WWII Imperial Japanese Army Officer Academy 56th Class Secret Photo Album 1942

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

WWII Imperial Japanese Army Officer Academy 56th Class Secret Photo Album 1942:
$880.00

DescriptionThis is an original 1942 graduation commemorative photo album from the 56th Class of the Imperial Japanese Army Officer Academy, titled “Ryukon” (“Souls Left Behind”).The Imperial Japanese Army Officer Academy was one of the most prestigious institutions of the Japanese Army. It trained career officers who would go on to serve as company, battalion, regiment, division, and army-level commanders. This was not an ordinary school album, but an internal record of the men being prepared to become the Army’s future officer corps.At the beginning of the album is a portrait of Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima, then commandant of the Army Officer Academy. Ushijima later became commander of the Japanese 32nd Army and is best known for commanding Japanese forces during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.One of the most important details is the “Confidential / For Internal Use Only” marking.A faint confidential marking remains on the outer cover, and the title page also clearly bears the Japanese words “Bugaihi”, meaning that the material was not intended for general public circulation. This strongly suggests that the album was produced for internal distribution among the academy and related personnel.The 56th Class graduated in December 1942, at the height of the Pacific War. Records held by Japan’s National Institute for Defense Studies also confirm the existence of the December 1942 graduation roster for this class.The 56th Class is especially significant because it belonged to a generation sent directly into the most intense years of the war. Of approximately 2,299 graduates, about 1,071 are reported to have been killed in the war. Many who entered aviation units also lost their lives, including officers who later died in special attack missions.The album contains numerous individual portrait photographs with names, as well as images of instructors and officers, group photographs, tanks, parachute training, military exercises, and other scenes connected with cadet life and military education.The title “Ryukon” can be understood as “leaving one’s soul behind.” Seen today, more than 80 years later, that title gives the album an especially powerful meaning: it preserves the faces and names of a generation of young Japanese officers, many of whom never returned from the war.This is far more than a military photo album. It is a primary historical document showing the inner world of Imperial Japanese Army officer education and the generation of men who were sent into the Pacific War.The album shows age-related wear, including wear to the cover and binding, consistent with an original wartime document.A highly interesting piece for collectors and researchers of the Imperial Japanese Army, Japanese officer training, the Battle of Okinawa, Mitsuru Ushijima, and WWII military history.Own a Piece of History.Shipping

FedEx or Japan Post

International Buyers - Please Note:

Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost.These charges are the buyer's responsibility.Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to offerding or buying.

Provided by HARU