Original Item: Only One Available. Personal and Unit command pennants were an old German Army tradition which was continued and expanded during the Third Reich and included new designs and patterns for the fledgling Luftwaffe. Regulations concerning Luftwaffe Personal and Unit command pennants can be found dated as early as January 1935, before the formation of the Luftwaffe was officially announced. The Personal and Unit command pennants underwent numerous minor alterations at various times through-out the war.
This an great example of a WW2 German Luftwaffe Officer’s Fahrzeug Stabsflagge (Vehicle staff flag), used for the vehicles of high ranking officers and their staff. This type of pennant was utilized by commanding Officer’s of Battalion sized units and was flown from the left front fender of the Officer’s official or personal vehicle, when the Officer was uniformed and in the vehicle. As originally constructed, it would have had a rigid metal frame inside it so that it would appear prominently on the front of the vehicle, however this example was “cut off” the frame, so it is just the fabric component, with the stitching removed on the hoist side. The Deep Red (Tiefrot) / Black / Deep Red stripes indicate that it is for a Luftwaffe Flak Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion.
The pennant measures 15 1/2 inches by 9 1/2 inches and is double sided. It is Deep Red (Tiefrot) in color, with a wide black stripe down the middle of each side, and is of multipiece construction. There is a heavily embroidered Luftwaffe eagle sewn onto each side as well, which are of the mid-war style.
Condition is very good, especially considering the age, and the colors are still relatively vibrant. There is some wear and staining around the edges, especially where the metal frame used to be, with one side showing more staining than the other, so it was probably the one that faced forward.
Luftwaffe Command pennants such as these are extremely rare, and this is the first example that we have ever had from Flak Artillery Battalion. Ready to display!