1054

餓死の直前に救はれた日本兵

Japanese Soldier saved just before starving to death

病院船は来たが

The hospital ship came, but

先頃病院船高砂丸で内地へ送還された戦友達がどんな状態に陥っていたか、皆さんはよくご承知のはずです。

You are all well aware of the conditions in which our comrades-in-arms who were recently repatriated to Japan on the hospital ship Takasago Maru were in.

米駆逐艦マリー號は去る七月五日内地へ帰航中の高砂丸を検視した上帰国を許しました。

On July 5, the U.S. destroyer USS Murray inspected the Takasago Maru, which was returning to Japan, and allowed it to return home.

その時同乗の日本軍医は「収容されている傷病将兵九百七十四名のうち一割五分は結核や極度の栄養先週の為、日本へ行き着くまでもつまい」と語っていました。

At the time, the Japanese military doctor on board said, "Fifteen percent of the 974 wounded and sick soldiers and officers in the hospital will not last until they reach Japan because of tuberculosis or extreme malnutrition.

せっかく病院船に乗ったのですが、もはや手遅れだったのです。

Although they had gotten on the hospital ship, it was already too late.

しかも内地は打続く爆撃や、艦砲射撃で荒廃その極に達し、国民のすべてが生死の境を彷徨しているのですから、たとい病院船に乗り運よく故国へ帰り着いても、晩かれ早かれ「死の道」を辿ることになりましょう。

Moreover, the interior of Japan has been devastated by continuous bombing and shelling, and all of its citizens are now wandering on the border between life and death, even if they were lucky enough to get on a hospital ship and return home, they will sooner or later find themselves on the "road to death.