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Auction: 18038 - Autographs, Historical Documents, Ephemera and Postal History
Lot: 3098

Autographs
Unconditional Surrender of Germany
1945 (7 May) the original back copy of the telex notification from SHEAF Allied Headquarters in Rheims, France for Winston Churchill in the War Rooms. The message reads

from d.s.o. jejo

to signalmaster uagp

herewith is clear text of msge the cypher text will follow shortly


para one pd a representative of the german high command
signed the unconditional pren from shaef forward signed eisenhower
cite shgct unparen surrender of all german land cma sea cma and
air forces in europe to the alied expeditionary
force and simultaneously to the soviet
high command at zero one four one hours central european time cma
seven may under which all forces will cease active operations
at zero zero one baker hours nine may pd para
two


pd effective immediately all offensive operations by allied
expeditionary force will cease and troops will remain in
present positions pd moves involved in occupational duties wil
continue pd ... due to difficulties of communication
thfe may be some delay in similar orders reaching enemy
troops so full defensive precautions will be taken pd para three
pd all informed down to and including divisions cma tactical air commands and groups cma base sections cma and equivalent pd no repeat no release will be made to the press pending ... an announcement by the heads of the three governments"


The reverse of the document has been signed by Francis Cook and forty one clerical staff working in the Cabinet War Rooms.


The first Instrument of Surrender was signed at Reims at 02:41 Central European Time (CET) on 7 May 1945. The signing took place in a red brick schoolhouse, the Collège Moderne et Technique de Reims , that served as the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). It was to take effect at 23:01 CET (one minute after midnight, British Double Summer Time) on 8 May,


The page has been folded and there is some edge wear. A highly important document being the first official notification to Churchill the the war with Germany had ended. The significance of this message was not lost on the back room staff who all signed this as a souvenir of the occasion. Also the Victory edition of The Star with the banner headline, Signing in Berlin/Peace Officieal at Midnight Tonight. Photo

This document was kept by Miss Francis Cook, a member of Churchill's staff and bequethed together with her estate in 1989

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Sold for
£14,000