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Black and white photograph of the Japanese surrender to Australia 1945

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Australian Army

1945

Overview

A black and white photograph of the Japanese surrender to Australian Forces on 13 September 1945. In the bottom left foreground Major General ROBERTSON of the Australian Army’s 6th Division is holding at arm’s length in front of him the sword of General AADACHI of the Japanese 18th Army. Another Japanese soldier is on the General’s left while other Australian officers stand to the right and behind Major General ROBERTSON. In the background, members of the Australian Forces line the parade ground on which the surrender took place.

Historical information

Almost a month after the unconditional surrender of the Japanese on 14 August 1945 (Victory in the Pacific Day), General ADACHI of the Japanese 18th Army surrendered over 14,000 troops in the Aitape-Wewak region of Papua New Guinea to Major General Horace Clement Hugh ROBERTSON of the Australian Army’s 6th Division at 10.00 am on 13 September. The surrender documents were signed on the Cape Wom airstrip in front of approximately 3,000 Australians of all services on parade. General ADACHI surrendered his sword to Major General ROBERTSON followed by five (5) of his senior officers surrendering their swords to Australian senior officers.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-12-2014.3.1.g

Item type

Photographs

Themes

Defence > Army
War and Conflict > World War 2

Material

Photographic Paper

Width

104 mm

Height or length

74 mm

Weight

3 g

Contextual Information

This photograph belonged to Private James Eles GILPIN (WX12639), who served in this theatre of the Second World War. Born in Croyden (England) on 11 April 1921 he was a ’mill hand’ in Denmark, Western Australia. GILPIN enlisted in Claremont, Western Australia on 9 June 1941, embarking Cairns on 11 November 1944, GILPIN disembarked at Aitape on the north coast of Papua New Guinea in the Sanduan Province. The Aitape-Wewak Campaign took place between November 1944 and August 1945 involving troops of the 6th Division from December 1944. GILPIN was awarded the Military Medal for his actions on August 1945 with the citation acknowledging his “outstanding bravery in the Wewak area”.

Keywords

Second World War

Japanese surrender Wewak 1945

Japanese surrender to Australian Forces Wewak 1945

Place made

Wewak, Papua New Guinea

Year

1945

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance

Social or spiritual significance

Comparative significance criteria