Original German WWII 1301st G.S. Engineer Regt. USGI Captured & Signed NSDAP Double Sided Political Banner Flag – 54″ × 109″ Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice condition WWII German National Banner Flag, which measures a large 54 inches wide by 109 inches long, or about 4 1/2 x 9 ft. It does look to actually have been larger at one point, as both of the short ends were cut off, so it was definitely a sizeable example. These were used inside buildings, possibly hung as a vertically banner, or possibly used on parades. It is of all cotton construction, and is double sided with a single piece cotton white circles with dyed black Swasses (Hook Crosses) sewn onto both sides.

Condition is very good, but does show wear from use in service and possibly afterwards, with stains, some repaired tears, and other minor issues. The colors are very well retained, with light age toning to the white circles, and a vibrant red two piece field. No maker markings are visible, as they would have been on the header end, which was cut off.

The most notable aspect of this flag is the writing on the flag added by many USGIs, added after it was captured during the war. There is also a small unit marking of 1301 ENGR., as well as a name that states 3.rd ARMY ENGINEER 1301ST. Additionally there is a VERY faint capture attribution, which we can only read partly:

CAPTURED by 1301 ENGINEERS
C.F.
????????
NURNBERG
GERMANY

Unfortunately there are parts that we cannot read at all, particularly the center line, as the ink used has faded so much. However, these are a very clear attribution to the 1301st General Service Engineer Regiment. This unit landed at Utah beach on August 6, 1944, and for the next seven months the 1301st supported the Third Army’s drive across France and Germany. This included building temporary bridges, repairing roads, and other support functions.

These signatures on the flag look to have been written by multiple people, using several different markers / pens. Unfortunately one of these used ink that did not hold up over the years well at all, and the names written by it are visible in red but not legible at all. We have compiled a list of the legible names, and as best we can tell, the names / locations read as follows:

Bill LACERENZA
LiTTLe
Prov. R. I.

PETE J. MOHORIC
CANONSBURY
PA.

A very nice USGI bring back NSDAP banner, a great research project which would also make a great part of a WWII wall display.

The NSDAP, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party), was originally founded in Munich as the DAP, Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (German Worker’s Party), on January 5TH 1919. When Adolf AH joined the DAP in the autumn of 1919 he was to reform what was basically a debating society into an active political party. Appointed as the first chairman of the party on July 29TH 1921 AH was to restructure it along para-military lines in a hierarchy of four levels of government.