How one Canadian's misplaced signature caused a diplomatic incident at the end of WWII
Summary
On September 2, 1945, Japan formally surrendered to the Allied Forces, marking the end of World War II. During the ceremony aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, a Canadian officer, Col. Lawrence Cosgrave, accidentally signed the surrender document on the wrong line. This mistake almost caused a diplomatic issue, but it was quickly resolved, and the document was accepted.Key Facts
- The World War II surrender ceremony took place on September 2, 1945, on the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
- Col. Lawrence Cosgrave signed the surrender document on behalf of Canada.
- Cosgrave accidentally signed on the wrong line, leading to a near diplomatic incident.
- The Japanese delegation briefly hesitated to accept the document because of the error.
- The issue was resolved, and Japan accepted the document, finalizing the surrender.
- Cosgrave was a veteran of World War I who had lost an eye in the war.
- Despite his long career, Cosgrave is often remembered for his signing mistake.
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