How one Canadian's misplaced signature caused a diplomatic incident at the end of WWII

Henry Larson · 2025-09-02T13:52:53+0100

Japanese foreign minister Namoru Shigemitsu signs surrender terms as Allied officers look on Sept. 2, 1945 on USS Missouri moored in Tokyo Bay.

On Sept. 2, 1945, the Japanese and the Allies gathered to mark the official end of WWII. The process went smoothly until Col. Lawrence Cosgrave signed his name on the wrong line.

(Image credit: HUM Images/Getty Images)

How one Canadian's misplaced signature caused a diplomatic incident at the end of WWII

Henry Larson

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