How one Canadian's misplaced signature caused a diplomatic incident at the end of WWII

"When the Japanese delegation boarded the Missouri, the proceedings began. The two groups of signatories stood on opposite sides of a table brought from the battleship's mess hall. On the table were two copies of the instrument of surrender: one for the Japanese and one for the Allies. Once the Japanese representatives signed, it was time for the Allies to do the same. The process went smoothly until it came time for Cosgrave to sign."

"When he sat down to put pen to paper, Cosgrave ended up signing his name on the wrong line. "It had the potential at that moment of creating a bit of a diplomatic incident, because the Japanese, when they saw that not all of the signatures were in the appropriate place, suggested to General MacArthur's chief of staff that they wouldn't accept the document," Brewster said. But the moment passed."

Sept. 2, 1945 marked Japan's formal surrender aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay, officially ending World War II. Hundreds of officials and signatories attended the ceremony, with Allied delegations lined up to sign two copies of the instrument of surrender. Canada was represented by Col. Lawrence Cosgrave, the defense attache to Australia and the highest-ranking Canadian who could attend. During the Allied signing, Cosgrave mistakenly signed on the wrong line, prompting Japanese concern that the document might not be accepted. A prompt correction resolved the issue, but the error affected Cosgrave's legacy.

Read at www.npr.org