National Treasures - Capture the Flag

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Capture the Flag
War of 1812
ZFC2575 17 Star, 17 Stripe U.S. Ensign, Privateer Blockade, War of 1812 captured by Captain James Clephan, HMS Charybdis. This flag is significant for both its rarity and symbolic importance. There are no other United States flags with 17-stars and 17-stripes. Thought to be the handiwork of a ship’s chandler or sail maker, the flag is additionally unique in that of the six documented surviving United States flags from the War of 1812, it is the only known privateer ensign. Read more
American Civil War
ZFC2509 U.S. 24 Star Pennsylvania Militia color 1822 – 1836. This flag was captured and recaptured during the American Civil War. Additionally, this color bears only 24, silver, 6-point stars. The history of this flag is one of the more interesting from the American Civil War: An unidentified Pennsylvania militia unit carried a 30 to 40 year old militia flag into battle against Rebel forces that managed to capture it. The flag was taken either from the Pennsylvanians in either the first year of the American Civil War, or in 1863 by Confederates from one of the PA militia units that were activated during the Gettysburg Campaign. Thus, the unit, time and place of its capture are yet unknown. But the flag was to change hands once again: On the 2nd of April, 1865, the 54th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, after fierce fighting, broke through the Confeder- ate lines at Fort Gregg during the siege of Petersburg, VA. Moving within Confederate lines, they recaptured this flag in Petersburg from the Rebels. Read more
ZFC2510  33 Star U.S., Storm Ensign - 1st U.S. Flag captured in Civil War at Pensacola and subsequently recaptured by a USN officer in January of 1861. This is the First United States flag captured during the Civil War. An iconic specter of battle, these faded Civil War colors are the earliest documented to have been captured by the enemy. The flag was hauled down by secessionists on 12 January 1861, a full three months before the firing on Fort Sumter, thus making it the first United States flag so desecrated in the Great Conflict. The above words are inscribed on the provenance from the Soldier and Sailors Memorial, where this flag has resided since 1912. Some of the first action of the Civil War occurred early in January of 1861, around the forts at Pensacola, Florida. Florida had just seceded from the Union on the 10th of January 1861. For this reason, the original museum tag reads: ‘PENSACOLA FLAG’. Some historians hold that the shot first fired in anger on the Union side was in defense of the flag on 8 January 1861. Read more
ZFC0411 U.S. Army, red over white, Light Artillery Guidon, of Sand’s 11th Ohio Battery, with Battle Honors. Although this guidon was never captured, its units’ guns, horses and many artillerists were. At the Battle of Iuka, Mississippi, on the 19th of September 1862, the Confederate force of General Sterling Price overran the Union left, which included the 11th Ohio Battery. Sand’s saved his unit’s guidon and reformed the battery, which served on with distinction until 1864. Read more ZFC2483 13 Star U.S. Navy Boat Flag, Captured-Battery Wagner 1863, Capt. Chichester. Very Rare U.S. Navy “Boat Ensign” Captured at Battery Wagner in 1863. This boat ensign is a type utilized on U.S. Navy small craft like the launches, which assaulted Battery Wagner on Morris Island near Charleston, South Carolina during the Civil War. This flag was captured by Captain Charles E. Chichester, commander of a battery of Confederate artillery on July 11, 1863 and only a week before the doomed assault by the African-American 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry dramatized in the film “Glory”. After the capture, Captain Chichester signed the flag on the obverse hoist. Read more
ZFC1084 Confederate States of America 9 Star National Garrison Flag - New Orleans, 1862. This large, garrison-sized Confederate flag bears only nine stars, which date this flag’s manufacture to the spring of 1861 and more specifically, to the four day period after the admission of Arkansas to the Confederacy but before North Carolina ratified the Confederate Constitution. Nine Star Confederate Flags are extremely rare, perhaps the rarest of all of the variants of the First National Confederate Flags, since they were official for only four days. This flag was captured by Col. Alexander Warner of the 13th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, who did not turn it in but instead kept it a personal memento. Read more ZFC0002 Confederate States of America - Bible Flag, 1861- 1863. Flags such as this small, 11 star Confederate Flag are often referred to as bible flags. Often made for soldiers by a mother, wife, sweetheart or sister, these smaller flags were often carried by soldiers in pocket bibles, as a reminder of loved ones at home. The flag is preserved with the Union Army induction papers of Richard W. Smith of Baltimore, likely the Union soldier who acquired this flag on the battlefield and brought it home as a memento of service. Read more
