Samejima Shigeo (鮫島重雄)
Shigeo SAMEJIMA (October 21, 1849 - April 17, 1928) was a military man of Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). His last official rank was army general and he was given the medal of the Golden Kite (according to Japanese Ranks and Orders) and the title of baron.
Career
He was born as the second son of Tobei SAMEJIMA in the Satsuma Domain.
He joined the army as Goshinpei (a member of one of the Imperial Guards). In January, he entered the army Kyododan (school for noncommissioned officers); and in June, he became corporal. In March, he entered the Military Academy (Japan); and in September, he was appointed probationary second lieutenant of the Army to be stationed at Tokyo Chindai (standing garrison). At the Expedition to Taiwan, he was transferred to Taiwan Banchi Seitogun (the expeditionary force to the unexplored territory of Taiwan). In March, he was appointed second lieutenant of the army engineers; and in February, he departed for the front of the Seinan War (the Satsuma Rebellion in present Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan). In April, he was raised to lieutenant of the army engineers and appointed staff officer of the First Brigade; however in October, he returned to Tokyo.
In February, he was assigned to the company of the first battalion of the army engineers; in March, he became staff of Kansei Office (the office in charge of overseeing the west) of the General Staff Office; in April, he was promoted to captain of the army engineers; and in February, he was appointed staff officer of the Imperial Guard Division. He became deputy commander of the third battalion of the army engineers in July, and became deputy vice-secretary of Army War College in March; in March of the same year, he was raised to major of the army engineers and became vice-secretary of Army War College. In June, he became staff officer of the Army Supervision Department. After serving as staff officer of the Imperial Guard Division, on June 18, he was promoted to colonel of the army engineers and chief of staff of the Imperial Guard Division; and in April, he departed for the front of the Sino-Japanese War. After the Sino-Japanese War, he was appointed chief of staff of the Chubu Division; and on September 28, he was appointed major general of the Army.
On April 25, he became commander of Yura Fortress; and on May 5, he was transferred to Tokyo Bay Fortress as commander. On September 5, he was appointed lieutenant general of the Army and assigned to the Imperial Headquarters; and in October of the same year, he departed for the front of the Russo-Japanese War. During the war, on December 1, he was appointed chief of the 11th Division (Japanese Army); and on April 1, he received the first grade Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun. On July 6 of the same year, he was appointed chief of the 14th Division (Japanese Army). On September 21, he was given the title of baron for his achievement in the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War. On September 6, he was promoted to army general and at the same time he was transferred to reserve.
He died. Shigeo never had a heir, so his title could not be succeeded.