U.S. 313th Infantry Regt. "Baltimore's Own" Camp Banner, 1917.
This cotton 37" X 94" banner was form "Baltimore's Own" the regular Army unit constituted 5 August 1917 at Camp Meade Maryland, and assigned to the 79th Division of the American Expeditionary Force during WWI. Because of the great number of enlistees from Baltimore, the Regiment came to be known as "Baltimore's Own."
The regiment bravely served during the Meuse-Argonne campaign and successfully distinguished itself during the Montfaucon engagement. The insignia of the 313th is a falcon since Montfaucon means "Mount Falcon" in French and easily recognizable.
It is likely that the regiment used this banner in a rear area as a marker for supplies or ammunition, as the design only appears on one side. There are also sleeves at each of the ends where poles can be inserted to display the banner horizontally.
Sadly, "Baltimore's Own" has a unique distinction, the last American casualty of WWI, when at 10:50 A.M., one minute before the armistice, Pvt. Henry Nicholas John Gunther, was killed in action while charging a German roadblock.
Postmortem, his previous rank of supply sergeant was restored and he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
Bart Wigley, adjutant of the Montfaucon American Legion Post (529 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201, donated this banner to the Maryland Historical Society who in turn conveyed it to the Star Spangled Banner Flag House and Museum.
See another veteran banner of the regiment under ZFC0129
This is an important artifact from the Star Spangled Banner Flag House Collection.
ZFC Important Flag
(Formerly in the Star Spangled Banner Flag House Sub-collection.)
