05 March 2006

Nine Rules for Japanese Conscripts, 1940

  1. You are the lowest in the army; always bow and salute everyone first!
  2. When called, respond with a loud voice.
  3. Never be later than your comrades.
  4. Always carry mop and broom at daily cleaning sessions.
  5. Always do the squad leader's laundry first.
  6. Eat all meals within three minutes. Keep toilet visits short.
  7. Keep your nails trimmed and your personal shelf tidy.
  8. Always be quickest to fall in.
  9. In case of insufficient members to line up, bring along one from another unit to make up the numbers.
SOURCE: Guns of February: Ordinary Japanese Soldiers' Views of the Malayan Campaign & the Fall of Singapore 1941-42, by Henry Frei (Singapore U. Press, 2004), p. 12

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