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by Tom Pountney, 7 January 2008Last modified: 2009-08-08 by rob raeside
Keywords: ufe | unidentified flags |
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by Tom Pountney, 7 January 2008
I have a small porcelain ashtray with a 6-pointed blue star on a white
triangular pennant. I am guessing that it is a shipping line, but I cannot
identify which one it belongs to. Most of the flags containing stars are
5-pointed ones; I wonder if you know any 6-pointed stars that match this
description?
Tom Pountney, 7 January 2008
image by Greg Hunter, 19 February 2008
From all the information I have received so far, I believe this flag is a
post [US] Civil War Flag, sometime between (1870's & 1920's). Could be somehow
associated with War Bonds - however, prior to 1932.
"Handed down from my
Great-Great-Grandfather is this large flag that I would like identified. The
flag is beige, a blue Minuteman silhouetted in the center and a blue star in
each corner. A red with white background shield in enter of Minuteman. My GG
Grandfather was a Civil War Vet (62nd Ohio), and died in 1932."
Additional information I just uncovered that might be helpful clues as to this
flag's origin:
Robert Lang, 4 March 2008
Many burgees in the Quantico Yacht Club were lost, destroyed,
soiled or damaged when Hurricane Isabel hit the QYC. We have some that we cannot
identify. Any help welcome.
No. 4 is not the Royal Geelong Yacht Club.
Robert Lang, Secretary, QYC, 4 March 2008
Four of these flags have now been identified:
1 -- Glenmar Sailing
Association, Maryland, USA
2 -- San Diego Yacht Club, San Diego, CA, USA
3
-- East End Yacht Club, Burlington, New Jersey, USA
4 -- Real Club Nautico Torrevieja Spain
5 -- Nai Kai
Yacht Club (Inland Sea) Iwakuni Japan
Here is a new unknown:
Robert Lang, 29 December 2008
Any help in identifying would be welcome.
Robert Lang, Secretary, QYC, 29 December 2008
This is the burgee of the "Yacht Club Alghero" in Sardinia, Italy. See their
site: www.yachtclubalghero.it
Robert Lang, 24 July 2009
image by Karl Spence, 7 March 2008
Can you identify this shipping pennant seen on china?
Karl Spence,
7 March 2008
image by James at Nautilus Models, 29 March 2008
[Click on flag for larger image]
I have been trying to identify this flag for some time now. The photo
is from the USS WAHOO taken on April 6, 1945. The closest thing I can guess is
that the two flags represent two passenger-transports sunk during the boats
fifth war patrol /TAMON MARU No5 / and /TAKAO MARU/. Is it possible the flag
represents the line the two ships belong to?
I have searched the FOTW site
for obvious answers in trying to match the flag with no luck. I have determine
the /TAMON MARU No5 /belonged to the Nanyo Kaiun K.K., line of Osaka, having
been sold from Osaka Shosen K.K. in 1939.
Thank you for any help or clues you
may provide,
James, 29 March 2008
I cannot help identify the two large flags flown at the top of the hoist,
which I assume are the ones in question, but can say that they are not the house
flags of the two ships involved. By their size, and the fact that they are at
the top of the hoist with smaller Japanese flags flying underneath, I question
whether they might not be more likely to be American flags, possibly connected
with the "Wahoo" itself. Was there a procedure for flying flags to represent
sinkings when the submarine returned to port?
Neale Rosanoski, 21
August 2008
According to the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, USS Wahoo (SS
238) was stricken from the Navy List on 6 Dec 1943, having been (as was later
discovered) sunk with all hands on 11 Oct 1943. The second USS Wahoo wasn't
commissioned until 1952. Either this photo was not taken on 6 Apr 1945 or is not
of USS Wahoo. Wahoo did enter port at Midway on 6 Apr 1943,
but following her fourth war patrol, not her fifth. The photo might have been
taken then.
Now, as to the flags: wasn't there an early form of RAF rank
or appointment flag that had the RAF roundel superimposed on horizontal stripes
indicating rank? The shades of black and white in the photo would be consistent
with a light blue flag with blue-white-blue horizontal stripes and an RAF
roundel superimposed on the center. If so, might whichever submarine this is
have been carrying an RAF officer or celebrating a rescue of one (or two)?
That's the only theory I can come up with.
