



United Kingdom



The United Kingdom Union Jack 1801-present The national flag of the United Kingdom combining the Cross of Saint Andrew (representing Scotland) with the Cross of Saint George (representing England) and the Cross of Saint Patrick (representing Northern Ireland), the three parts of the United Kingdom. England entered World War II after the Germans invaded Poland in September of 1939.





British Naval Ensign



The British Naval Ensign 1864-present The White Ensign became the sole ensign of the Royal Navy in 1864. Nelson used the White Ensign at Trafalgar; it replaced the traditional Red Ensign.





British Red Ensign



British Red Ensign Merchant ships always use the Red Ensign (a red field with the Union Jack in the canton).





Occupied France



Vichy French Republic Flag 1940-1944 Since the first French Revolution the “tricolores” had been the only official French Flag. However, Northern France, including Paris, fell to Germany in the first 6 months of World War II. In the southern part of France a semi-independent French government survived by negotiating a separate peace treaty with Hilter and established their capital at Vichy, France. The Vichy government survived by supporting Nazi policies and cooperating with the invaders. After the war the supporters of this puppet government were branded traitors by the new French government.





Free French



The Free French Flag 1940-1944 The occupied part of France and those French citizens and fighters who fled the Nazi conquest, mainly to England, were known as the Free French and were led by General Charles de Gaulle. They fought on the allied side and many risked their lives as resistance fighters in France. Vice Admiral Émile Muselier, two days after assuming the post of Chief of the Naval and Air Forces of the Free French, created this flag displaying the French colors with a red cross of Lorraine, to recall the perseverance of Joan of Arc, whose symbol it had been.





Free French Ensign



The Free French Honor Jack Although this is not technically a World War II flag, this special naval jack is authorized for ships of the French Navy bearing the names of vessels which served in the Free French Navy (FNFL) during World War II. It displays a red Cross of Lorraine, the emblem of Free France, placed on a white diamond resting on a blue and red vertical striped field. I've put it here because it just seemed to fit.





USSR



The Soviet Union of Socialist Republics (USSR) The Russians entered World War II after the Germans attacked in 1940. The hammer and sickle represented the Russian peasants (the sickle) and the Russian workers (the hammer) who together formed the Soviet Russian state. The red field was said to represent the blood that was spilt by workers the world over in the fight for their emancipation, and was directly inherited from the red banner flown in the Paris Commune during the French Revolution. The single yellow star represented life and immense energy of the sun. The star was empty because it was said to contain the blood of the workers' struggle; and the five points of the star symbolized the then-known five continents where the revolution would spread.





USSR Naval Ensign



The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Naval Ensign 1935-1992 It was this ensign that the USSR's navy used during World War II. Soviet naval warships used this ensign between the years 1935 and 1992. With the colapse of the Soviet Union this ensign was replaced by the traditional flag of Russia (consisting of a blue "Cross of Saint Andrews" on a plain white field) first introduced in the time of Peter the Great.





United States of America



The 48-Star United States Flag 1912-1959 In 1912, two stars were added to the United States flag, representing Arizona and New Mexico, bringing the total number of stars to 48. They were arranged in six rows of eight stars each. American fighting men would fight under this flag during four wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War. (In 1959, a star was added for Alaska, and in 1960, a star was added for Hawaii making 50 stars today) The United States entered World War II in 1941 after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.





48 Star United States Jack



World War II United States Naval Jack A jack is a flag that looks like the union or canton of a national flag. For ships of the United States Navy, it is a blue flag containing a star for each state. On warships, the jack is flown from a flag pole (jack-staff) located on the vessel's front end (bow) when at anchor or in port. American fighting ships would display this jack in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.





Australian National Flag



The Australian National Flag The Australian flag is composed of three parts: The Union Jack (British flag) in the top left corner, the "Star of Federation" in the bottom left corner, and the Southern Cross, taking up the right half of the flag. The Union Jack shows that the first colonization by Europeans was by Britain, at first as a penal colony. The Star of Federation is a seven-pointed star representing each of the six states, and having one more point for Australia's territories. The Southern Cross is a constellation that can be seen from all of Australia's states and territories.





Australian Merchant Ensign



The Australian Merchant Ensign The Australian Red Ensign was for all vessels registered in Australia. Initially, the Red Ensign was also the only flag private citizens could fly on land, but this was changed by the 1953 Flags Act. The Blue Ensign became the only flag private citizens could fly on land, while the use of the Red Ensign on land was prohibited. This is still true today.





