In connection with the 80th anniversary of V-J Day, this lecture brings together three expert speakers to explore aspects of Canada’s complex role in the war against Japan. They will examine the experiences of Canadian soldiers captured during the Battle of Hong Kong, the radio broadcasts of messages from some of these prisoners, and the story of Lt.-Col. Lawrence Moore Cosgrave — the Canadian signatory to Japan’s surrender in September 1945. Through personal testimony, historical research and archival material, this lecture offers powerful insights into resilience and remembrance in Canada’s final chapter of the Second World War.

Danielle Teillet, our emcee, joined the Canadian War Museum in 2022 in the newly created role of Historian, Indigenous Military History. Danielle is Red River Métis/settler from Winnipeg and a citizen of the Manitoba Métis Federation. Her research interests include Indigenous experiences of war, and the impact of Canada’s wars and wartime policies on the lives of First Nations, Inuit and Métis.

Dr. Jeff Noakes, using artifacts from the Museum’s collection, will look at the history of how wartime radio broadcasts from Canadians held prisoner by Japan were received in Canada and elsewhere. Dr. Noakes is the Second World War Historian at the Canadian War Museum. He is curator of Gallery 3: Canada and the Second World War, as well as the curator responsible for the William James Roué Collection at the Canadian Museum of History.

Dr. Michael Pass will explore the dramatic life and career of Colonel L. Moore Cosgrave, the Canadian signatory to Japan’s surrender who was long ridiculed for signing his name on the wrong line of the document, which has overshadowed his record as a capable soldier and accomplished trade commissioner. Dr. Pass is a Senior Policy Advisor in the Strategic Policy Planning Division at Global Affairs Canada. He completed his PhD in history at the University of Ottawa in 2024 where his research was on Japanese-Canadian relations during and after the Second World War.

Dr. Brad St. Croix will examine the experiences of the Canadian soldiers taken as prisoners of war by the Japanese during the Battle of Hong Kong. Dr. St. Croix is a freelance historian who earned his PhD in history from the University of Ottawa. His dissertation examined the legacy of the Battle of Hong Kong in Canada. He has worked on public history projects and runs the OTD Military History social media accounts and YouTube channel.