Jim Walker Photos
The Japanese Surrender Delegation and their Betty Bombers in WW2 on the island of Ie Shima.

Betty Bomber landing on the island of Ie Shima in WW2.  This Betty bomber, one of two, was painted white and had green crosses painted on them.   They were ordered to be painted white by the United States to identify them as the Surrender Delegation prior to the ceremonial surrender that we commonly see in Japan on the USS Missouri.  The true story of the Japanese surrender has been lost in history and is a fantastic story of bravery by the Japanese delegation as they had to evade their own aircraft that were ordered to shoot them down.  One of the Japanese surrender delegation members was watching through a cannon shell hole in the side of the plane as the flew to meet the American aircraft that were sent out to protect these two Betty Bombers and saw a group of planes coming toward the Betty.  He thought that he was going to be killed because he thought that the planes were Japanese.  He stated that it was much to his relief to see that the planes were American P-38 Lightnings that were sent to protect them.  After flying with the American Escort for a while, they grouped up with a squadron of B-25 Mitchell Bombers, then flew the rest of the way to the island of Ie Shima which is close to the north west coast of Okinawa.

As the Betty Bombers landed on the island of Ie Shima the American troops stood by.  Once the surrender papers were actually signed on the island of Corrigador in the Philippines.  That is where the Surrender Delegation had to fly to meet General MacArthur and then return to Ie Shima then to fly the remaining Betty Bomber back to Japan.  On takeoff, one of he Japanese Betty Bombers ran off the runway and went into a ditch damaging the aircraft so that it couldn't make the return trip.  The remaining plane was badly shot up prior to any of these events and was losing fuel.  It did not make it to Japan, but did crash just off of shore of their south coast.  The Japanese Generals ordered their troops to kill the delegation and there was a super manhunt to stop the surrender papers from reaching Emperor Hirohito. Fortunately, the people of Japan helped the Surrender Delegation evade their own army and got the delegation to Tokyo to complete the surrender as we all see as being done on the USS Missouri.

A Japanese pilot standing on the wing of his Betty Bomber as Jim Walker took the picture.