Which New Zealand air vice-marshal signed Japan’s surrender instrument in Tokyo Bay?

Leonard Isitt was the New Zealand air vice-marshal who signed Japan’s surrender instrument in Tokyo Bay.

Air Vice-Marshal Leonard M. Isitt signed the document on behalf of New Zealand during the ceremony aboard USS Missouri on September 2, 1945. He was the final Allied representative to sign, doing so after representatives of the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, and the Netherlands.

Isitt had served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force and held senior command responsibilities during the war. His presence reflected New Zealand’s separate participation in the Allied war effort, even though the country was part of the British Commonwealth.

The signing order is easy to overlook because Douglas MacArthur presided and Chester Nimitz signed for the United States. The Allied document included representatives from nine Allied countries, while the Japanese delegation had two signatories: Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijiro Umezu.