I simply think that there shouldn't have been any role whatsoever for Gen. Atrhur Percival in this ceremony. He should have been sent straight to Britain after the war to rest in silence and look back on his poor management in Malaya and Singapore.
True, but Britain needed the propaganda. In fact Britain was so out of the defeat of Japan that it’s forces in occupied Japan were commanded by the Australian Army until 1952.
Gen. McArthur actually wanted Gen percival to be there. One of the books I read many years ago, said that Percival was still mad at the Japanese and Mcarthur can relate because he lost Corregidor/Bataan too.
Loss of face yes. But, the Japanese had democracy forced on them and then prospered because the imperial system was destroyed, which gave their loss a greater benefit in the long run.
