Translation request please?

**delibes** · 12-12-2019, 09:05 AM

Hi,

I recieved some nice ijn pilot albums from japan.
And in one i found some documents could someone translate this for me please?
As Always youre help and time is very appreciated!!!!

Regards Delibes

**Nick Komiya** · 12-12-2019, 11:03 AM

Those are promotion notifications for a navy pilot named Tadashi Haruta.

I will not translate into English the rank designations for each of his promotions, because clues for authentication of IJN flight crew items will unfortunately all get lost in a translation. The IJN changed Japanese rank designations often, which in a translation will come out all the same. Instead, I will show below a chart following the whole evolution of Japanese rank names for pilots and trace his advancement upon it. Note, for instance, that having the same rank name of 二等飛行兵曹 before as well as after 3rd December 1942, actually represents a demotion of 1 rank. Knowing such detail is important in catching items with faked names and ranks added. Pilot ranks got their 航空 (aviation) prefixes changed to 飛行 (flight) as of June 1941, so you need to know what designation is correct for which timeframe.

At his final promotion he was awarded the 5th class golden kite and 7th class rising sun along with 4000 Yen (a fortune in those days) of award money. That means he was KIA.

**delibes** · 12-12-2019, 12:43 PM

Hi Nick,

Thank you kindly for youre time and always helping me when needed. Also for showing me on what i must take attention.
Learned something new today in collecting. Thank you it is very appreciated!!!
If one day you are in belgium knows that my door will always be open for you!

Regards Delibes

**Sporter90** · 12-15-2019, 11:03 AM

Nick,

Was it common to award a huge amount of money to a soldier in those days?

**Nick Komiya** · 12-15-2019, 01:59 PM

by Sporter90

Nick,

Was it common to award a huge amount of money to a soldier in those days?

The huge amount was due to his Golden Kite. Read this for more detail.

No kites were awarded to the living after 29th April 1940, so a Kite in WW2 automatically meant KIA and led to a lump sum payout of the lifetime pension attached to the kite.