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Auction: 24003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 283

(x) The important Japanese Instrument of Surrender for Dutch Borneo

Japanese Instrument of Surrender, 605mm x 380mm, lithographically-printed document completed and signed in manuscript on board H.M.A.S. Burdekin, 8 September 1945, being the Instrument of Surrender by which all Japanese troops in Borneo surrender to Major Edward James Milford, Commander Seventh Australian Division, the two date lines signed in black ink, and signed in black ink in Japanese characters by Vice-Admiral Michiaki Kamada as Commander 22 Base Force Dutch Borneo, and signed in blue ink below the second date line by Milford, some overall creasing, a few minor marginal splits and little spotting, very fine and a rare survivor

The last comparable Surrender document, in which the Japanese surrendered to the Australian General Sir Vernon Sturdee in the South Pacific, was sold at auction for AUD$102,000 (approximately £51,000) in 2009.

With the cessation of hostilities in August 1945, H.M.A.S. Burdekin was one of a number of ships that made unsuccessful attempts to contact Japanese forces on the island of Ambon. Shortly afterwards, aboard the ship on 8 September 1945, the surrender of Dutch Borneo by the Japanese was accepted by Major E. J. Milford from Vice-Admiral Michiaki Kamada. A surrender table was arranged on the quarterdeck and the Japanese were received on board whereupon a number of questions were put to Admiral Kamada, and when the matter of signing the surrender was raised he said that he would sign on behalf of the Japanese Navy only. However, General Milford would not accept this, the instrument of surrender was produced and Vice-Admiral Kamada signed. At the conclusion of the ceremony in which Vice-Admiral Kamada also surrendered his sword, Kamada and his staff disembarked.

Many photographs were taken, and footage of this famous event is available via:

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/F07311

Michiaki Kamada was tried in a Dutch military court in Pontianak which convicted him of war crimes for the executions of 1,500 West Borneo natives in 1944 and the ill treatment of 2,000 Dutch P.O.W.s held on Flores Island. He was sentenced to death and executed on 18 October 1947.

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate
£12,000 to £15,000

Starting price
£10000