VIP Flight to Manila

[Dave Homewood]

I spotted this in the No. 41 Squadron records, would this VIP aboard NZ3509 have been AVM Len Isitt on his way to the surrender talks?

Rukuhia deliveries 3 by Dave Homewood, on Flickr

[tbf2504]

Hi Dave, you correct, from memory Isitt joined another aircraft for the flight from Manila to Tokyo

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks.

[chinapilot]

Surrender wasn't signed until 02/09/45
Must have stayed in MNL for a while?
Or someone else?

[Dave Homewood]

Probably stayed in Manila waiting for arrangements to be sorted.

[Dave Homewood]

This article, found and sent to me by Mark McGuire, seems to give a clear picture of the Lodestar's movements, and they did not stay in Manila.

SURRENDER OF JAPAN

DOMINION'S SIGNATORY RETURNS

AIR VICE-MARSHAL ISITT

Sole official representative of New Zealand at the signing of the Japanese surrender pact in Tokio Bay eight days ago, Air Vice-Marshal L. M. Isitt, Chief of the New Zealand Air Staff, arrived back in the Dominion yesterday in 40 hours' flying* time from Tokio. He went and returned in a R.N.Z.A.F.' Lodestar, which was the first British plane to land in Japan after the surrender. Air Vice-Marshal Isitt flew over both Yokohama and Tokio, and in an interview today spoke of the amazing- bomb damage that had been done in both places, '' Hundreds of acres have been devastated,'' he said, "but the centre of Tokio and the Emperor's palace appeared to be all right.-"

Ail- Vice-Marshal Isitt had only a brief trip outside the occupied territory, but he saw enough during his experience there to convince him that Japan was a thoroughly beaten country. '"Militarily." he said. "Japan is a completely defeated nation. They were beaten without the atomic bombs. The Japanese civilians we saw were impassive and showed no emotion one! way or the other. They were just as interested in us as we were in them. There was no sign of demonstration or hostility and the Japanese police, who were the only officials allowed to carry sidearms, saluted us. The people themselves were in reasonably good condition, but obviously very poor."

MacARTHUR THE RIGHT MAN.
General Mac Arthur's appointment as Supreme Commander in this area met with universal approval, he continued. There was no doubt about it that he was the right man for the job.

"It is realised that although the occupation has gone very smoothly, and so far without even any isolated 'incidents,' the job is going to be a long and difficult one.

"The people must be made to realise that they are defeated, and that as a nation they must get away from old ideas and completely change their outlook."

One of the first considerations of the occupation forces was the welfare of the prisoners of war. They were reported to be suffering very severely from malnutrition; in fact 80 per cent of them were in a serious condition. When they were liberated, however, they were so excited and in such high spirits that their real condition was somewhat hidden. Conditions in the hospitals were shocking, largely through lack of medical supplies, and, of course, the Japanese indifference and callousness.

SURRENDER CEREMONY.
Speaking of the actual surrender ceremony, Air Vice-Marshal Isitt said that it was fixed for 9 a.m. on September 2 on the U.S.S. battleship Missouri, Admiral Halsey's flagship. With Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser, Air Vice-Marshal Isitt left the Duke of York, the British Admiral's flagship, for the Missouri, where they met Admirals Halsey and Nimitz and took their places on deck. There was an air of tense expectancy about the whole ship as the historic hour approached. At 8.45 a.m. General MacArthur came aboard from his headquarters in Yokohama, and shortly after the Japanese envoys arrived, headed by Admiral Shigemitsu and General Umizo, and a retinue of staff officials, all without the usual swords. There were 14 in the Japanese party.

General Mac Arthur came on deck accompanied by Admirals Nimitz and Halsey, and the signing of the documents began. The actual ceremony took only 15 minutes, and proceedings were conducted with great efficiency by General Mac Arthur. Immediately he had signed the general left the deck, and was followed by the other signatories. They all went to Admiral Halsey's quarters and saw a fly-past of a formation of B29's, and later a fly-past of United States naval planes from the carriers. It was a most impressive sight.

Air Vice-Marshal Isitt said that the Japanese party preserved a fixed calmness until General Umizo showed some emotion when it came to his turn to sign the document.

After the ceremony Air Vice-Marshal Isitt obtained permission from Admiral Halsey to use the naval airstrip on the Japanese mainland, and he brought up the Lodestar from Iwo Jima, where it had been quartered. The crew of the Lodestar were Squadron Leader R. M. McSkimming, captain, Flight Lieutenant R. D. Steele, second pilot, Flight Lieutenant L. A. Lawton, navigator, Flight Lieutenant M. V. Holmes, navigator, Flight Lieutenant G. Robson and Pilot Officer A. F. G. McHarper, wireless operators, and Sergeant A. C. White, flight engineer. Incidentally Flight Lieutenant Lawton, said the Vice-Marshal, was the captain of the aircraft in which Sergeant Ward, of Wanganui, won the V.C. in the early days of the war.

Actually. Air Vice-Marshal Isitt left New Zealand on August 14 in the Lodestar. He arrived at Guam on the 15th, and from there was instructed to go to Iwo Jima, where he joined a U.S. destroyer. At Guam he attended the last conference of service chiefs so far as operations in the Pacific were concerned, as by then the acceptance by Japan of the terms of surrender had been announced.

At Iwo Jima he boarded the destroyer Barton, and joined the main fleet, which consisted of over 100 vessels. "It was impossible to see all the fleet from one point," he commented. He transferred to the Missouri, and was the guest of Admiral Halsey for a week. He stayed with him until August 25. During that time he spent a day on the U.S. carrier Shangrila, the headquarters of Admiral McCain (who has since died), and viewed the fleet from the air in a Hellfire, landing on August 27. The ships with the Tokio occupation forces moved into Sagami Bay and made the first contact with the Japanese, a Jap. envoy arriving complete with pilots and interpreters. They were taken to the Missouri, where they discussed with the U.S. leaders the evacuation of the military and naval areas in Tokio and the disarming of the Japanese forces.

What struck Air Vice-Marshal Isitt about conditions on the mainland was the utter lack of activity. Viewed from the ships anchored offshore there was no sign of people on the beaches, and not a single factory chimney showed smoke. The whole place appeared deserted. One feature, however, was the large white flags which fluttered from the fortifications in token of surrender.

EVENING POST, 10 SEPTEMBER 1945

[errolmartyn]

"MacARTHUR THE RIGHT MAN.
General Mac Arthur's appointment as Supreme Commander in this area met with universal approval, he continued. There was no doubt about it that he was the right man for the job."

An interesting useage of the term 'universal approval'!
Errol

[Dave Homewood]

Yeah I thought that, hahaha.