160307-0029 - Japanese Surrender WWII

Japanese emissaries board a US C-54 Skymaster transport plane on the US held island of Iejima in Okinawa Prefecture shortly after noon on August 19, 1945 (Showa 20). The plane carried them to Manila to meet with General Douglas MacArthur's staff to work out the details of Japan's surrender marking the end of WWII. Shortly before, the delegation had arrived on specially-marked Japanese Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" bombers. At Iejima, the delegation of 16 military and civilian representatives assembled in the shade of the wing of a US C-54 Skymaster transport plane where they were briefed by American commanders about their flight to the Philippines in the C-54, which they then boarded. The crew of the two Japanese bombers were detained overnight until the surrender delegation returned from Manila the following day. The delegation travelled in two bombers which were painted white with dark green crosses to identify them as non-hostile. The flight therefore became known as the Green Cross flight. Over the following month, the technique became the standard operating procedure for Japanese aircraft carrying envoys for surrender. Photo by MeijiShowa/AFLO