IJN rank - what is 練習生?

[Sporter90]

第二三分隊練習生

I saw this tag on an officer's Kai-gunto. Is the person entitled to wear an officer's sword?

練習生 is probably translated as trainee or cadet. In the navy, does it mean "Midshipman"? What were the cadets called at Etajima?

[Nick Komiya]

Here it is in Japanese 海軍飛行予科練習生 - Wikipedia

[Sporter90]

Thanks for the link. Those 練習生 were junior naval pilot candidates between 14 to 19 years of age. They were not officers. That tag on the officer's sword is not original. It came from somewhere else.

p.s. Those cadets were trained at Yokosuka, not at Etajima.

[Sporter90]

p.p.s. The major difference between the junior naval pilot training schools and the IJN's Naval Academy at Etajima is that the Naval Academy had the most stringent entrance exams. It was on par with the Tokyo Imperial University.