Unknown old flag

[dobw]

I acquired this flag many years ago with a soldier's effects. Since then I've often tried to identify it with no luck. I always thought maybe it was a naval signal flag, or then again, perhaps not military at all. It measures approximately 50" x 33". Any ideas?

[Jelly Terror]

Originally Posted by dobw

I acquired this flag many years ago with a soldier's effects. Since then I've often tried to identify it with no luck. I always thought maybe it was a naval signal flag, or then again, perhaps not military at all. It measures approximately 50" x 33". Any ideas?

A couple of quick Google results which may or may not be helpful:

https://www.ohiomemory.org/digital/c.../flags/id/1588

https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us%5Esvc.html

JT

[dobw]

Thanks, JT, I think you nailed it! So, it seems to be a Family-Member(s)-in-Service flag, possibly pre-dating the well known blue star flag. This fits, as the soldier who had it was a WWI veteran.

[dobw]

Mystery solved! Following the lead provided by JT, this flag is now, at long last, identified as a "Liberty Loan Honor Flag" of the WWI era. Once again, thank you, JT!

[Alex Rice]

That's an amazing bit of history, nice find!

[leigh kitchen]

4th Loan not 3rd, but the only Liberty Bond poster I have.

[dobw]

Great poster! Here's another; different war, but you've got to love the imagery...

[leigh kitchen]

Yes - the WWII American posters always remind me of the "Action Man" not dolls of the 1960's (my first one had "GI Joe" stamped on his backside).
I have only one WWII American posters, I'll dig it out.

[dobw]

Originally Posted by leigh kitchen

Yes - the WWII American posters always remind me of the "Action Man" not dolls of the 1960's (my first one had "GI Joe" stamped on his backside).

I see what you mean!

Mine still stands guard in my den. "Doll" was fightin' words in those days; they had to coin the term "action figure"...

[leigh kitchen]

Old School Action Man - no gripping hands, no velcro stubble hair, no soft bendy bayonets (they had to be hard, sharp, plastic, eyeball piercing and easily snapped) - back in the days when action figures were real action figures - all Commandos - no moulded on underwear.
And Tommy Gunn - Grenadier Guardsmen, Paras and 4 Div infantry men with perma-bulled DMS toe caps - wave the white flag of surrender and lock up your Cindy's and Barbie's.

[dobw]

I was eagerly waiting when they first arrived in my local store in 1964. The "Joe" pictured above was the first of as many as I could get my hands on, including a German, Aussie, French Resistance Fighter, Russian, Japanese, and even a British Commando!

[leigh kitchen]

Mine were given away over the years - still a few of them stagging on somewhere in the garage though.

[dobw]

Sounds like yours are having more fun than mine! On duty for going on 55 years, with only an occasional snooze in a storage box...

[dobw]

Have you seen the new ones, though? They may have molded-on underwear, I couldn't say, but their weapons are metal and can be field stripped! It sometimes makes me want to give up collecting clever reproductions, and just buy some toys!

[peter monahan]

'Moulded on underwear'!!! Say it ain't so, Joe! Kids these days, eh?