WW2 Japanese Naval Land Force Translated MORBID PREMONITION Banzai Flag dated 1943

This is a scarce cotton flag for two primary reasons.

First it is signed by a Naval Ensign and another sailor.

Second, it is dated.

Very, very, few signed flags are Navy.

Very, very, few signed flags are dated.

Given that this flag has two rare characteristics, navy & dated,  it becomes a must-have flag.

These carried-in-battle national flags are considered highly spiritual talismans. They were most often made by friends and family. These were given as gifts to departing soldiers and sailors as they left their family & friends to join the military.

The Japanese population fully supported their soldiers & sailors by making thousand stitch belts, going off to war banners, comfort bags loaded with goodies and collecting signatures on flags like this one to be given to servicemen.

They typically bore words of encouragement, calls for bravery, honor, loyalty etc. They were often signed so that the signatures radiated away from the sun just as the rays of the sun appear to radiated away on the rising sun flag.

These were carried folded up and tucked at the top of the helmet, worn around the neck, carried in the tunic, haversack, packs & pouches and eventually tied to the rifle or bayonet in the final Banzai charge as a way to protect the bearer.

Here is the translation:

UPPER LEFT CORNER

海征 水漬 屍 If you go to sea you will become a corpse submerged in water. This phrase comes from the song “Umi Yukaba” published in 1937.

三田順二 Mita Junji

RIGHT SIDE

祈我運長久 Pray for good luck

関根三郎君 Sekine Saburo (Sailor’s Surname and first name)

昭和十八年十二月一日 Showa 18th Year 12th Month 1st Day (November 1, 1943)

BOTTOM LEFT

轟沈 A thunderous sinking

海軍少尉小林斉 Naval Ensign Kobayashi Hitoshi

By the time he entered the Navy in late 1943, Japan’s navy had taken extreme losses. In fact, as this flag suggests, the soon to be sailor, just might end up a corpse at the bottom of the sea, in a thunderous sinking!

It appears he did not. This flag was amongst the thousands of flags brought back as souvenirs by US Marines, Sailors and Soldiers.  Since it was not found at the bottom of the sea after a thunderous sinking, the sailor to whom it was presented undoubtedly perished on some unknown island in the Pacific. 

This flag is 26 1/2 x 41 inches.

The corner ties  are no longer present.