General Yamashita Signs Japanese Currency While In Prison
Tomoyuki Yamashita was an Imperial Japanese Army general during WWII. At the forefront of the invasion of Malaya and Singapore, his accomplishment in conquering both territories in 70 days led British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to call the fall of Singapore to the Japanese "the worst disaster" and "largest capitulation" in British military history. The accomplishment earned Yamashita the nickname, "The Tiger of Malaya." After the war, following a trial in Manila, he was found guilty of war crimes and executed by hanging for his troops' conduct during the Japanese defense of the occupied Philippines in 1944. MacArthur's decision to go ahead with the execution was highly controversial at the time. This 10-peso Japanese occupation note was signed by Yamashita (second signature from the top) while he was in captivity. The other signatures are unidentified.