Joe McMillan, 23 August
2008
The front room of my flat opens onto the Great North Road, a major highway in
the North of England, and I often sit and watch the different forms of road
transport which pass by and stop at the traffic signal about twenty meters from
my window. About ten minutes ago I saw a large HGV [semi-trailer] bearing a flag
on its side which I have never seen before. The tarpaulin was red, and the words
HABICHT EUROPA were written along the sides in large white sans serif block
lettering, while beneath this were the words SPEDITION - TRANSPORT in slightly
smaller white block lettering. To the left of the word Habicht, as seen by the
viewer, was a white flag attached to a black staff with a button top and with
two black tasseled cords attached, while an identical flag was positioned to the
right of the word EUROPA. Because of the flagstaff and cords I feel safe in
describing these as flags and not simply as logos.
The flags have a white
field with red fimbriation around all four sides, and are canting in that they
are charged with the image of a hawk (Habicht is the German word for hawk) with
wings displayed. The hawk is black, with a golden beak and talons and with red
dots for eyes, a curved red tongue extending from the beak, and with black tail
feathers tipped with red; there is also a large golden sans serif block letter H
on the bird's breast. The hawk is shown with its head facing to the left on the
flag to the left of the word HABICHT, and facing to the right on the flag to the
right of the word EUROPA. There was no country identification, not even a
phone/fax number or an e-mail address, either along the sides of the trailer,
the rear doors (which simply had HABICHT EUROPA inscribed on them), or on the
cab.
Ron Lahav, 18 April 2008
image
by David Kendall, 20 April 2008
While out on an afternoon excursion to a nearby town, Lockport, I noticed an
odd flag flying outside a fast food restaurant there, along with a Canadian flag
on the next pole. I was completely baffled at first, but I realized a few
minutes later that red-white-yellow-black are traditional First Nations colours,
and are often seen in S. Manitoba (and probably other places) to denote
businesses, etc. that are geared to Aboriginals. (An aboriginal friend of mine
says that the colours mean "peace"). This could possibly denote that the owner
of the restaurant is Aboriginal, but what the particular flag signifies exactly,
I'm not sure. Does anyone have any insight?
David Kendall, 20 April 2008
image provided by Ralf Hartemink, 16 May 2008
[Click on flag for larger image]
I wonder if you can help with this crest? It would be really helpful to find out the location as it would help me to establish where a mystery World War two youth pennant was used. I'm assuming that this is a German crest but it may also be from one of the German Reich territories 1933-1945. The number 817 refers to the unit.
So far I have excluded : whole Czech Republic, region Opole (Poland), Alsace,
Lorraine, Belgium, Denmark, Holland, Westfalen, Hannover, Saarland, Pfalz and
Hessen... My opinion is that it is actually the arms of the town (tulips)
and the region
(cross), which makes me think like Rheinland somewhere. But no
existing arms as far as I can tell.
Ralf Hartemink, 16 May 2008
One (slight) possibility considering the character is a saint (based on the
halo around his head) is that the cross is a saint's one
although the colour
is impossible to determine.
Marc Pasquin, 16 May 2008
My first impression is somewhere in Franconia (roughly the northern half of
Bavaria). The zigzag in the left coat of arms looks very much like the "Frankenrechen" (Franconian
rake), which is the Franconian coat of arms -
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Frankenrechen.svg. Many locations in
this region incorporate this symbol in their own coats of arms, so perhaps it
might be there somewhere.
Simon Dodds, 16 May 2008
I have a small swallow tail flag color green appears to be cotton. Sewn on it
at the top is a four digit number, below that are two crossed flintlock pistols
and below that is "POW". I got this in a military items lot with no further
information. Any information or insight from you would be appreciated.
Mike, 23 May 2008
This appears to be a U.S. Military Police
Prisoner of War company or platoon guidon. The MP branch colors are green and
yellow, and the MP branch insignia is a brace of crossed flintlock pistols. See
http://tmg110.tripod.com/usarmyg1.htm for some samples. The MP guidon shown
on the page only shows a company number, but a specialty unit(such as POW
guards) would have the specialty designation.
Mark Reed, 24 October
2008
On 6th June I passed a yacht in the English channel near Eastbourne, flying a
Dutch flag, defaced in the upper hoist with a blue cross on a white field - I
have trailed through various flag sites but cannot identify it.
