Bill Carty

Today we remember Bill Carty, who served as a wartime cinematographer. He recalls one assignment that truly stood out for him — the formal signing of the Japanese surrender on the USS Missouri.

Bill Carty audio file (MP4 23.89 MB)

Bill Carty audio script

75th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War

Audio actuality

“Fellow Citizens, the War is over” — (The Hon J B Chifley, Prime Minister of Australia)

On the 75th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War, Australia remembers Bill Carty, who served as a wartime cinematographer.

The one assignment that truly stood out for him was the formal signing of the Japanese surrender, on the USS Missouri, on September 2nd 1945.

Bill Carty

As you know, the Missouri was packed to the rafters with all the brass — the Australian brass — and Americans and other nations were all lined up behind the table.

We had cameramen at various parts of the deck; mine was about 15 feet above the table. But we were told that if we moved out of position, we’d be thrown off the ship.

Everyone was set up and we were waiting for Macarthur to come out, and this Russian photographer moved out — and of course the Americans were moving in to whizz him out. But the Russian representative said: “He stays”. And he stayed.

15 minutes later, Macarthur strode out onto the deck, sat down, and he signed the papers, and so did the other Japanese. And then each country representative moved in also and signed their signature.

Saturday, August 15 marks the 75th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War. Let’s pay our respects to that amazing generation of Australians.