Lot 284

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Description:

WWII Naval Dispatch "ALL HANDS!!'" Soviet Union Declared War on Japan.

Single page typed Naval dispatch, 8" x 7", with two punch holes along top edge. Header of U.S. Naval Communication Service, Amphibious Forces, Pacific. Dated "BBC London/ 9 August 1945". Ex. J. John Fox (1905-1999) Intelligence Officer for the Amphibious Forces, via Auction (see below for his Biography)

A fantastic example of an important Naval Dispatch from the height of the War against Japan during World War II, communicating the important message that the Soviet Union entered the war and had declared war against the Japanese Empire:

"Less than an hour ago an announcement was made through BBC London that the Soviet Union had declared war against the Japanese Empire as of 9 August 1945. President Truman announced in Washington that Russia had declared war against Japan.
Received from B.B.C. London
BBC London/ 9 August 1945".

Includes the two word manuscript of "All Hands!!"

A fantastic example of an important Naval Dispatch from the height of the War against Japan during World War II. Only days before the date of this dispatch release we had bombed Hiroshima, and on the morning of the day of this dispatch we had bombed Nagasaki. As neither were specifically mentioned, and as both were top secret missions, it is possible that full news of the bombing was just trickling in. But most significant is that there is contentious debate among scholars about why Japan surrendered in World War II with this moment in history forcing their decision. Some believe their choice to surrender the following week was the result of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It’s possible that these finally pushed Emperor Hirohito (posthumously called Emperor Showa) to break the deadlock in the Supreme War Council and accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration for unconditional surrender issued by the Allied leaders on July 26, 1945. (In that declaration, there was a promise of “prompt and utter destruction” if the armed forces of Japan didn’t surrender). However other scholars believe Japan surrendered because the Soviet Union entered the war.  It was only when the Soviets, jockeying with the United States for post-war influence in Asia, declared war and invaded Japanese-held Manchuria that Japan’s leaders capitulated to prevent falling under Soviet dominance. In this theory, it is therefore believed that Japanese leaders said the bomb forced them to surrender because it was less embarrassing to say they had been defeated by a miracle weapon

Biography:
J. John Fox (1905-1999) was born in Paterson, NJ, but grew up in and worked most of his adult life in Boston, MA. He attended Boston University, then enrolled in Boston University Law School. It was there he acquired the nickname “Just John” Fox, his reply to a professor’s question about his name. 
When Pearl Harbor was attacked, Fox enlisted in the Navy, despite being around 36 years old. Initially he served in the North Atlantic before being assigned to the amphibious forces in the Pacific Theater under Admiral Richmond “Kelly” Turner. Fox became an intelligence officer and was involved in the planning of the assaults on Kwajalein, the Marianas, Palau, Leyte, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. In late 1945 he was also deeply involved in planning the invasion of Japan itself. Had the invasion occurred, he was to have been in charge of prisoner interrogation and captured documents. He was awarded the bronze star for his service in the Pacific Theater. Before being discharged in 1946, he helped in preparation of amphibious operations training materials at the Naval War College in Newport, RI. 

After his discharge, he returned to his legal practice in Boston. Governor Dever appointed him as an associate judge in 1952. He then became a probate judge in Norfolk Probate Court in 1960. He retired from the bench in 1973. 

In the 1960s Fox helped establish a public medical school in Massachusetts, a school that became the University of Massachusetts Medical School. In 1974, he co-sponsored, with David Bartley, the Bartley-Fox Law, the first of its kind, in Massachusetts. Bartley-Fox established stiff penalties for illegal possession of a firearm and committing a crime with an unlicensed firearm. Although the law generated controversy, as does all firearms-related legislation, this one did not restrict ownership of firearms, it only required them to be registered. 

Judge Fox lived for another quarter century after retirement, passing away on October 4, 1999 at the age of 96. This piece was brought back from the Pacific by Fox following World War II, and descended in his family.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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