World War 2 Country Flags
This article looks at the major Allied and Axis power national and naval flags (jacks and ensigns) used during World War 2. National flags represent the people, ideals, identity and history of a country. They are a symbol of a country’s struggle to protect and advance these ideals.
The British WW2 country flag is a blue field with the cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland). It is often simply called the Union Flag, or more specifically the White Ensign. It was used as a Merchant Flag and as the standard jack for a British naval warship. It was also used as a State Service Flag, which means it was flown on land as well as at sea. This particular State Service Flag was used from March 1933 until it was replaced by the swastika Service Flag in September of 1935.
In early 1945 a young American soldier named Joseph Fennimore discovered his squad command post did not have an official flag to fly. So he took matters into his own hands and created this simple but effective flag. He fashioned it from a Nazi flag, an old dress uniform and some salvaged red fabric. This he proudly displayed to his squad in Germany on May 7, 1945, the day that Germany surrendered unconditionally to the Allies.
UltimateFlags: Exploring a World of Flag Diversity and Quality
A good-luck flag is a personal symbol worn by a soldier to promote good luck in his military endeavors. Generally they are small, personal items with the name of the soldier written on the right side, and other words such as hope, victory, or ‘good luck warriors’ radiated from the center. This particular good-luck flag, captured in Burma, was presented to a soldier named Ishikawa Hisazo.
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