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Vintage USA 1944 WWII Transport/Burial Flag 48 GOLD STAR Provenance RARE Museum

$ 1161.59

Availability: 100 in stock
  • Item must be returned within: 30 Days
  • Refund will be given as: Money Back
  • Condition: Flag is in very good antique condition.
  • Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
  • All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
  • Restocking Fee: No

    Description

    Payment by PayPal Only
    A
    RARE U.S.A Vintage 1944 WWII Casket/Burial Flag 48 GOLD STAR. 1 of about 500
    believed
    to have been made.
    With
    Provenance
    As Shown. And I Believe It Is Theater Made
    . (I WILL NOT sell or ship the flag to an overseas buyer)
    I am not confident that the flag is a "burial flag". It may be a transport flag. (Although it was used as a burial flag).  It is made of a thin poor quality cotton. The stars are of a heavy quality material. As shown there are several bare spots in the blue near the stars.
    I don't know how long the flag has been in the display box. The box does not appear to be 74 years old. And the flag creases indicate that it may have been folded
    differently
    .
    So the case is not included.
    I did a lot of research and the 48 gold star flags are very rare. And as show the
    Provenance
    is included.
    I bought the flag at an estate of which the family members were nephews and niece of the soldier.
    The flag is about 54" X 114".
    I
    copied and pasted this information.
    "It seems in November, 1944, there was a big push going through Germany and thousands of American soldiers were being wounded and killed. It is protocol to have an American Flag on every soldier's casket, and that flag is to remain on the casket until the soldier is buried. The supply of casket flags dropped when casualties rose, and a small French garment factory was requisitioned to make the needed casket flags. The management of the factory had heard somewhere of the Gold Star Mothers and assumed that the stars of the flags were to be gold if the flag was to be used as a casket flag. Approximately 500 of these gold starred flags were manufactured before the error was corrected. But because of the great need for casket flags, the gold starred flags were distributed to the Signal Corps for use."
    I don't know if that is actually accurate or just folklore, but according to the site the source given was Dr. Harold Langley of the Smithsonian Institution.
    What you see is what you get.
    Please view pictures for detail of
    condition.
    ================================================
    Item shipped to arrive as shown.
    I try to use many photos to help describe what is listed as the pictures are part of my description. My idea of "good, excellent, ect'' may differ from yours.
    Thank You!
    Hello from Jerome, Idaho. I am retired from the U. S. Army & my wife and I are having a blast on ebay.
    IF YOU ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH YOUR PURCHASE THEN EMAIL US.
    THE PICTURES SHOULD SHOW WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. IF NOT EMAIL ME AND WE CAN FIGURE IT OUT.