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Can anyone translate a Japanese (or Chinese) WW2 document for me

lizzieloo said:
I found him listed on a "Hell Ship", the POWs were being transported From Singapore to Formosa (Taiwan)

Kachidoki Maru | COFEPOW

The Kachidoki Maru was used for carrying prisoners and troops to Japan. On 12th of September 1944 she was torpedoed and sunk by USS Pampanito. 244 lost - 656 survived.
www.cofepow.org.uk www.cofepow.org.uk

Bloody hell BoatieBird :(
Click to expand...

Imperial war museum has an in-depth article.

www.iwm.org.uk

The Sinking of Prisoner of War Transport Ships in East Asia

Between 12 and 18 September 1944, Allied forces sank three Japanese steamships that were carrying supplies to support the Japanese war effort. But unknown to the Allies at the time, these ships were also carrying Allied prisoners of war (POWs) and Javanese slave labourers (romushas).
www.iwm.org.uk www.iwm.org.uk
 
Fascinating and obviously sad to discover such things.

Knew my grandfather had been part of the US Navy/coastguard during the Pacific war, but only recently found out he was invalided suffering from what would be called PTSD today. The kamikazes buzzing his ship were too much. He spent time in navy hospital and then veterans, and died in his early 30s. Don't know the precise circumstances but still really hit home. :(
 
I see all the translating's done already :thumbs: The date does look like a regnal count which would be right, the character preceding 17 is 昭 (same as in the 昭南 for Singapore later) which would indicate the Showa reign.
Apparently 運轉手 is unambiguously a driver in Japanese though read the Chinese way makes you expect something else. Even appears with former meaning in title of Taiwanese film: 运转手之恋 (豆瓣)
The characters added by hand by his rank are 軍曹 which is just a translation of lance sergeant.
Nothing else that hasn't been done leaps out, the 泰 character likely means Thailand as has been mentioned but has other common uses and associations, like Mount Tai, so don't think you can be certain.
 
Reading about the Hoten Camp it does seem to have been the destination for a lot of Allied prisoners caught in SE Asia and the transport ships were notorious that took them there which might fit with him dying on ship but in detention. The camp is called 奉天 in Chinese, as you can see the first character resembles 泰 with the lower element different and it's tempting to wonder if they're associated but they really are two quite different characters and not the sort of typo you'd expect.
 
I've had time to read through the articles/links now.
Fucking hell, how sad :(
To survive the horrors of the Thailand-Burma railway only to be killed by your own side.

It's such a shame my dad isn't around, I'd be interested to know if Great Uncle Fred's story was known within the wider family.
One of dad's brothers is still alive, also a Fred :), I might see if he knows.

Thanks again lizzieloo, you really are a whiz at this stuff :thumbs:
 
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I posted a link to this podcast on another thread but they have coincidentally just done a special on Japanese POW camps with the author of this book, Sarah Kovner:

www.hup.harvard.edu

Prisoners of the Empire — Sarah Kovner

Many Allied POWs in the Pacific theater of World War II suffered terribly. But abuse wasn't a matter of Japanese policy, as is commonly assumed. Sarah Kovner shows poorly trained guards and rogue commanders inflicted the most horrific damage. Camps close to centers of imperial power tended to be...
www.hup.harvard.edu

play.acast.com

254. Prisoners of the Empire

Author Sarah Kovner joins Al Murray and James Holland to discuss the treatment of Allied Prisoners of War in the Far East. Listeners may be surprised to hear how confusion and ignorance more than an intentionally brutal policy contributed to the suffering of the men. Sarah Kovner is Senior...
play.acast.com play.acast.com

I haven't listened to this episode of the pod yet or read the book but they have good record for decent mil hist authors so may be worth a listen.
 
Characters in red are 東京 which is Tokyo. Place of capture says 香港島防禦陣地 which is Hong Kong Island then something like "defence redoubt/position/base". The camp say Hong Kong too so that fits. Can't make out the second character in occupation but I reckon it'll be something like machinist or machine operator.
 
JimW said:
Characters in red are 東京 which is Tokyo. Place of capture says 香港島防禦陣地 which is Hong Kong Island then something like "defence redoubt/position/base". The camp say Hong Kong too so that fits. Can't make out the second character in occupation but I reckon it'll be something like machinist or machine operator.
Click to expand...

Thank you.

He made it back, he lived into his 90s
 
Looking at the crossing out of Hong Kong (and the single character preceding the serial number to the left which will mean HK too) and Tokyo written in above I think it might mean he was transferred from Hong Kong to a camp in Tokyo - would that fit?
 
JimW said:
Looking at the crossing out of Hong Kong (and the single character preceding the serial number to the left which will mean HK too) and Tokyo written in above I think it might mean he was transferred from Hong Kong to a camp in Tokyo - would that fit?
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I only know what is on that card, didn't know anything about it before now.
 
lizzieloo said:
oic I just ignored the dates cos tiny mind :oops:
Click to expand...
Not super up on Japanese history but think they went Western calendar during the Meiji modernisations, only keeping the practice of dating things by the emperor's reign year but months the same as internationally.
 
They write the dates in the opposite order to us so it reads 昭和 16 年 12 月 25 日 which is literally Showa 16 year 12 month 25 day
 
JimW said:
Characters in red are 東京 which is Tokyo. Place of capture says 香港島防禦陣地 which is Hong Kong Island then something like "defence redoubt/position/base". The camp say Hong Kong too so that fits. Can't make out the second character in occupation but I reckon it'll be something like machinist or machine operator.
Click to expand...

Hong Kong Island Defense base was my wife's immediate translation.
The occupation is Someone who works manual labour to run a train. My wife thinks someone who shovels coal, but I thought perhaps more of an engineering role (as he was in the royal engineers?).
 
ATOMIC SUPLEX said:
Hong Kong Island Defense base was my wife's immediate translation.
The occupation is Someone who works manual labour to run a train. My wife thinks someone who shovels coal, but I thought perhaps more of an engineering role (as he was in the royal engineers?).
Click to expand...

He was a carter for a grocer before the war, so that must have been to do with his role during the war.
 
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