Record revealed
Japanese Instrument of Surrender, 1945
After six years of brutal global conflict, this document marked the end of the Second World War. It’s one of several instruments of surrender signed by Japanese Commanders in September 1945, formally agreeing to the Allied terms.
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Partial transcript
1. In pursuance of and in compliance with:
a. the Instrument of Surrender signed by the Japanese plenipotentiaries by command and on behalf of the Emperor of Japan, the Japanese Government, and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters at Tokyo on 2 September, 1945 ;
b. General Order No. 1, promulgated at the same place on the same date ;
c. the Local Agreement made by the Supreme Commander, Japanese Expeditionary Forces, Southern Regions, with the Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia at Rangoon on 27 August, 1945 ;
to all of which Instrument of Surrender, General Order and Local Agreement this present Instrument is complementary and which it in no way supersedes, the Supreme Commander, Japanese Expeditionary Forces, Southern Regions (Field Marshal Count Terauchi) does hereby surrender unconditionally to the Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia (Admiral The Lord Louis Mountbatten) himself and all Japanese sea, ground, air and auxiliary forces under his command or control and within the operational theatre of the Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia.
Why this record matters
- Date
- 12 September 1945
- Catalogue reference
- FO 371/46415
After victory in Europe in May 1945, Allied attention quickly turned to ensuring a swift military victory over Japan. Plans had been put in place for the invasion of mainland Japan (codenamed Operation Downfall), politicians believing that the war could last at least another year.
The dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima on 6 August, and then on Nagasaki on 9 August, the latter also coinciding with the Soviet Union declaration of war on Japan, swiftly changed these plans. The Japanese government quickly shared its intention to surrender to Allied forces on 10 August, bringing an end to the Second World War.
On 15 August, Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced the acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration of July 1945, which had set out the terms in which the Allies would accept a Japanese surrender.
This record is one of several instruments of surrender signed by Japanese commanders in September 1945. This one was signed in Singapore on 12 September, ten days after the first formal surrender had been signed aboard the United States ship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945.
These documents set out the complete capitulation of Japanese forces in the various conflict areas across Southeast Asia. In this version, Seishiro Itagaki (Deputy Supreme Commander, Japanese Expeditionary Forces of the Southern Regions) signed the surrender alongside Louis Mountbatten (the Supreme Allied Commander, Southeast Asia) at a surrender ceremony in Singapore’s Council Chambers. It set out the instructions to be given to Japanese forces and the consequences for any disobedience.
Immediately following the surrender ceremony, the Union Jack, which had been taken down at the British surrender at Singapore in 1942, was hoisted to the British National Anthem.
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