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  WWII PERIOD FRENCH FLAG WITH THE CROSS OF LORRAINE, THE SYMBOL OF THE FREE FRENCH; WITH BEAUTIFUL AND UNUSUAL COLORS, CA 1940-1945

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L):
Flag Size (H x L): 26.75" x 35"
Description....:
WWII French flag featuring the Cross of Lorraine, the symbol of the Free French. The Free French were individuals or military units that help form the resistance to free France from German occupation. The effort was founded in London in 1940 by Charles de Gaulle, a French government minister. "By mid-1944, the Free French numbered more than 400,000, and they participated in the Normandy landings and the invasion of Southern France, eventually leading the drive on Paris. Soon they were fighting in Alsace, the Alps and Brittany, and by the end of the war in Europe, they were 1,300,000 strong - the fourth-largest Allied army in Europe - and took part in the Allied invasion of Germany." (ref. Wikipedia).

The flag is made of wool bunting that has been joined with machine stitching. The device of the Free French is double-appliquéd (applied to both sides) by machine. Given the circumstances in France during this period, in addition to the appearance of the stitching, I would suggest that a pump treadle mechanism was employed as opposed to electric. Three pairs of cotton ties were sewn along the hoist in order that the flag could be secured to a staff.

French flags of this era are not especially uncommon, but the Free French insignia is rarely encountered. Note in particular the attractive and unusual seafoam, blue-green color of the first bar in the bleu, blanc, and rouge series, which contrasts beautifully with the deep red.

There were 26 member nations that formalized the Declaration of the United Nations in 1942. By the war's end, that number had grown to 51. Some have said that 53 countries declared war against Germany, though some more formally than others and many did not directly participate, while some changed sides. This is their list by political/geographic region:

America: USA, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, Dominica, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Columbia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay

Africa: Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia, South Africa

Asia: Russia, China, India, Philippines, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Persia, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq

Europe: UK, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg, Norway, Denmark, Finland**, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Romania**, Bulgaria**, Italy**, Greece

Oceania: Australia, New Zealand

** Switched Sides

Mounting: The flag has not yet been mounted.
Collector Level: Intermediate-Level Collectors and Special Gifts
Flag Type: Sewn flag
Star Count:
Earliest Date of Origin: 1941
Latest Date of Origin: 1945
State/Affiliation:
War Association: WW 2
Price: SOLD
 

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