Wim
Wognum, 6 June 2008
The burgee is triangular (point to right), yellow border on black material,
with rear view of sitting cat with striped tail. It is obviously at least 50
years old.
If it helps, both my father (born 1917) and my grandfather were
great sailors. My father was in the Merchant Navy through the war, first as a
Cadet with BISN Co, then on the Atlantic Run. He was then with East African
Railways and Harbours from pilot through to port manager. He belonged to Dar-es-Salaam.
Mombasa, Mtwara & Tanga Yacht Clubs. His Father was in the British army 7 served
in India (where he also sailed.) He then settled in UK and sailed on the Solent.
Any ideas for this flag?
Pippa Jarman, 10 July 2008
It could be a private signal
José C. Alegria, 10 July 2008
image by Eugene Ipavec, 2 August 2008
I have several pieces of Homer Laughlin Best China U.S.A. with the marking on
the back AAB-11. The Flag on the front of the china is a rectangular flag, with
blue stripes across the top and bottom with a red dot and a sailfish in the
middle of the dot. Could you please tell me what flag or who it was made for?
Ronnie Costanza, 1 August 2008
My brother is on vacation in Halland in Sweden. There he saw a blue flag with
three yellow, five-pointed stars, one above two. The flag was seen in the little
village of Glommen in Falkenberg
municipality. He wants to know what
flag it is, but I don't know. I have searched the FOTW-ws but haven't found any
flag like it. Does anyone have any idea?
Elias Granqvist, 7 August
2008
image
by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 August 2008
It is a celestial blue flag with a white rhomb in its centre, containing a
black capital “B”.
Source: I spotted this flag as jack of a ship of Dettmer
company passing by at Billwerder Bucht on 13 April 2007. Another skipper told
me, that flag belonged to a former member of Dettmer Reederei Bremen, who had
established his own subsidiary. (The flag hoisted on top of the mast was that
one of Dettmer). But he didn’t know the name of that guy.
Klaus-Michael
Schneider, 25 August 2008
images by Jarig Bakker, 27 August 2008
images by Jarig Bakker, 27 August 2008
To help the identification I send here a scanned copy of the badge, we were
yesterday discussing about. They might be Finnish, but but... The one with the
white star and green/red bottom and the other one with the J inside the yellow
circle on white bottom.?? The other two are identifided to 90 %.
Bengt
Engblom, 26 August 2008
My wife is watching an old movie "The Wind and the Lion". There's a scene
(according to her, set in Morocco), which had a green flag with three white
crescents on it. My immediate thought was that it was a historical flag of
Egypt, and they got the flag wrong, but some research tells me I was thinking of
this flag. I couldn't find anything resembling it on
the Morocco pages (the closest I could find was from Sandžak
but that was in "Serbia-Montenegro", which indeed looks like it, at least the green part
of the shield.
David Kendall, 11 September 2008
Sean Connery plays Raisuli (a Moroccan rebel chief) -- is it his flag? This
film is based on the famous (apocryphal?) remark by then-president Teddy
Roosevelt about Raisuli's kidnapping of one Pedicaris: "I want Pericaris alive
or Raisuli dead."
Albert S. Kirsch, 11 September 2008
Also this Libyan flag with three crescents
pointing to the center ? standing for Tripolitania. My first reaction to three
crescents on green would also have been Egypt, not Morocco.
António
MARTINS-Tuválkin, 12 September 2008
It is true that US films have got historically more aware over the years, and
indeed more careful in designing their props, however, perhaps we should
remember that both the green field and the crescents could be considered
'archetypal' of Islam, and that this may not, therefore, be a copy of any actual
flag?
Christopher Southworth, 12 September 2008
Several years ago I sent gifs of sections of an old flag chart from the
centre pages of Delisle's 1739 atlas. One of the flags on that was a green
swallowtailed flag with three white crescents, arranged so the points were
pointing in to a common centre. That flag was one of two or three designated
"Grand Turks" ()presumably the one in Asia Minor, not the one in the Caribbean
:) On the same chart, the one for Tripolitania was similar, but
rectangular and with yellow crescents.