ZFC2499 Confederate States of America, 13 Star mounted troops guidon captured by Pvt. James L. Sheehan, of the 127th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, at Fort Hindman, Arkansas, in 1863. This guidon reverses the traditional US red over white motif for guidons and it may have been Confederate use of similar guidons that influenced the United States to change to the Stars and Stripes guidons in 1862 (see ZFC0409). This is one of only two known surviving guidons of this type. The other survivor is the guidon of “Hill’s Cavalry,” the 7th Tennessee Cavalry, captured at Island No. 10 in April 1862. Adding to the significance of this guidon is the fact that the staff has also survived, (see ZFC2508) although Confederate guidon staffs are extremely rare. Read more
Spanish American War
ZFC3122 Cuban Militia Colors of the Spanish Colony, Cuban 4th Battalion, 2nd Company, Havana Volunteers, 1898. This Cuban Militia Standard was taken during the Spanish American War. The Cuban Volunteers were troops raised in Cuba after the first war for Cuban independence in 1868. Used against the rebels, they were drawn from Cuba’s lower classes and were accused of harsh tactics. The style and design of the flag would indicate that this is the standard of a mounted unit. Flags from Cuban units of the Spanish military are extremely rare. Read more ZFC0203 Spanish National Flag - Captured by Colonel Victor Duboce of the 1st California Infantry. This flag was taken in1898, in the San Miguel district of Manila, Philippine Islands, during the Spanish-American War. The flag is a locally made field expedient, as it does not comply with the official proportions promulgated by the Spanish government. The flag was donated by the colonel’s widow in 1900 shortly after his death from ailments contracted during his service in the Philippines. After his return from the Philippines as a hero, Colonel Duboce turned politician and was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Read more
ZFC0205 Guidon or Banner from the Philippines. This item was donated to the de Young Museum of San Francisco, California, in the 1890s as a Spanish-American War Trophy. Although similar to Spanish Admiralty Rank flags, this swallowtail version of the Spanish national flag does not bear the symbols indicative of naval ranks. It is theorized, instead, that it is an unissued Spanish military guidon. A soldier returning from the Spanish-American War likely brought it to the United States. Read more
ZFC0218 Spain; La Bandera de Mochila, Spanish American War. This is a “Backpack Flag” issued to troops in the Spanish Army. They were issued for utilitarian rather than patriotic purposes, serving as both scarf and bandanna they could also be used to provide shade and parcel belongings. They were a popular war trophy for returning soldiers form the Spanish American War. A San Francisco policeman, George D. Byrne in 1910, donated this example to the De Young Museum. Read more ZFC0217 Spain; La Bandera de Mochila, Spanish American War flag brought back by W.A Nathan. The Bandera de Mochila or “Flag of the Backpack” was issued to every soldier in the Spanish Army. These were a highly prized war trophy for American servicemen from the campaigns in Cuba and the Philippines. In 1916 W.A. Nathan donated this flag to the de Young Museum of San Francisco, Ca. Read more
Philippine American War
ZFC0206 Philippine Flag captured during the Philippine American War in the City of Pasig, March 1899. This flag was taken in an assault on a fortified church in the City of Pasig, in March 1899. Located near Manila, the capital of the Philippines, the suburb was a region of intense Philippine nationalism. Colonel Victor Duboce of the 1st California Volunteer Infantry personally led the assault, under heavy fire. Mrs. Duboce, the colonel’s widow, donated this flag to the de Young Museum in San Francisco, in 1900. The flag exhibits signs of blood stains, possibly as a result its capture. Read more
ZFC0200 Philippines National Flag – variant, captured in Philippine American War. This is an insurgent made, simplified version of the Philippine Flag designed by Emilio Aguinaldo in 1898; its maker omitted the golden- yellow sun and stars on the white triangle. This is probably made locally and quickly; a field expedient for use by Filipino forces. This flag was donated to the de Young museum in 1910. Read more ZFC3395 Sultanate of Sulu (Moro) Battle Flag, 1899, Captured by Captain Lucien G. Berry. Captain Lucien G. Berry, the Adjutant of United States Volunteers, serving in the Philippines, captured it in the Philippines on The 19th of December 1899. This small, hand sewn, cotton flag, decorated with local weapons and symbols, is typical of the flags used in the Philippine Islands by Moro Insurrectos fighting for independence, from the Kingdom of Spain and then ultimately from the United States of America. Read more
