Exciting dumpster find

[Xraywolf]

Found at a Goodwill store, they throw out an unbelievable amount of good stuff.
Rings looked like legit 10k class rings but turned out to be plated 25 years of service trucking rings.

Found a photo album with all kinds of WW2 pics, obviously from the south pacific theater and probably Guadalcanal. Many pics, US aircraft I have id'ed so far are F4U, B-25 P-38 and Helldiver, also pics of wrecked Japanese aircraft. Some pics of [what I presume to be] dead Japanese soldiers KIA, also found what I believe is a captured Japanese letter to home, if anyone can translate let me know.

 

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[Red-Coat]

Those are great pieces of wartime memorabilia. I assume the ‘letter home’ is the flipside of the postcard depicting the baby being held.

When the Japanese occupied the Dutch East Indies in 1942, they assembled a bunch of writers and illustrators in what is now Jakarta (then Batavia) who were tasked with producing propaganda in an effort to improve integration in conquered territories such as Guadalcanal. The propaganda emphasised Japan's visions for a united, prosperous Asia; the stories were very pro-Japanese, sweeping the realities of slave-labour and Japanese war crimes under the carpet, while portraying the Allies in a negative light.

The postcard drawing of a smiley Japanese soldier being nice to a local lady and her baby is very typical. The words “Hidoep Asia Raja” on the banner attached to the anti-aircraft balloon translate to “[Long] live great Asia”. On 29th April 1942 they published the first copy of a daily newspaper titled ‘Asia Raja’ (Great Asia) which soon reached a (claimed) circulation of 23,000 despite the fact they had the cheek to charge for it and some of the money went to help pay the wages of forced labourers.

 

[Red-Coat]

A little more on the postcard. I can't help with the personal message but the caption under the picture says:

“Painted by Ono Saseo.
The natives heartily welcomed the Imperial army.
A balloon saying ‘[long] live great Asia’ was floating in the sky. In the infinitely vast sky.”

At the bottom right of the picture is “2602” for the 2,602nd year of the Imperial reigns (=1942) with Saseo’s signature below.

Then on the other side:



The orange printing at the bottom (in my edit of your original pic) says: “Published by Osamu Shuudan (Osamu Army Group, which is a nickname for the 16th Army) Headquarters.”

At the top right it says "Yubin Hagaki" (Postcard)

At the top left it says: “Gunji Yubin” (Military Mail) and underneath that: “Censored”. The empty box would have to be stamped in red with a censor’s mark to confirm that any sensitive military information had been removed before the postcard could be sent.

 

[Xraywolf]

Thanks for the input RC much appreciated - When I get a translation I'll update

 

[releventchair]

Dang Xray...
Our Goodwill's stock in the store ain't that good!

 

[Xraywolf]

I have found an unbelievable amount of stuff at goodwills, the mass of things they toss out is staggering.
This isn't the 1st war album I have found there but so far, the best.

 

[Holt0222]

My question is how do you access the stuff they throw out. All the ones around me lock up the dumpster.

 

[Xraywolf]

Well, obviously if the dumpster is locked you are pretty much screwed

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

Wow, my Dad spoke of being at Quadalcanal.
I really should look through some of his old photos one day.
My uncle, who was a doughboy, has extensive memorial photo albums,
even with candy wrappers and gum wrappers, in them.

When my Dad & his brothers would write home, because you couldn't say where you were stationed at, they would write their location under the stamp, my Grandmother would steam the stamp off the letter, to see where in the world they were at.

Great find! Many will never know, what our servicemen endured!
Thanks for saving those memories!



1942, 16 year old Marine...

 

[Xraywolf]

I've had a fascination with Guadalcanal since I was a kid, just something about it, even the name is spooky.
1st time we faced the Japanese on the land since the Philippines, and for a while there the issue was in doubt. It combined viscous jungle fighting with savage naval battles and relentless air campaigns on both sides, there was more at stake than we can imagine. Seems almost poetic justice that someone like me would save these gems from a landfill.

 

[Red-Coat]

Cool pictures. The very first two appear to be of the Japanese troop transporters Kumagawa Maru and Yamatsuki Maru respectively, deliberately beached at Guadalcanal on 15th November 1942. They were part of a convoy of eleven transporters with destroyer escorts attempting to land enough reinforcements on the island to enable the Japanese to retake Henderson Field from the Americans.

US aircraft from Henderson spotted the convoy on 14th November and hit it hard, leaving only four transporters to proceed. After beaching they were hit again by aircraft from Henderson, by land artillery, and from the sea by USS Meade. Only about 2,000 of the planned 7,000 troops from the 38th Infantry made it ashore, losing most of their supplies and ammunition to American strikes on the beached ships.

 

[Xraywolf]

Got this from a translation forum on reddit, sounds like somewhat of a google translation


廣嶋市古田町　田方
Den-kata, Furuta Town, Hiroshima City
増田春代様
Haruyo Masuda-sama



拝啓
Dear Haruyo,
其の後永らく御無音に行過ぎ悪しかろ。お許し下さい。
It's too bad to going silent for a long time. Please forgive me.
次に御一家には皆様お変りは有りませんか等お伺ひ申し上げます。
Next, I would like to ask if all of the family keeping well.
亦留守中は色々とお世話様に相成り厚くお礼申上げます。
During my absence, I would like to thank you for your kind cooperation.
降〇〇小生はお陰様で先〇旺盛にて日夜業務に御精働致し〇ります故他〇〇に〇御安心下さい。
I'm in good health and I 've been working hard for the day and night, so please rest assured.
今頃は内地は一番暑中〇〇と思ひます。
I think japan is in the most hot season.
当地は常に南国の夏とは云〇ども今の時節が一番良ひので有ります。
It's always said the land of everlasting summer over here, but the current season is the best.
内地の春秋の時節〇〇〇〇〇す。
I wrote to you when japan is spring/autum.
小〇便にて　敬具
Best regards.

 

[Xraywolf]

Cool pictures. The very first two appear to be of the Japanese troop transporters Kumagawa Maru and Yamatsuki Maru respectively, deliberately beached at Guadalcanal on 15th November 1942. They were part of a convoy of eleven transporters with destroyer escorts attempting to land enough reinforcements on the island to enable the Japanese to retake Henderson Field from the Americans.

US aircraft from Henderson spotted the convoy on 14th November and hit it hard, leaving only four transporters to proceed. After beaching they were hit again by aircraft from Henderson, by land artillery, and from the sea by USS Meade. Only about 2,000 of the planned 7,000 troops from the 38th Infantry made it ashore, losing most of their supplies and ammunition to American strikes on the beached ships.

The ruins of the Kumagawa are still visible today [clip is 5 years old] 7:13

 

[cyberdan]

Got this from a translation forum on reddit, sounds like somewhat of a google translation

How were you able to get all that off of the postcard. The ink is not good in places. Did you scan? Did you type in Japanese into your computer?
I does read like google did the translating. When I get posts in Japanese the translation is just as bad.

 

[Xraywolf]

Guy who translated it did it from the same pic I have posted here

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Awesome personal item finds, very cool!

 

[Joecoins]

Congats,Nice Save*

 

[Rookster]

Nice finds

 

[ArfieBoy]

Super cool finds, in my opinion! Nothing like getting a load of history because someone threw it out!