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少年戦車兵 - Youth/Boy Tankman
第二期生 - 2nd Class Graduating Student /230 students of 2nd class graduated on November 10, 1942/
Army Youth Tank School Graduation Commemorative Watch Fobs/陸軍少年戦車兵学校章
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少年戦車兵 - Youth/Boy Tankman
第二期生 - 2nd Class Graduating Student /230 students of 2nd class graduated on November 10, 1942/
In order to expand and strengthen the army tank corps on August 1, 1939 was established Rikugun Shōnen Sensha-hei Gakkō/少年戦車兵生徒隊/Youth (Boy) Tankman Student Corps in Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture. Boys aged between 14 and 19 were trained over a period of two years. There were 1,550 instructors and over 4,000 graduates.
Recruitment poster for the Tank Youth School, 1939
Recruitment poster for the Tank Youth School, 1941
Students.
Excerpt from the Handbook on Japanese Military Forces, 1944.
"An Army apprentice system to procure trained noncommissioned officers in technical fields at ages below the conscription minimum has grown rapidly in recent years, especially in aviation. The Japanese Navy and Merchant Marine have also developed extensive training of a similar nature. The Army apprentices, called Army Youth Soldiers (Rikugun Shonenhei) , are primary school graduates who begin their apprentice training at the age of 14 or 15 years (lowered from 15 or 16 years in 1943). At some point in their training they are inducted into the Army as youth soldiers with the rank of superior private, serve as lance corporals (leading private) for a probationary period of 6 months after graduation, and then become corporals. These apprentices take one of the following courses:
(1) Aviation (Shonen Hikohei). The usual course lasts 3 years. After a first year at a general aviation school at Tokyo or Otsu, all students are divided into three groups. Pilots go to Utsunomiya or Kumagai, signalmen to Air Signal School, and mechanics to Tokorozawa or Gifu. They spend 2 years at one of these special schools, the last year as youth soldiers in the Army. Those with special qualifications may omit the first year and go directly to flying school at Tachiarai or maintenance school at Gifu.
(2) Signal (Shonen Tsushinhei). Two years at the Army Youth Signal School.
(3) Tank (Shonen Senshahei). Two years at Army Youth Tank School near Mt. Fuji.
(4) Artillery (Shonen Hohei). Two years at the Army Field Artillery School, the Army Heavy Artillery School, or the Army Air Defense School."
"An Army apprentice system to procure trained noncommissioned officers in technical fields at ages below the conscription minimum has grown rapidly in recent years, especially in aviation. The Japanese Navy and Merchant Marine have also developed extensive training of a similar nature. The Army apprentices, called Army Youth Soldiers (Rikugun Shonenhei) , are primary school graduates who begin their apprentice training at the age of 14 or 15 years (lowered from 15 or 16 years in 1943). At some point in their training they are inducted into the Army as youth soldiers with the rank of superior private, serve as lance corporals (leading private) for a probationary period of 6 months after graduation, and then become corporals. These apprentices take one of the following courses:
(1) Aviation (Shonen Hikohei). The usual course lasts 3 years. After a first year at a general aviation school at Tokyo or Otsu, all students are divided into three groups. Pilots go to Utsunomiya or Kumagai, signalmen to Air Signal School, and mechanics to Tokorozawa or Gifu. They spend 2 years at one of these special schools, the last year as youth soldiers in the Army. Those with special qualifications may omit the first year and go directly to flying school at Tachiarai or maintenance school at Gifu.
(2) Signal (Shonen Tsushinhei). Two years at the Army Youth Signal School.
(3) Tank (Shonen Senshahei). Two years at Army Youth Tank School near Mt. Fuji.
(4) Artillery (Shonen Hohei). Two years at the Army Field Artillery School, the Army Heavy Artillery School, or the Army Air Defense School."
Recruitment poster for the Tank Youth School, 1939
Recruitment poster for the Tank Youth School, 1941
Students.
3rd class watch fob.
Private collection. Photos courtesy of the owner.
Note stamp differences from the previous watch fob.
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少年戦車兵 - Youth/Boy Tankman
第三期生 - 3rd Class Graduating Student /500 students of 3rd class graduated on November 10, 1943/
Private collection. Photos courtesy of the owner.
Note stamp differences from the previous watch fob.
Reverse
少年戦車兵 - Youth/Boy Tankman
第三期生 - 3rd Class Graduating Student /500 students of 3rd class graduated on November 10, 1943/
1st class of NCO candidates watch fob.
Watch fob of different design. Word youth is missing.
Reverse
戦車兵 - Tankman
第一回土官候補生 - 1st class of NCO candidates
Watch fob of different design. Word youth is missing.
Reverse
戦車兵 - Tankman
第一回土官候補生 - 1st class of NCO candidates
- Tags
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