Boxer Rebellion
ZFC3179 Chinese, Imperial Army, Designating Flag - Boxer Rebellion, Forbidden City, 1900. This silk pennant was taken in 1900 by Private Carl Michelsen of the 14th United States Infantry. The Chinese characters roughly translate: “Peking and Military Station Headquarters”. The flag was donated by Michelsen to the famed Gunther Collection in Chicago, where the flag was exhibited to form the basis for the foundation of the Chicago Historical Museum. Read more
World War I
ZFC0204 Imperial Germany Pilot’s Drop Flag. This World War I German Pilot’s Flag was formerly part of the collection of the M.H. de Young Museum. It was originally taken from the German submarine, U-124, in 1918, by an American Blue Jacket (sailor). The U-124, surrendered on December 1st, 1918. These “flag” pouches were used by aviators to drop messages to either ground troops or ships and contained an internal weight in addition to a snap closure used to secure the message. Similar items existed for the allies and had red, white and blue tails. This flag was donated to the de Young Museum in 1921 by W.M. Josephi. Read more
Banana Wars in Central America
ZFC3262 Sandinista Rebels HQ Flag, taken by 5th Regiment of the United States Marine Corps along the Coco River, Nicaragua, 1928. This flag was not a unit color of the “Ejército Defensor de la Soberanía Nacional de Nicaragua,” but rather, a propaganda and morale boosting banner created after movement's colors. After capture, the black star on the banner was stenciled with a golden yellow inscription, “5 REGT USMC COCO RIVER 1928 NIC'A,” and portions were cut from the top of the banner as souvenirs resulting in its irregular shape. Read more
Second Sino-Japanese War
ZFC3361 Republic of China, National Flag, of the Patriotic Anti-Communist Youth Movement, Captured by Japanese Troops in 1938. Group #1 of the Federation of Chinese Anti-Communist Patriotic Youth Leagues used this flag. The Chinese inscription along the hoist roughly translates as: “We the Opposing Forces, Federation of Patriotic Youth League, The 1st Group.” It is believed that during the Second Sino-Japanese War, this flag was carried by forces opposing the Japanese and was later captured and taken to Japan as a trophy of war, a popular activity for soldiers of all nations from time immemorial. Read more
World War II
Japan
ZFC3265 Japanese National Flag defaced by 18th Naval Construction Battalion (NCB). This silk Japanese national flag is a war trophy from the Second World War, defaced with “sailor art” detailing the wartime deployments of Seaman Louis Mauriello of the 18th NCB. Mauriello saw duty in Saipan, Panama, Tinian, Hawaii, the Marshalls, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Guadalcanal the New Hebrides, Pearl Harbor, the Gilberts, Eniwetok, Cuba, and Tulagi. Painted over the red Japanese sun, or “meatball,” is a large, cigar- smoking Seabee holding a machine gun, a poker hand, and bottle of alcohol; this is a variation on the official insignia where the Seabee is grasping construction tools. Read more ZFC2549 Imperial Japan National Flag, 1942-1945, taken by 2nd US Marine Air Wing. This flag was taken by members of the United States Marine Corps, and inscribed with a list of their campaigns: Okinawa, Wake Island, Guadalcanal, New Georgia, and Midway Island. Their distinctive unit insignia has a drawing of a shot-up Japanese fighter plane giving off smoke and a caricature of “Tojo” being struck by a US bomb. Read more
ZFC0505 Japan National Flag defaced with insignias. This Japanese national flag was defaced by soldiers from the 19th Infantry while serving with the 24th Division during the post war occupation of Japan. At the beginning of WWII the 19th was originally stationed in Hawaii and was one of the first units to see combat. They served in campaigns in the Central Pacific, New Guinea, Leyte, Luzon, the Southern Philippines and the Occupation of Japan. The flag has been inscribed above the red sun in yellow stylized letters: “Beppu, Kyushu, Japan.” On either side of the red sun are the 24th infantry Divisional Insignia and the Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI) of the 19th United States Infantry regiment. Below and within the frame is a white pennant bearing the DUI of the 19th Infantry and the 24th division. Read more ZFC1356 Japanese War Flag defaced by sailors aboard the USS Revenge, 1945. The Revenge was the first US ship to enter Tokyo Bay after the surrender of Japan. This is a silk Japanese war flag, acquired by crewmen of the USS Revenge, who inscribed a record of the ship’s exploits and missions upon the flag’s rays: “August 27 1945, Tokyo First United States Mine Sweeper in Japan –Inland Sea, Beppu, Hirowan, Yokohama, Nagoya, Isenoumi, Akinada, Bungo Strait, Okinawa, Ratinaco (sp?), Ainouchi (sp?), Palau, Ulithi, Godu Bay (sp?), Tainouchi (sp?)Yokosuka, Kyushu.” This flag was formerly part of the collections of the Army Ranger Museum of New York City and while not directly associated with the Rangers, it was a part of the museum's mission to “... to give veterans a view of the meaning attached to their sacrifices.” For this reason, the museum occasionally kept items like this flag. Read more
