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Tarawa Long Pier Pennant


Green hell
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Hi all -

I've been a member of the US Forum for many years, but have only recently joined the World Forum. I'm hoping someone out there can translate the Kanji on this pennant for me. I had it translated a long time ago, but am curious as to the veracity of that translation. It supposedly came from the long pier on Betio and if the previous translation proves accurate, I will tell what I have surmised about it. The Kanji is printed on the flag (not hand-written), as is the logo, and is on both sides. I will also start another post later this evening with photos of another Tarawa prayer flag that I believe everyone will find amusing. Thanks for the assistance - Chris

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Chris,

For what my 2 cents is worth....the Japanese rarely used brass rivets on naval flags during the war time era. Their flags came with ties regardless of size. I don't want to say they NEVER did but it is so unusual that I am very suspicious when I see them on supposed Japanese banners and flags of the period. Given Eric's translation....I would have some questions regarding the pennant.

 

tiger 41

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長淮 = the best I can tell this is a Chinese surname Changhuai

 

航業 = navigation or sailing industry (I have never seen this combination in Japanese)

 

公会 = public meeting place (this combination does exist in Japanese)

 

 

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She says it could be Japanese or Chinese, as Changhuai is probably a business name. Usually there is a "sea" or"air" character to differentiate sailing from aviation.

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I remember this being posted many years ago. The way I remember it was this flag was for a company that had contracts to supply provisions to the Japanese during WW2. This pennant would let them know their spot on the pier to dock and unload. Although rare I have seen grommets used on period flags. Can't recall ever seeing brass but metal yes.

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Scott - your memory is sharp, sir - I had the Kanji translated by a professor in the Japanese Language Department at Princeton University (right down the road from me) many years ago, who said it roughly translated to "Cho-Jun Maritime Trading Company". I could never have that verified, though. My thoughts upon hearing his translation were that the Cho-Jun company (or whatever) had a contract with the Japanese government/military to supply the various island outposts, and as Betio is surrounded by an infamous reef, the freighter transporting goods would have had to anchor in the lagoon and send a smaller boat (whale boat or barge?) in to the pier and this pennant would have shown them where to tie up. It took forever and a day to get this information from professor Snob, as everyone there said they were too busy to deal with it, so I never tried to get anything else translated by them, and I have never been able to verify any of my surmises regarding the Cho-Jun company and their contract with the Japanese government. The grommets on the pennant are aluminum. The other relics in this group, which came from the family of the Marine, who was an LVT driver (his LVT got knocked out on the seawall right off the bat, so he spent the remainder of the battle fighting as a rifleman), include his alphas and his honorable discharge, a photo album (with some unpublished photos of Tarawa), and a Japanese type 30 bayonet. A year or so after I bought these items, the family reached out to me to say they had also found a SNLF officer's canteen (with Kanji on the cover), and the prayer flag I recently posted a photo of (Tarawa flag number 2), which, of course, I snapped up. All of these items are said to be from Tarawa. Thank you to everyone for your your replies. I am most grateful - Chris

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That translation (from a Japanese perspective) surprises me as "Jun" is not a possible reading of the second character (in Japanese)

 

Never say never but a strange one to be sure.

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