James Dignan, 12 September 2008
This would be Ottoman Empire to me. It's on
Tableau des Pavillions de le nations que aborent à la mer 1756 as Pavillon
de l'Empereur des Turcs, with the crescents in three orientations, but I've seen
depictions with three in a row as well, though I can't recall the direction for
that case.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 14 September 2008
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 September 2008
It is a yellow triangular pennant divided by a red cross shifted to the
hoist. The intersection point of crossbars is superimposed by a blue diamond
containing a yellow compass rose.
Source: I spotted this as a car sticker on
27 March 2007 in HH-Borgfelde. It probably belongs to a German yacht club,
located near Hamburg but not in Hamburg itself.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 September
2008
image
by Nicolas Deprez, 22 September 2008
I saw this flag a few days ago during a walk in the village of Haut-Vully in
the Canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. I was unable to identify it and no one in
the village could help me.
Nicolas Deprez, 22 September 2008
The best match I can find is: Azure a Cross pattee couped Argent -
Neuendorf in Solothurn.
Peter Hans van den
Muijzenberg, 22 September 2008
The design of the Swiss National Flag in the colours of the flag of the
Sarine district from that Canton?
Christopher Southworth, 22
September 2008
image
by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 31 October 2008
An unknown Indian flag. Description:
It is a Indian tiranga (=tricolour)
using the colours saffron, white and green. Saffron is a little bit darker than
the first colour of the current national flag. At the hoist is a blue rectangle
taking total height of flag. It’s width is nearly 50% of total width. In its
centre is a white Ashoka wheel.
Context:
A female supporter upholds a poster, demonstrating against
Condoleeza Rice. The image of flag is upon the upper left corner of the poster.
The blue headline beside the flag it would be in Sanskrit: “bhaaripa bahujana
mahaasamgha“; in Hindi probably "bhaarip bahujan mahaasangh", which could be:
“massive group of people (added: causes/means) big destruction”. So this is not
the name of a Party, at least I wouldn’t name a party like this, nevertheless I
believe, it is an unknown party flag. As the rally took place in Mumbai, the
inscription could of course also be in Marathi. Note that I have transcribed but
not correctly transliterated in order to avoid diacritics. Long vowels I’ve
simply doubled.
Source: Sunday Times of Malta; 5 October 2008.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 31 October 2008
image provided by "hilltop9", 21 October 2008
Can you help us identify these two badges? (No other information provided.)
"hilltop9",
21 October 2008
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 October 2008
Order of St. John unknown flag:
The flag has a ratio of estimated 3:5. It
is a red flag with a coat of arms in its centre.
Description of coat of arms:
A red mantle, lined white, is topped by a golden crown. The mantle is covered
with small golden Maltese crosses, the lining with small black rectangles (no
ermines nor any other fur). The lining is superimposed by a grey double headed
eagle. The eagle holds a scepter in its dexter claw and an imperial globe in its
sinister claw. Between both heads is a blue ribbon topped by a crown. Another
crown is superimposing the eagle’s throat. Upon the eagles breast is a white
Maltese cross, superimposed by an asymmetric inescutcheon of the Order of St.
John. As there is also a golden chain, shield and cross may be part of an order,
unknown to me. The eagle I have expanded here.
A photo of the doorplate is also added.
The inscription is: “Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem; OSJ + Knights
of Malta +”, + here is a Maltese cross.
Contradictions:
The material of the flag was vinyl or nylon. So it had
been manufactured recently. The coat of arms seems to me a strange mixture of
Hospitalier’s and Russian heraldry. The Maltese crosses and the inescutcheon are
typical for the Order of St. John. Double headed eagle, crowned and the blue
ribbon seem to be Russian. Russian Emperor Pawel I once occupied the title of
the grandmaster but his son ceded this title after Pawel's death to an Italian.
So the flag may be a reprint of Pawel's grandmaster flag. All that stuff may
also simply be a mocking flag, unless there were two doorplates varying the
pattern shown upon the flag and two other plates, showing arms of knights (I
guess each knight had his personal arms), that seemed to me somehow Aragonese.
The location was in Qawra at the waterfront in a small house between big hotels.
Except for Qawra tower, today a pizzeria, there is not a single historical
building in Qawra (part of St.Pauls). To complete the chaos there was of course
nobody there, I could have asked.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 October
2008
Scattered throughout the site are many other unidentified flags. Here is a partial list if you want to test yourself!
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