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WW1 ERA US ARMY SIGNAL OR MARKER FLAG, UNIVERSITY

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:50.00 USD Estimated At:100.00 - 200.00 USD
WW1 ERA US ARMY SIGNAL OR MARKER FLAG, UNIVERSITY
OF IOWA ROTC. 1911/1913 U.S. Army Signal Flag, Company K, 3rd Battalion, possibly ROTC. 23" x 23" plus 2" sleeve hoist, doubled applique cotton on blue bunting field. Before signal flags were altered later in the 20th Century, the 1911 Regulations prescribed them in detail. According to Section 45 of the regulations, "Signal Flags described below are carried by the company musicians in the field. In a regiment in which it is impracticable to make the permanent battalion division alphabetically, the flags of a battalion are shown; flags are assigned to the companies alphabetically, within their respective battalions, in the order given below: Third Battalion – Company I - blue field red square; Company K – blue field white square; Company L – blue field red diagonals – Company M – blue field white diagonals." While based on these regulations the unit identity is established it is not known why there is a "2," a "D" and the "U. of I. on this flag unless this was for an ROTC unit. The Reserve Officers Training Corps was established with the National Defense Act of 1916 and flags of the 1911/1913 manual were still in use at the time. If this is correct then this could be for a unit from the University of Idaho, Illinois, Indiana or Iowa. If this is correct the ROTC unit just took one of these flags from the regulations and made it their own. These company style guidons/signal flags used to mark placement in a line were replaced later by the triangular guidons similar to those that had been in use by the cavalry and artillery since before the Civil War but in different colors, mainly blue, the color of the infantry. CONDITION: very good overall, minor mothing. (02-19473-53/JS). $100-200.