Officers with banner

[Sporkkaji]

Hoping someone can help me out with translating this. There are a million old photos of Japanese officers posing with their swords, but this one caught my eye and I bought it because of the unusual banner. Polydor used to be a big record label with major artists in the US, and still is in the UK http://www.polydor.co.uk/. I can only guess that these might be company employees/executives proudly going off to war?? Thanks!

[Toryu2020]

Spork -

It's the Japanese USO! Can't you just tell they are all set to bring joy to the troops!

-t

[Sporkkaji]

Heh heh, and they ALWAYS get a standing ovation

[k morita]

Hi,

[Curgan]

Morita san, if only you posted and the translation (or wrote the kanji for us to babelfish!) :D

[John A Stuart]

遺派部兵他軍陸 The Hiyoubu Army Group Left Behind

園間慰ノレードリポ本日 The Japanese Consolation Middle Gardens

I should mention these are read right to left.

John

[Ted Tenold]

They all look like hardcore ABBA fans to me... well, except for that tall guy in the back. He probably digs Siouxsie and the Banshees!

[george trotter]

Thanks to Morita san's clarification of the pic, I think I read the flag as saying (roughly):

top: Army relief dispatch section

Bottom: Nippon Polydor Comforts Group.

 

Probably, as happened with the allies, this company volunteer group collected and sent comforts to the war front, probably including records etc.

The photo is probably to commemorate the group handing over a shipment to army representatives.

Nice photo,

George.

[Toryu2020]

陸軍恤兵部派遣　　日本ポリドール慰問団

Rikugun Juppei-bu Haken Nippon Polydor Imondan

or

Army Relief Group (Sponsored) Nippon Polydor Comfort Corps

 

Imon is consolation, but in this case we think relief or comfort. This is, as I said tongue in cheek earlier, most likely a group of recording artists who toured around to give relief/recreation to the troops, like our USO. I expect as has been suggested that the officers are in charge of whatever base they were at, though this almost looks like they posed after surrender they look so dour.

 

Tip of the hat to Colonel Creswell for his invaluable assistance...

-t

[Curgan]

What a pleasant group of fellas they were...

[cabowen]

What a pleasant group of fellas they were...

 

The operative word is "majime".....

 

War is no laughing matter.....

[Toryu2020]

Tell that to Bob Hope!