Here is a recent acquisition ... a field-post from the Russo-Japanese War.
To start with, on the cover it says 簡便書翰簿 (Kanben Shokanbo, “Lightweight Letter Sheet”). This is postal stationery sent on May 15, 1905 (Meiji 38). It was written during the final months of the war and preserves the soldier’s own words as he waited in a bivouac at the side of the road.
Also on the cover, we see a red hand-stamp confirming that it is military mail: 軍事郵便 (Gunji Yūbin). As in other armies, the soldier enjoyed free franking privileges while on active service.
To the right of the hand-stamp is a single-circle CDS. On the right vertical side, it reads:
軍用郵便 (Gun’yō Yūbin) “For Military Use Mail.”
On the left vertical side, it looks like 第十五野戦 (Dai 15 Yasen), maybe, Field Post Office No. 15.
Across the center line, though faint, I think I can make out 明治三十八年五月十八日 (Meiji 38, May 18), that is, May 18, 1905. This is three days after the letter was written.
The writing is a bit archaic, but it looks like it was addressed to:
長野県南佐久郡大澤村 (Nagano-ken, Minami-Saku-gun, Ōzawa-mura)
小林騰助殿 (Kobayashi Tōsuke-dono)
That is, to Kobayashi Tōsuke in Ōzawa Village, Minami-Saku District, Nagano Prefecture.
There is what appears to be a transit or arrival CDS near the bottom, but it is poorly struck and very faint. Using enhancement software, it appears to be 小諸 (Komoro) or 佐久 (Saku). Both would make perfect sense geographically because Komoro and Saku were postal distribution nodes in Minami-Saku District, Nagano Prefecture. The addressee is in Ōzawa Village, Minami-Saku District so a Komoro or Saku arrival marking would fit.
On the back of the cover, the sender’s name appears to be 宮吾徳三助 (Miwa Tokusuke). He was a member of 後備歩兵 臨集軍 第二部隊 第三中隊 (Reserve Infantry, Provisional Mobilized Army, 2nd Detachment, 3rd Company)
The postal stationery folds out into a letter, which transcription software reads as follows (reading top to bottom, right to left):
拝啓
其後益御清適奉賀候
春色晴好相催忘候
小生も健腰にて相変らず
無事相暮候得共
兵営にありては何分
軍務繁劇相重
筆墨の労も懈怠仕候
且つ遠征軍路傍に在り
他事等も安意ならず
多忙に罹り候
右御承知可被下候
抑々戦況も此頃は
諸隊共に無事にて
勤労罷在候
然れども未だ
平和の音信を得ず
一日も早く
平穏の到来を
希望仕候
先は右略儀ながら
書中を以て
御機嫌を伺候
不一
[Signature Block]
後備歩兵
臨集軍第二部隊第三中隊
宮吾徳三助
拝書
Which, when translated, would be something like:
“I humbly extend my respectful greetings.
Since our last exchange, I am pleased to learn of your continued good health.
The spring colors are bright and beautiful; the days pass swiftly.
As for myself, I remain in good health and unchanged.
My life continues without incident,
yet, being within the barracks,
our military duties are many and pressing.
I have thus been remiss in the labors of brush and ink (letter-writing).
Moreover, as our expeditionary force lies stationed roadside,
many matters are unsettled,
and I am caught up in unending busyness.
I trust you will kindly understand these circumstances.
As for the progress of the war, of late
all detachments remain safe
and continue steadfastly in their labors.
Yet still,
no tidings of peace have reached us.
I long earnestly
for the arrival of tranquil days
and hope for it with all my heart.
For the present, though brief,
I write these few lines
to inquire after your welfare.
With all due respect.”
Signature block:
Reserve Infantry
Provisional Mobilized Army, Second Detachment, Third Company
Miwa Tokusuke
Respectfully written
Written on May 15, 1905, this letter captures a moment of pause in the Russo-Japanese War. The Battle of Mukden had ended two months earlier (March 1905) with a major Japanese victory. The decisive naval Battle of Tsushima was still to come, taking place 12 days later (27–28 May 1905) and again resulting in victory for Japan. Peace negotiations were already and quietly underway, but of course soldiers like Miwa Tokusuke had “no tidings of peace”… yet. The war would formally end on September 5, 1905.
An interesting letter. His reference to being “stationed roadside” (軍路傍に在り) suggests his unit had left the barracks and was at a temporary encampment near a transport route. As a reserve unit, he was probably not part of the front-line divisions at Mukden but instead part of replacement formations staged for deployment. He could still have been in Japan near an embarkation port or in southern Korea or Manchuria. It is impossible to tell from his letter (which suggests, of course, that he had been well-briefed about the need for operational security).
I’ve started to look for an order of battle that may tell me more about his specific detachment. That might allow me to identify his general location.
Definitely a cool cover.
Corrections and comments are more than welcome.
Cheers,
Hugh