ZFC1361 Japanese National Flag defaced by Pvt. Louis Viscaino of the 82nd Signals Battalion, who acquired this flag and inscribed the following locales: Okinawa, Le-Shima, Leyte, Sapporo and Japan. These are presumably areas in which the 82nd Sig. Battalion campaigned. This flag was formerly part of the collections of the Army Ranger Museum of New York City, and while not a flag directly associated with the Rangers, it was a part of the museum’s mission to “...Attempt to give veterans a view of the meaning attached to their sacrifices.” Read more ZFC3290 Japanese National Flag defaced, censored and marked by General William Hesketh. General Hesketh acquired this flag while on liaison duty with the Indian Army Ordnance Corps and the Indian Army Engineers. The English born Hesketh served primarily in artillery, ordnance and technical commands. Presumably, he acquired this flag during his service in India. Curiously, some of the Japanese characters on the flag have been marked, “A, B, C & D”, perhaps to aid translation. Additionally some of the characters have been blacked out for reasons yet unknown. Read more
3rd Reich
ZFC2058 Germany, 3rd Reich, Mannerchor Minfeld, Choral Society, GI Capture Banner with signatures. This is not a military or a national flag, but rather the flag of a men’s singing group formed in Minfeld, Pfalz in 1934. Minefeld was taken by elements of the 14th Armored Division, “The Liberators” in the spring of 1945. In Germany’s Third Reich (1933 to 1945), the swastika became the ubiquitous propaganda symbol, permeating every facet of public life of a totalitarian regime obsessed with occult symbolism. Thus, flags were plentiful booty in a vanquished Germany and this exquisite example was taken as a war trophy by 16 of the GIs who liberated the town and took the time to inscribe this banner with their names and hometowns. Read more ZFC0909 Germany 3rd Reich National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP) Party Banner, 1933-1945. In the Germany of the Third Reich, wide use was made of flags for political propaganda. The swastika became the ubiquitous symbol of this barbaric era and such flags adorned the backdrop of nearly every facet of public life. Such flags were plentiful booty in a vanquished Germany. Returning GIs brought back plain Nazi party banners like this. An unnamed GI took this banner in the town of Magdeburg, the second most devastated city in Germany. It’s inscribed with the location, “Magdeburg” and the date, “April 18, 1945.” The war in Europe ended 19 days later on the 7th of May 1945. Read more
ZFC1074 Germany, 3rd Reich, German HQ in Bayeux, Normandy, former Bullock Collection. This German military flag was taken from the German headquarters in Bayeux, France by the British 56th Infantry Brigade on the 7th of June 1945. The flag was conveyed to Royal Navy Commander Anthony Kimmins who brought it with him to the United States in mid-June, 1944, as a gift for the Wall Street financier and promoter of Anglo- American goodwill, Calvin Bullock. Sadly, Mr. Bullock had died on 21 June 1944, several days to the arrival of Commander Kimmins. The British officer thus presented the trophy to Bullock’s son, Hugh Bullock, who would display it at the 1 Wall Street offices of Calvin Bullock Ltd. Read more ZFC1887 Germany, 3rd Reich, National Socialist German Workers Party Banner, “snatched” by partisans from the entrance of the German Kommandantur or “Command Post” in the Hotel de Ville, Nantes, France, in October 1941. It was removed by Pierre and Maurice De Montfort, father and son members of the French Resistance. The banner was a source of aggravation and humiliation to the French, so resistance decided to give the Germans a “black eye” by stealing the offensive symbol. The Montforts hid the banner, possession of which was a capital offence, and continued their insurrection Maurice was awarded the La Legion D'Honneur after the war for his resistance activities. His medal and certificate (ZFC1885 and ZFC1885) accompany the banner. Read more
Korean War
ZFC3241 This small, hand-sewn, wool and cotton North Korean Flag is a field expedient made by soldiers from materials they had at hand. The red star is created by the cutting away of a star-shaped section of the white cloth circle appliquéd to the red center stripe. The fimbriation on either side of the red stripe is made from two strips of white adhesive bandage tape, most probably from a field medical kit. The flag’s previous owner, the now defunct Soldiers’ Museum of Davenport, Iowa, reported that it was a GI “Bring Back” from a veteran who served in both WWII and Korea. They identified it as a military vehicle pennant. North Korean flags from the conflict are quite rare for reasons still not clearly understood. Read more
