An archive of period photostatic copies of critical letters and documents related to the surrender of the Axis powers during World War II, bound and kept as a commemorative keepsake by a sergeant within the Office of Strategic Services.

59 pages in total, 325 x 190mm., with the Japanese Proclamation of Surrender and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender being two-page foldouts, bound in brown boards with gilt lettering (numerous heavy creases and folds, lightly bumped at lower spine, light edge toning to the front pastedown and front flyleaf).

Jerome Chapek was a sergeant in the Army, working in Washington, D.C. for the Office of Strategic Service. He was stationed in Washington for the duration of the war, being assigned to the Department of Photostat & Blueprints. Following the signing of the surrender of Japan aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, the original copy of the surrender was sent to Washington, where Chapek's department made official copies for England, France, Russia, and two additional copies for the United States - one which is housed with the Library of Congress, and the other is housed in the National Archives. While working for the Department of Photostat & Blueprints, Sergeant Chapek created these period copies as a souvenir and later bound them in this commemorative volume.

Notable copies within this book are: the German Act of Military Surrender; the Japanese Instrument of Surrender; the Japanese Proclamation of Surrender; copies of the armistice terms with Italy presented by General Eisenhower on 3 September 1945 (as well as a copy of the transmittal letter forwarding these terms to the Secretaries of the Combined Chiefs of Staff in Washington, 6 September 1945); numerous other letters and documents in German related to the surrender of the German Army and Navy, including correspondence from Karl Wolff, Karl Donitz, and Alfred Jodl; Special Orders by the Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force to the German High Command related to Naval Forces, which stipulates the military terms and logistics related to the surrender of Germany; and numerous others.

While largely faithful to the original letters and documents, there are a few unique differences between these copies and the "official" copies distributed to the Allied nations. Most uniquely, next to the signatories on the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, Chapek had added a small slip of paper with the names and rank of eleven signatories before scanning the document for his memento - omitting only Supreme Commander Douglas MacArthur from this. Period copies of these critical documents are scarcely found in private hands, with those being taken directly from a member of the O.S.S. in advance of distribution being even scarcer. Provenance: Jerome Chapek -- by descent to the consignor.