Item: ON13013
Original U.S. WWII USN Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Signed Photograph of the Japanese Surrender on the U.S.S Missouri - Tokyo Bay, September 2, 1945
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Original Item: One-Of-A-Kind. Now this is an incredible piece of history! This is a signed and personalized copy of the Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo on September 2, 1945. After finishing his introductory statement General MacArthur directed the representatives of Japan to sign the two Instruments of Surrender, one each for the Allied and Japanese governments. At 9:04 AM, Foreign Minister Shigemitsu signed, followed two minutes later by General Umezu. General MacArthur then led the Allied delegations in signing, first Fleet Admiral Nimitz as United States Representative, then the representatives of China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, The Netherlands and New Zealand. All signatures were in place by 9:22. Following a few brief remarks by MacArthur, the ceremonies concluded at 9:25.
Photograph Description
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz (seated) is signing the Allied Surrender Terms agreement which finalized the unconditional surrender of the Japanese and the end of the war with Japan. Behind Admiral Nimitz are (left to right) General Douglas MacArthur, Admiral William F. Halsey and Rear Admiral Forrest Sherman. Other soldiers and sailors in the background are unidentified. The ceremony took place aboard the USS Missouri.
Writing On The Photograph
The writing that can be found on the photograph has been handwritten to a specific individual by Admiral Nimitz. The writing is as follows:
To CDR Mildred Julia Gehle, USNR, With Best Wishes, Warm
Regards and Great Appreciation Of Your Contribution To
The War Effort Which Made Possible The Above Scene.
C.W. Nimitz
Fleet Admiral, U.S. Navy
Mildred Julia Gehle enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve (Women’s Reserve) but is better known as the WAVES, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Se in 1944. We have not been able to find much information on Commander Gehle,making this a great candidate for further research!
This 14”x 11” photograph is in good condition but it does have some wrinkles as well as some tearing on the top right corner and right side. The actual photograph and handwriting is very nice and still easily visible.
This is an absolutely wonderful signed copy of a very famous and historic photograph capturing the Japanese surrender! Comes ready to be framed and displayed.
The Surrender Ceremony
On the teak decks of USS Missouri, WWII finally came to an end on 2 September 1945. The Surrender Ceremony, which formally brought an end to the bloodiest conflict in human history, lasted a mere 23 minutes. It began at 0902 with a brief opening speech by General Douglas MacArthur. In his speech, the General called for justice, tolerance, and rebuilding. After MacArthur’s speech, Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu, representing the Emperor of Japan, signed the Instrument of Surrender. He was followed by the Chief of the Army General Staff, General Yoshijirō Umezu, who signed for the Japanese Army. After this, General MacArthur signed the Instrument of Surrender as the Supreme Allied Commander with 6 pens. Of these pens, he gave two to former POWs Lt. General Jonathan Wainwright and Lt. General Arthur E. Percival. Following MacArthur, other allied representatives followed in this order:
-Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz signed for the United States
-General Xu Yongchang for the Republic of China
-Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser for the United Kingdom
-Lt. General Kuzma Derevyanko for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)
-General Sir Thomas A. Blamey for the Commonwealth of Australia
-Colonel Lawrence Moore Cosgrave for the Dominion of Canada
-General Philippe Le Clerc for the Provisional Government of the French Republic
-Lt. Admiral Conrad E. L. Helfrich for the Kingdom of the Netherlands
-Air Vice Marshal Leonard M. Isitt for the Dominion of New Zealand
After the signing concluded, General MacArthur made a few concluding remarks and closed the proceedings. At 0923 on 2 September 1945, the war was officially over.
- This product is available for international shipping.
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