Translation and Learning about WWII Japan

Ferrucci · 4 Jun 2015

Hi guys,

I am doing a research in my secondary history class in South East Asia. I have picked up the Japanese chapter and after weeks of research, i come across this particular team or squadron and would love to study on them.

I use Google Translate (which sometime misleading)
so, humbly, i would love to request Sensei here in helping me to translate.

香取海軍航空隊

神風特別攻撃隊第二御楯隊

第一攻撃隊直衛戦闘機隊

岩下泉蔵中尉

志村勇作上飛曹

長輿走二飛曹

森川博一飛曹

1. first, i would like to know, how to identify name and family name for the japanese?
normal chinese character would picked the first 森 as family name, and 川博 as the name. what would it be for the japanese to identify?

2. how about name with 4 characters? how to identify name and family name for the japanese?

3. what do this mean? 上, 二, 一, 飛曹? as google translate could not pick up "曹" in its translation.

4. how do i know which squadron they belong? as there are 2 names in it. 神風特別攻撃隊第二御楯隊
and also 第一攻撃隊直衛戦闘機隊.

5. would love to have more context to read on them. and below are my findings

写真５７〜６４分隊
６２分隊,
青木（岩下）泉蔵
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海軍飛行場.香取航空基地
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
List of Imperial Japanese Navy air-to-surface special attack units - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Any help related to my studies would be much appreciate.
I am still learning Japanese true Google Translate, thus I am facing language barrier and would love kind heart-ed people in helping my research journey

Thank You.

Toritoribe · 5 Jun 2015

1) 2)
It's most common that the first two kanji is a surname, as in all your four examples, but one ~ four kanji surnames are also possible. (There even are five kanji surnames, but it's only two 左衛門三郎 and 勘解由小路, so you don't need to consider about 5.) You need to be familiar with Japanese names to identify it.
e.g.
坂東三津五郎 (surname 坂東, given name 三津五郎)
佐々木蔵之介 (surname 佐々木, given name 蔵之介)
長曾我部元親 (surname 長曾我部, given name 元親)

3)
Those kanji refer to 上等, 二等, 一等, 飛行 and 軍曹, respectively.

4) 5)
large 神風特別攻撃隊＞第二御楯隊＞第一攻撃隊＞爆撃隊(bomber)・直衛戦闘機隊(fighter) small

Ferrucci · 11 Jun 2015

Thank for your effort in helping.

I would like to know this meaning in English, is that possible?

岩下泉蔵中尉
Iwashita Izumizo Lieutenant

志村勇作上飛曹
Shimura Yusaku
上飛曹???
what does this mean?

長輿走二飛曹
Nagakoshihashi?
二飛曹???
what does this mean?

森川博一飛曹
Morikawa Hiroshi
一飛曹???
what does this mean?

Toritoribe · 11 Jun 2015

As I wrote in my previous post, 上飛曹, 二飛曹 and 一飛曹 mean 上等飛行軍曹, 二等飛行軍曹 and 一等飛行軍曹, respectively.

岩下泉蔵
Iwashita Senzō/Senzou
(Note that long vowels must be distinguished from short vowels in Japanese. Senzō/Senzou is a male given name, whereas senzo means "ancestor(s)".)

志村勇作
Shimura Yūsaku/Yuusaku

長輿走
Nagayo Kakeru (or Sō/Sou)

Ferrucci · 12 Jun 2015

Thank you So so so much Toritoribe, for the additional information.
I am more understanding on it and will advance my research on it

Toritoribe · 15 Jun 2015

Correction.
曹 represents 兵曹. (The meaning is the same, though.)

Ferrucci · 15 Jun 2015

はい! どうもありがとうございました!

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