Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is a scarce Chinese photo album to a schoolboy, likely no older than 12, attending school under Japanese occupation. There are several photos with Japanese flags visible and students in military style formation. The album appears to have been “Captured” by a member of MAAG (Military Assistance Advisory Group) which is part of the CBI (China Burma India) as indicated by the insignia on the front plate. The plate was added later by the soldier HIGNETT, but other than this we don’t have much information on the album or what it’s depicting.

The first photo is of a young man in uniform, likely the original owner of the album. There are photos of boys working in fields, eating in the mess hall, performing ceremonies and conducted religious practice. There is no written text to accompany the photos, so they are all taken at face value. Some photos of boys playing sports or performing color guard.

This was during a period when Japan was attempting to indoctrinate the youth of countries they were occupying in order to maintain a steady fighting force as the war raged on, which is almost certainly what these photographs are depicting. However we cannot know for sure, so this assessment could be incorrect. So we are selling this album “as-is”. This is a phenomenal album that requires a great deal more research.

This is a very unique album ready for further research and display!