I'm going through family photos and found a piece of 'mystery history'.

[Siwsan]

This photo sure looks like a surrender, of some sorts, is taking place, so that's the history. The mystery is, well, no one in my family served 'on the ground' in the Pacific, during WW2. My Uncle John was in the Navy, shipboard in the Pacific, and he is the only family serving in that part of the war. (My Uncle Ray was in the Army and was in the Battle of the Bulge and Uncle Carl was in the Army Air Corps and trained pilots, in England.)

I found this in such an obscure place, so it never surfaced at a time someone could, perhaps, have told the story behind the photo. And, unfortunately, the back of the photo is blank.

Anyway, I just found this interesting so I thought I'd share.

[saidsimplesimon]

1. Is that a Japanese flag?

Would this be a surrender of a pacific island in WW2? Just a guess from clues in photo

[eppur_se_muova]

2. Is that a Korean or Japanese flag ? Hard to tell because of the shadows and fading.

The background makes me think Philippines, which would suggest it's Japanese.

I would think someone serving in the Navy in the Pacific might easily have acquired this, especially at second or third hand.

One scenario: two tall Americans, with a Philippine officer(?) accompanying them on the left, accepting the surrender of Japanese troops after the battle of Manilla. Note the apparent damage to the building in the background -- there was an urban battle here. Compare to photos from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Manila_(1945)

[sarge43]

11. I'd say you're right.

Almost certainly Japanese, given the formal bow.

As there are no stripes on the American tropical service uniform, officers accepting the surrender.

[Srkdqltr]

3. Very powerful picture

I hope you find out what it depicts.

[Siwsan]

4. Anyone who would know is long gone, now

I've found a number of photos from the WWII era, but only a few have notations, and the quality of some is pretty poor.

Ah, but what is life without a few of these bits of the unknown?

[mysteryowl]

5. I hope they were treated well.

It looks peaceful enough, so I am going to assume so.

[Dem2theMax]

6. Can you find out what ship your uncle was on?

Maybe they went into Occupied Japan?

My dad was in the Pacific in World War II, Army man, and he was in New Guinea most of the time. But he did go into Occupied Japan at the end of the war.

You might cross post this in the genealogy forum. The folks in there often come up with really good ideas. They are used to doing lots of research.

[Siwsan]

8. Both of the ships he was on were hit. One by torpedo and one by Kamikaze

During one of the attacks, his best friend was hit, standing right next to him, and was instantly killed. It's a miracle Uncle John made it home, alive. I'll have to get my brother to remind me of the ships names.

He never actually recovered from the War, and died at a far too young 64. I still remember how thrilled he was when I enlisted in the Navy. I still have his 'Cracker Jack' uniform.

[Dem2theMax]

9. I'm so sorry he had a lifetime of fighting with all the memories.

My dad made it to 93, and he rarely spoke about any of the bad things that happened during the war. In fact, the day before he died, he told me a few things he probably hadn't said out loud since those things happened. I felt he was trying to lessen the burden on his soul.

I had a cousin in the Navy, and he would always come home on leave and visit us. And he was always in his Cracker Jack uniform.

I'm glad it gave your uncle happiness to see you in the same uniform.

[3Hotdogs]

7. My dad had a flag like that. It had multiple inscriptions on it.

It was given to him by a Japanese p.o.w. after Iwo Jima. He was in the navy. The prisoner liked my father and gave him the flag, coins and a pair of child's slippers.

After my father died, we decided to go to the Japanese embassy in N.Y.C. and see if the items could be returned to the soldier or his family. We were told we might, or might not hear from the family but they would contact us if they were able to return the items.

Months later, we heard from the embassy. The man worked in a bank. His co-workers signed the flag when he was leaving for induction into the Japanese army.

I got the impression that the signed flags were a common item.

[Dem2theMax]

10. My dad had a flag like that as well!

It's still somewhere in the house. But it had signatures of American soldiers all over it. They signed their names and their hometowns on it.

One of these days I need to donate it to some place.

[denbot]

12. I would guess it could have been taken in the Philippines.

My reasoning is from the skin tone and stature of some of the gallery witnessing the surrender.
It took years for Japanese units to surrender, and many U.S. Naval units cycled through that archipelago just before, and long after the end of hostilities in the Pacific Theater.

[3catwoman3]

13. I have no photography expertise, so this idea may...

...be worthless.

Any chance that someone who is skilled at photo restoration might be able to enhance this picture?