MOOSE JAW — Col. Lawrence Moore Cosgrave suffered an eye injury while fighting in the First World War, which may have contributed to a writing blunder when he represented Canada during Japan’s formal surrender 80 years ago.
Cosgrave, who fought with Lt.-Col. John McCrae — who wrote In Flanders Fields — in 1915, was Canada’s military attaché to Australia during the Second World War and was an impromptu representative — and the only junior officer among admirals and generals — during the surrender ceremony.
During the formal event on Sept. 2, 1945, representatives from nine Allied countries signed the “Instrument of Surrender” document. However, Cosgrave signed his name just below the appropriate spot, on the line reserved for the French delegate.
“The mistake forced the subsequent signatories to also put their names on the incorrect lines, up to the New Zealand representative, who put his signature on the blank portion at the bottom,” a Legion Magazine article said.
The dismayed Japanese delegation refused to accept the error-filled copy, so U.S. General Douglas MacArthur’s chief of staff, the notoriously mercurial Lt.-Gen. Richard Sutherland, hand-wrote corrections to the Allied titles under each signature, the article noted.
Sutherland tersely dismissed the Japanese, who retired to their launch in Tokyo Bay, clutching the disfigured certificate that acknowledged their unconditional surrender. The emperor had to make do with a marked-up copy.
Sutherland’s quick thinking turned what could have been an embarrassing diplomatic incident into a minor, now largely forgotten historical footnote, and — eight decades on — a punchline, the magazine added.
After the ceremony, Cosgrave cabled Ottawa, saying, “Surrender ceremony completed this morning.” Continuing, he wrote that Canada had been accorded “every courtesy and consideration” during the event.
“Admiral (Chester) Nimitz (head of the U.S. Navy) and General MacArthur asked me to send their warm personal and official greetings to Prime Minister (William L.M.) King and their keen pleasure (with) Canada’s participation,” Cosgrave wrote.
The colonel added that the first group of Canadian prisoners of war would likely be released within 48 hours, although no details were known.
Cosgrave made no mention of his historic faux pas in his official typewritten report to the Canadian embassy in Australia, as his recollection of the day was different and more personal, the Legion article noted.
In his note to the embassy, Cosgrave simply listed those who signed and in what order and wrote that “the Allied representatives made a colourful, impressive group.”
His notes reflected the sense he was in august company. But instead of being awed by MacArthur or Nimitz, his attention was drawn to the emaciated figures of newly freed Major-Gen. Jonathan Wainwright, ill-fated commander of American troops who surrendered on Bataan in 1942, and Lt.-Gen. Arthur Percival, the defeated British commander in Singapore.
“I shall remain eternally grateful to the authors of my appointment to this historic ceremony,” Cosgrave wrote, adding wistfully, “Twill always remain the highlight of my not uneventful career.”
Canada’s Pacific war began three weeks after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in December 1941, when 290 of 1,975 Canadians from the Quebec-based Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers were killed defending Hong Kong, which fell on Christmas Day in 1941, according to a Global News article.
Almost as many Canadians subsequently died of starvation, disease and brutality in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps, with roughly 1,400 surviving.
Canada contributed fewer soldiers, sailors and airmen to the Pacific Theatre — roughly 10,000 personnel — compared to the European Theatre, but still played an important part, nevertheless.
Soldiers fought in Alaska; airmen flew troops, ammunition and other supplies in the China-Burma-India Theatre, and were pilots, navigators and gunners with the Royal Air Force in Southeast Asia; and sailors supported the U.S. Navy in the final months of the war.
Canada was preparing to send 70,000 military personnel — including 25,000 soldiers — to help with the expected invasion of Japan in November 1945, but the latter’s surrender ended those plans.
