WWII Liberation Flag - 48 Stars

For your consideration a WWII Liberation Flag with 48 Stars. Made to Welcome U.S. Troops in France Following Liberation from The Germans In 1944, a Wonderful Example with Endearing Wear.

American national flag with 48 stars with wonderful color and endearing wear. Found in France, and dating to the WWII era, the flag is indicative of examples produced in make-do fashion by the private citizens of Europe. Such flags were understandably displayed with great emotion upon the arrival of Allied Forces in to one town or city after the next, following the liberation of each community from Nazi Germany. In France this took place in late summer of 1944.

This is a handmade flag, with stars hastily cut out, by way of hand-stitching they attached to a blue cloth overlapping a white one. Made entirely of cloth, the stars are applied to both sides.

Materials were salvaged from whatever was available to the maker. Most often bed sheets, clothes and linnen.

There are areas of tears reflective of its wartime use and hastily production. At great danger to the maker. Liberation flags were made while the enemy was still retreating. Noticing a liberation flag would get a civilian killed.

We made the conscious decision not to repair any of the tears. They are a testimony to the glorious flying of the flag.

Because the number of states, and thus the number of stars on the American flag, were probably not general knowledge outside the United States at the time, liberation flags sometimes didn’t display the correct star count, let alone stripes. The right colours and a general US style flag were what mattered most. In this instance, both the star and stripe counts are correct. The 48-star, 13-stripe flag became official in 1912, following the addition of New Mexico and Arizona. It remained the official flag throughout WWI (U.S. involvement 1917-1918), WWII (U.S. involvement 1941-45), and the Korean War (1950-53), until Alaska gained statehood in 1959 and the 49th star was added.

Mounting: The flag was mounted on a pole and embezzled with a metal ‘RF’ decoration. RF stands for Republique Française or French Republic. Symbolically uniting the two allied countries in one majestic flagpole that got to do what it was made for, fly for liberty, country and gratitude.

The flag itself measures 70cm long and 42.5cm wide.

The flagpole reaches 130cm in height so the user could grab the bottom with both hands and fly it left to right without bothering other bystanders celebrating teh US Forces moving through their town/city.