The Australian Naval Ensign



The Australian Naval Ensign 1967 The flag shown here was not actually adopted until 1967. Throughout World War II the Royal Australian Navy, along with their Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian colleagues still used the British White Ensign (shown above). Today this White Ensign is only flown by Australian Navy warships. Private citizens and merchant ships use the Red Ensign.





Nationalist China Flag







Nationalist Naval Jack

(originally Kuomintang Party flag)



The Republic of China Flag 1928 The final member of the "Big Four" of the Allies was China, a land racked with the hatred that only an ongoing and bloody Civil War can cause. The years of ruthless fighting between Mao Tse-tung's Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang (KMT), as well as the rivalry among regional war lords had left a violent legacy as the parties battled for political control. Even so, the Chinese Nationalist government would prove to be an important ally in the war in the Pacific as they worked with the United States and their allies to defeat Japan in the Pacific. The Allied forces who served in the Chinese campaign never lost sight of their goal to assist the guerrilla forces and the Chinese government struggling to regain their country from the Japanese. Unfortunately, although the various political factions ostensibly agreed to joined forces to fight the Japanese occupation the old hatreds were never far below the surface. As the Allied victory began to appear to become assured and distrust between the Soviet Union and the United States became more apparent, the Chinese rivalries once more resurfaced and the Civil War reignited. Eventually in 1949 the long Chinese Civil War ended, the Nationalist Chinese retreated to the Island of Taiwan declaring itself to still be the legitimate government of China and the mainland became Communist "Red China". The Nationalist China flag had been was created in 1906 by Sun Zhongshan (Sun Yat-sen), derived from the flag of his party. When the Republic was established in 1912, the design was adopted as the naval ensign. In 1928, it was also adopted as the national flag, while its canton became the naval jack.





Perry's Stars and Stripes





Perry's Flag as displayed

at Japanese WWII Surrender



Commodore Perry's Flag 1853 and 1946 In July of 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry entered Tokyo Bay with a squadron of then modern warships flying this 31-star flag to secure a treaty with Japan. His success led to formal diplomatic ties, access of ports by American ships, aid for shipwrecked American sailors, commercial trade, and the opening of Japan to other Western nations. Ninety-two years later, at the request of Perry's cousin, General Douglas MacArthur, the flag was transported from Annapolis, Maryland, to be on hand for the surrender ceremony of the Japanese ending World War II. The 9,500-mile trip took 120 hours and covered 12 time zones. The courier, who orders required him to keep the wooden box containing the flag in his sight at all times, slept with it, ate with it, and even took it with him in the bathroom. The flag had been on display at the museum at Annapolis where conservators had mounted cotton to its mildew damaged front side to prevent the flag from breaking apart and then mounted it backward to hide the damage. The flag case was mounted on the bulkhead of the Battleship Missouri overlooking the ceremony. After its 120 hour trip, the courier slept for two days missing the 25 minute ceremony. Notice the irregular star field, a common feature in 19th century flags when there were no design standards. In this case, they apparently just stuffed the extra star into the first column to get 31 stars and the stars are all tilted to the left.





"VJ Day" Flag



Victory over Japan Flag 1945 This simple red "V" on a navy blue fielded flag was released to celebrate the victory over Japan in 1945, but its manuafacture actually dates back to 1944. Today in the United States the name "VJ Day" (Victory over Japan) is celebrated on August 15, because of a huge two-day worldwide celebration that took place after the Empire of Japan announced it was surrendering in August - thus ending the fighting in World War II. The holiday is also referred to as "Victory in the Pacific," or VP Day, in Australia where it is celebrated each August 16. However, the official formal surrender didn't take place until September 2 in Tokyo Bay. This happened aboard the USS Missouri when the actual surrender papers were signed. On the hoist line of this flag it stated that it was made at Mare Island in 1944. Retired Chief Walter Dougherty (QMC), explained that the flag was approved by President Roosevelt, and distributed in 1944 to be flown by all Navy units and bases on the day Japan surrendered. GMC Ret. David "Tim" Lake, a World War II vet, served on the Battleship Pennsylvania (BB-38) from 1941 through 1946. Chief Lake remembers this flag being flown when the ship returned to the states after the war. The "Pennsy" was flagship of the Pacific Fleet for much of the war.