Sold – Signed Photograph of Douglas MacArthur Showing Him in Action During World War II
He comes on board the USS Cleveland to witness the last major amphibious landing of the war .
By June 1945 the war in the Pacific was going well and Allied forces were retaking islands previously held by the Japanese. Borneo was the next goal. The USS Cleveland put out to sea from Subic Bay in the Philippines on June 7, 1945, to act as part of the covering...
By June 1945 the war in the Pacific was going well and Allied forces were retaking islands previously held by the Japanese. Borneo was the next goal. The USS Cleveland put out to sea from Subic Bay in the Philippines on June 7, 1945, to act as part of the covering force and provide fire support for the invasion landings set for Brunei Bay on that island on June 10. She returned to Subic Bay June 15, then sailed to Manila to embark. The moment was a fitting one for MacArthur to turn his attention away from the Philippines, as on June 28 his headquarters announced the end of all Japanese resistance there. The ship arrived at her station off Borneo on June 30, and took active part in firing in a pre-landing bombardment the next morning. That morning, July 1, 1945, MacArthur personally observed the last major amphibious landing of the Second World War, when after the naval bombardment was concluded, the 7th Australian Division hit the beach at Balikpapan.
An 8 by 10 inch black and white photograph depicting MacArthur receiving salutes as he comes on board the Cleveland, signed in fountain pen, quite likely on the Cleveland that very day: “Douglas MacArthur, Borneo, 1945”. The photo also has “Official photograph USS Cleveland” stamped on the reverse. This is our first war date signed photograph of MacArthur showing him in action, as he generally just signed portrait photographs. It comes to us from Australia, whose troops made the landing.
In a few weeks, bombing of the Japanese homeland would commence, and a month later the atomic bombs were dropped. September would see the end of the war.

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