Ww2 Military Flag

[jct3602]

Found this in family stuff at my sisters.  Signed in upper corner by a colonel in the 158th regimental combat team (Bushmasters), my father's unit throughout the war (Panama-New Guinea-lots of islands-Philippines-occupied Japan).  Thought it might be interesting,  will add some pictures in a couple of minutes.

 

john twineham

[jct3602]

pictures as promised - also there is a second flag, fewer signatures and in much worse condition.

 

yours; john twineham

[Windy]

Nice.

Some translations would be interesting. Prayers maybe?

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Nice.

Some translations would be interesting. Prayers maybe?

 

If the writings were collected in a prisoner camp not prayers but  

[SteveM]

Names, patriotic slogans, invocations of martial virtue, etc...

 

There is also a poetic saying of Shoin Yoshida, the translation and meaning of which has been discussed on this board by Morita-san and Kunitaro-san. The spellings on the flag are slightly different from the original spellings.

 

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/12160-poem-by-yoshida-shoin/

[jct3602]

My understanding is that many of these flags were inscribed at a kind of going away party when the unit was being deployed.  Any one have any other information on when these were done?

 

john twineham 

[SteveM]

Factories, schools, neighborhood associations, etc... would present a flag like this to one of their colleagues as he left for war. They would have been given away any time from when the war in China started in the late 1930s, to the end of WW2. Yours looks like it was presented to a Mr. Endō, but I can't make out the first name. Endō Take-something. 遠藤武？. If you send a clearer picture of the lower left corner (see the attached) we might be able to make it out. Also, there is a group in Japan that tries to reunite these flags with the families of the soldiers to whom the flags originally belonged. I think it is called the Obon Society. May be of interest to you to search around for it. 

 

[jct3602]

for SteveM:  

  These help?

 

Yours,

john twineham

[SteveM]

That's it.

 

Endō Takeo is your man. 遠藤武雄