Vietnam War
ZFC0356 & ZFC0357 Democratic Republic of Vietnam National Flags. These are Vietnam War GI bring backs acquired in the 1990s from a Vietnam veteran. The flags were attributed to a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) unit operating in Vietnam after the Tet Offensive in the 1970s. These were acquired in the ‘90s prior to enhanced trade in NVA items after President Clinton’s normalization of relations with Vietnam. Read more about ZFC0356 - Read more about ZFC0357
ZFC0579 Vietnam People’s Liberation Army Color - Captured by Corporal William Street of Company B, 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne, the “Wandering Warriors, RAKKASANS.” This is a Vietnamese People’s Army color, depicting the stylized arms of North Vietnam. It is inscribed in Vietnamese and translates roughly as “The Vietnam People’s Army, Spring Offensive Tet 1968, Battalion 6, first in the Liberation of Saigon.” The NVA made the flag in anticipation of a successful “liberation” of Saigon from US control. This Tet Offensive flag was kept as a trophy by Corporal Street, who was awarded the Silver Star and an Oak Leaf Cluster during his service in Vietnam between November 1967 and October 1968. Read more
Viet Cong
ZFC3399 Viet Cong, 307th Battalion of the 273rd Regiment colors. This flag was captured at the Battle of Tan Binh, on the 24th of February 1966, by 1st Lt. William Dunstan, B “Bravo” Troop, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, and 1st Infantry Division. From March 1966 to March 1967, this captured VC flag was displayed at the 1st Infantry Museum at Lai Khe, Republic of Vietnam. Read more ZFC3554 Viet Cong, Battle Flag. This flag was captured on the 27th of November 1967, at Thanh Phu Island, Kien Hoa Province, Republic of Vietnam; a hotbed of guerilla activity throughout the Vietnam War. It was taken by the 3/3/12th, and donated to the US Army Ranger Museum of New York City. Read more
ZFC3555 Viet Cong, Battle Flag. This cotton flag was captured from a Viet Cong patrol, on the 1st of February, 1970, by Corporal Richard “Richie” Bennett, just south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam. Cpl. Bennett, from Glenwood Landing, New York, later donated this flag to the US Army Ranger Museum in New York City. Read more ZFC1466 Viet Cong Camp Flag. Viet Cong Flags serve a variety of propaganda and moral purposes in the Vietnam War. They were often encountered in villages sympathetic to the guerillas. This example was acquired in California in the 1990s at a militaria store near Fort Ord, with the attribution that it was taken from a Viet Cong encampment in the 1970s. The 7th Infantry Division was based at Ft. Ord during the Vietnam War, where they were deployed along the DMZ. Read more
War in Iraq 1990 to 1991
ZFC0421 Iraq national flag from 1963 to 1991. This small Iraqi flag is a war trophy from the Persian Gulf War, codenamed Operation Desert Shield and/or Operation Desert Storm. This flag was acquired in the mid-1990s at the Bay Area Militaria Show in San Jose California, as a Gulf War GI bring back. This is not a unit color, but an Iraqi national flag of the type used on vehicles. Small flags like this are highly prized by soldiers. The exact circumstances of this flags acquisition are unknown, but it is similar to other Iraqi flags in the Zaricor Flag Collection. Read more
War in Afghanistan
ZFC0504 Afghanistan - Taliban Artillery Regimental Color, taken Nov. 2001, Jalalabad, Afghanistan. This Taliban flag was recovered from the rubble of the headquarters of the Taliban Army in Jalabad, Afghanistan. It was recovered in November 2001 by independent filmmaker Jim Burroughs. The flag is a Taliban Army artillery regimental commander's flag, recognizable by the name of the commander and regiment written below the Arabic inscription, “God is Great”. Read more
War in Iraq - 2003 to 2011
ZFC3717 Iraq National Flag from 1991 to 2004, captured by Sgt. Anthony Purtscher of Company B, 3rd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. This Iraqi flag was taken in the spring of 2003 from a fortified and walled building in As Samawah, the capital of Al Muthanna Province in southern Iraq. The flag had been hauled down and hidden and was taken only after a search of the building. It was acquired along with an Iraqi Army beret (see ZFC3747), which, along with the flag, had been hidden by demoralized Iraqi soldiers in a bench to conceal the true identity of the buildings occupants. Read more ZFC3718 Iraq National Flag from 1991 to 2004, captured by Sgt. Anthony Purtscher of Company B, 3rd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. This Iraqi flag, along with a cache of valuable intelligence paperwork, was taken in the summer of 2003 from a Baath Party Headquarters building in the Al Amel district of Baghdad. The flag is double faced so that the Arabic inscription reads left to right on both sides. The Baath Party formerly ruled Iraq and played a prominent role early in the Iraqi insurgency. Read more