48 Star U.S. Ensign of U.S.S. Ancon, 1943 - Communications Command Ship, North Africa, Sicily, Normandy.
The U.S.S. Ancon, the flagship of the Commander of the Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Forces, Rear Admiral Alan G. Kirk, wore this large wool ensign during the Allied Invasion of Sicily. The ensign is inscribed," GELA-SCOGLITTI-SICILY INVASION FLAGSHIP ATLANTIC AMPHIBIOUS FORCE JULY 9-10 1943" and "ADMIRAL KIRK, CAPT. P.L. MATHER, GRANVILLE F. LeMAISTRE, Sr. USS ANCON CHIEF QUARTERMASTER, JULY 11th 1943".

This inscription refers to the Allied Invasion of Sicily when the U.S.S. Ancon, oversaw the landing of the U.S. 45th Infantry Division on Cent Beach at Gela on 9 July 1943; while Scoglitti refers to the province and Sicily identifies the island. The named individuals are the Task Force 85 Commander, Admiral Kirk; the Ancon's commanding officer Capt. Paul Mather and the Senior Chief Quartermaster of the Ancon, Granville LeMaistre, Sr., her senior enlisted sailor responsible for the supervision of personnel, maintenance of the navigation department, and security of classified material. It is likely that he was the individual who preserved and inscribed the ensign as a memento of the Invasion of Sicily for later presentation to one of the officers.

The Ancon was originally built as a passenger liner before WWII. After the commencement of hostilities the U.S. Army Transport Service as the USAT Ancon acquired her where she made two voyages to Australia. She was transferred to the U.S. Navy on 7 August 1942 and commissioned the U.S.S. Ancon (AP-66). Initially she served in the Mediterranean where she supported the successful landings at Casablanca as a transport. After her return to the U.S. she was refitted and redesignated U.S.S. Ancon AGC-4, a combined headquarters and communications command ship. It was under this designation she flew this ensign as the flagship of Task Force 85 as a part of the Western Task force for the Invasion of Sicily.

After the invasion of Sicily the Ancon was the flagship for the assault forces that landed on Omaha Beach, D-Day. After the Normandy Invasion she was transferred to the US Pacific Fleet and was in Tokyo Bay for the surrender of Japan on 2 September 1945. Following the war she was rechristened the TS State of Maine, and became a school ship for the State of Maine.
For another flag in the ZFC associated with the Invasion of Sicily see ZFC0503 a United Kingdom White Ensign form the lead ship of the Eastern task Force.

Provenance:
• USS Ancon, July 1943.
• Retained and inscribed by Granville F. LeMaistre Sr., USS Ancon Chief Quartermaster as a memento of service, 1943.
• By descent in LeMaistre family until 2009.
• Sold via Alderfer Auction, to the Zaricor Flag Collection, 2009.


Sources:


USS Ancon (ACG-4), Wikipedia, 18 October 2011, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Ancon_%28AGC-4%29

Ancon (AP-66, later AGC-4), 1942-1946, US Navy Ships, DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER, 18 October 2011, from: http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-a/agc4.htm

Alan Goodrich Kirk, Wikipedia, 18 October 2011, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_G_Kirk

The Official History of the USS Ancon AGC-4, 18 October 2011, from: http://www.angelfire.com/ok3/escapetopanama/USS_ANCON.html

Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection