

[beretta1934]

Thank Guy, Tom, Rich and Rod G for your translation efforts! Nice to see that the Japanese soldier is keeping in touch with his kids and sending them Imperial Paratrooper Propaganda at the same time!!! :-)

David

FYI, the Type 99 lmg in the picture is a special paratrooper version with a detachable stock as pictured below. The use of the Type 99 (verse the Type 96 in 6.5 mm) would allow the entire force to all be using the 7.7 mm rifle ammo.

IJ Navy Paratroopers would utilize the Type 96 lmg and T38 rifles (carbine length or some with folding stocks) so their entire force would be using 6.5 mm rifle ammo. The IJN also added the Type 100 sub-machine gun into the mix in a specially designed chest mounted carry pouch

Once again the Inter-Service rivalries drive and create different solutions for the same problem or task

[GeorgeP]

What is kind of neat is it looks like the commander of the sub unit doubled as the censor for the postcard. One can see his stamp in the censor box Honma(?) (本廣?) that matches up with the sub unit name under the unit code number.

Tom

[imperialjapan]

Thanks Rich!

By the way ... you MUST have the ikkyu-level in the 日本語能力試験 (Japanese Language Proficiency Test).


--Guy

Guy, my Japanese knowledge comes from attentive osmosis. There is a kanji lesson for me at every moment in the day! (Living in Japan since 1993...)

[GHP]

What is kind of neat is it looks like the commander of the sub unit doubled as the censor for the postcard. One can see his stamp in the censor box Honma(?) (本廣?) that matches up with the sub unit name under the unit code number.

Tom

Good catch, Tom. The name is Motohiro
Motohiro: 本廣
Honma: 本間 [and there are other different kanji compounds that = Honma.]

--Guy

[GHP]

Guy, my Japanese knowledge comes from attentive osmosis. There is a kanji lesson for me at every moment in the day! (Living in Japan since 1993...)

Rich,

A LOT can be said for "osmosis;" study is well and good .... but actively using the language on a daily basis really reinforces the subject matter. I pick up languages much easier while living in the country vice classroom study. (Though a firm grammatical foundation will go farther once you're in-country.)


Cheers!
--Guy