New Zealand provided the final Allied signature on Japan's 1945 surrender instrument.
Air Vice-Marshal Leonard M. Isitt signed for New Zealand at 9:22 a.m. Japan Standard Time. He was the last of the representatives of the Allied powers to sign the document aboard USS Missouri.
The sequence began with General Douglas MacArthur signing as Supreme Commander for the Allied powers, followed by Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz for the United States. Representatives of China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand then signed in order.
The ceremony ended at 9:25 a.m., only three minutes after Isitt's signature. New Zealand's participation reflected its substantial role in the Pacific War, including operations in the Solomon Islands, the Southwest Pacific, and other areas under Allied command.