# New Member - WWII Japanese Flag Translation?



## Carol (Jan 30, 2015)

Hi Everyone,
My father was in the 127th Reg., 32nd Div. as a mortarman in WWII. One of the items he brought home was a Japanese Flag. I've had the flag for over 30 years having taken it out of my grandmother's (his mother) attic after her death. My Dad never talked much of the War, but told me he had brought it, along with other items I found, back from his time in the War. Dad went over to Australia after the 32nd's initial battle at Buna as a replacement. He was in the Driniumor River battle in NG and also in Luzon during the Villa Verde trail time, until the end of the war, when he was sent home from Sasebo, Japan for having enough honorable points. 
I'm unsure how to put pictures of the flag on this forum, but if any one is interested I could e-mail them. I also have a small flag? with writing on it. The writing is fading quite bad.
BTW, My father initially joined the Army Air Corp. He told me once that the G Forces were too much for him and they sent him to the infantry. I being 17 and interested in flying said, But I thought you could build up your tolerance to G Forces.? He looked at me funny and stated, It takes a better man than I am to wake up and see the ground hurtling toward you! (I shut my mouth). 
Any help appreciated,
Carol


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## Carol (Jan 30, 2015)

Hi, I think I have the pics uploaded now. The last one is of the small flag. 
Thanks, Carol


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## Crimea_River (Jan 30, 2015)

Our member, Shinpachi would be your best bet to help. I would bet that he will be along within the next 24 hours.

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## Wurger (Jan 30, 2015)

Yep..

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## vikingBerserker (Jan 30, 2015)

Welcome aboard!

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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jan 30, 2015)

Welcome aboard. 

I am sure Shinpachi would be more than happy to translate it for you.

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## Shinpachi (Jan 31, 2015)

Welcome to the forum, Carol 
I am glad to help you if I can do any.

These flags are souvenir flags sold at Yunoki Station in Sasebo City after the war was over.
There was a POW camp in Yunoki district till April, 1944 and 53 Allied prisoners died there. 
I think your father visited Yunoki for memorial and purchased these flags as souvenir for his family.

Reading letters on the flags.
#1
長崎　東京　九洲　岡島勝己　Nagasaki Tokyo Kyusyu (Mr.)Katsumi Okajima
日本　松永　柚木　池野 Japan (Family names) Matsunaga, Yuki, Ikeno
筒井千代子 (Ms.)Chiyoko Tsutsui
佐世保　上田智恵子　松下君枝 Sasebo (Ms.)Chieko Ueda (Ms.)Kimie Matsushita
柚木驛長 Station master of Yunoki Station (Rubber stamp for Authentication)

#2
祈武運長久 Praying Good Fortune in Battle
中西米治郎 (Mr.)Yonejiro Nakanishi
左石驛　佐田保輝 Hidari-ishi Station (Mr.)Yasuteru Sada
柚木驛 松下君枝 Yunoki Station (Ms.)Kimie Matsushita

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## Carol (Jan 31, 2015)

Thank You Mr. Shinpachi for your welcome expertise. The fact that they are souvenier flags makes a lot of sense. Dad was in Sasebo for about a month before being shipped home. He also brought home other souvenirs of a fan and handkerchief and two magazines of Japanese movie? stars (long since gone). I had always worried about how I could ever return these to the family of the soldier that these may have belonged to. You have greatly relieved my mind. Are the names on these flags just people who signed them as souvenirs? to make them look authentic?
I'm including the pics of handkerchief and fan. 
Again many Thanks for your time and effort.
Carol


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## Shinpachi (Jan 31, 2015)

You are welcome, Carol. I am happy to be helpful for you 
I think those people who signed the flags were station staff as each name looks very realistic.

One day, your father dropped in a drugstore and purchased a set of fan.
The store is still in front of Haiki Station in Sasebo.

菊水堂薬局 Drugstore Kikusuido
電話一二〇番 Phone number 120

Thank you very much for sharing nice stuff, Carol! I have enjoyed research very much 

PS: The Yunoki Station had gone in July 1967 when flood destroyed the building and its line was abandoned forever.

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## syscom3 (Jan 31, 2015)

Good work Shinpachi.

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## Carol (Jan 31, 2015)

Thank you. It's like going back in time 70 years to see the drug store picture. Wish my Dad was here to see it. I've spent 10 years researching his war duty. As I said he rarely spoke of it. I was lucky to have all his letters he wrote to his mother (a school teacher), who saved every one. Though they said very little regarding his actions in the war (due to the censors and being told not to worry their families), I was able to cross reference where he was in the letters, with morning reports of his Company and his records from the archives in St. Louis. I also found an army buddy living, but he couldn't speak much of it either. They both lost 18 friends to a "friendly fire" airplane bombing on the Villa Verde Trail in Luzon, PI. Dad arrived back to his company shortly after it happened (from a bad time with scrub typhus) according to these morning reports. His buddy also survived by being away with malaria.

This flag translation was the last thing I needed to do, to put the research to rest. 
Thank You,
Carol

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