LCI(L)-14 48 Star Battle Flag, Union Jack, and Commissioning Pennant

[IKEsaysGO44]

I recently purchased this grouping from the Nashville Flea Market and is said to have belonged to one of the members onboard Landing Craft Infantry (Large)-14.

 

LCI(L)-14 took part in the North Africa Campaign (Tunisia), Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, and eventually Normandy. LCI(L)-14 would carry the British Soldiers to Queen Sector of Sword Beach.

 

The flags have a great look to them. The Commissioning Pennant and 48-Star are completely tattered and filthy, all white stars and strips appear charcoal grey. The Union Jack is in great condition.

 

I was not able to get the Veteran's information - only the sales tag that he allegedly wrote from his estate sale that was in Knoxville, Tennessee. The seller refused to give up the name - so I have hit a dead end on the research. Though I know this was not the only flag that flew over LCI(L)-14 - it has the characteristics of being there and displays wonderfully.

 

I am not an expert on Navy Memorabilia - so if anyone has any insight as to whom may have owned this - I would greatly appreciate it. I assume these flags were presented to someone of rank aboard the ship?

 

http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/15/150014.htm

 

[IKEsaysGO44]

...

[IKEsaysGO44]

Battle Damage?

[IKEsaysGO44]

...

[IKEsaysGO44]

Union Jack

[IKEsaysGO44]

Union Jack

[IKEsaysGO44]

Commissioning Pennant

[IKEsaysGO44]

Commissioning Pennant

[IKEsaysGO44]

Commissioning Pennant

[IKEsaysGO44]

Sales tag from Estate Sale

[USdog]

Dang, that's sooo cool!

[Mr.Jerry]

Great flags! Always nice to have a history with them!

 

Many times these flags were just unceremoniously taken by the signal officer when new ones were installed.

With the presence of the commissioning pennant, it might have been given to the Captain, but most of the answers I get when I asked how these kinds of flags were obtained were "We got a new one, so I kept the old one"

 

I think you are correct that these particular flags were not flown over all of those campaigns, as the wind really rips the heck out of these.(yours have certainly been flown, but are no where near the "tattered" state) I have several in my collection that are shredded down and into the blue field.

 

Again though a very nice set and great to have all from one historic ship that has certainly "been there done that".

Flags are cool!

[sundance]

Those are great items! I love the history. How long is the pennant? Did that note come with it and was the owner's name removed when you got it? Didn't Glenn Beck just pay a boatload for a flag claimed to be at Normandy?

[IKEsaysGO44]

The pennant is about 36" in length. The note was with it, written by the veteran - I just blacked out the price that it was originally listed for. Thanks for the comments.

 

Andrew

[Longbranch]

Any indication how long ago the estate sale took place? You could try searching the Ancestry.com Muster Rolls for this ship, and then cross-reference the names to people who have lived in the Knoxville, TN area. It would take you a while, but it may be worth a try.

[willysmb44]

WOW.

I'm no Navy collector, but man, that's an amazing piece! I have no idea but I'd think there can't be many of these sets, even in museum collections...

[IKEsaysGO44]

The estate sale took place sometime between May and June of this year, and I purchased the set in mid-July. The ladies, whom I purchased it from, set-up every month at the Nashville Flea Market and they said they had not had the flags for very long before I came along.

 

Seeing as how each LCI (L) was manned with about 4 Officers, and 24 Sailors - I think nailing down the owner could be relatively easy.

 

Thanks again for the comments and the help. I will let you know if I come up with anything.

 

Andrew

[etienne]

Hello,

 

very nice flag

 

E

[IKEsaysGO44]

Thank you guys for the comments. It is truly a remarkable set.

 

I have been trying my best to find a crew manifest from the ship, but to no avail. Can anyone assist? The only information I know is that the veteran lived in Knoxville, TN area.

 

I have reached out to the original buyer of the flags, who happens to be an antique dealer in the Knoxville, TN area, and she is still reluctant to part with the family's name.

 

The flags deserve to be apart of someone's collection and displayed properly, which I cannot do at the time. I have contemplated parting with them - so if anyone is interested, please PM me.

 

Thank you again.

 

Andrew

[willysmb44]

I have reached out to the original buyer of the flags, who happens to be an antique dealer in the Knoxville, TN area, and she is still reluctant to part with the family's name.

 

To me, that means one of two things:

• The original dealer got these flags for next to nothing and doesn't want you to know how little they paid, or worse, you telling the original owner how much they got hosed.
• The dealer is hoping to rip off the family for some other stuff in the future.

Otherwise, I see no reason why they'd want to keep that a secret.

 

[IKEsaysGO44]

I should say she was initially hesitant rather than reluctant.

 

In our initial conversation in July at the flea market, she mentioned there was a rift between the father ( I presume to be the veteran), and the son whom she said lives in Los Angeles and was the overseer of his father's estate. I believe she knew more so I left it at that. She did, however, tell me to contact her in the coming months to see if the timing was right - which I have done and basically left it at that; not pushing the issue with anything more than an email every few months. Maybe they went to her junk, maybe she forgot..but that is where it is today.

 

She does have a box of letters from the veteran that she is willing to part with when she is comfortable releasing their information.

 

All that aside, if anyone has a ship or crew manifest or roster associated with this vessel, I would love to be able to narrow down the owner.

 

Thank you again.

Andrew

[Ray_Allard]

My Dad was on the 14. Great items.

[Sarge8]

Here is muster list of crew in Jun 1944

 

[IKEsaysGO44]

Thanks guys for the comments.

 

Good news - Yesterday, I received a package in the mail from the seller, with about 60+ Letters, Telegrams, Post Cards and V-Mail, written by the veteran to his wife. All correspondence has gone through Naval Censoring and stamped accordingly. I have not had time to go through every letter, but they start from 1942 when he was in Naval training, to his time in Italy, England, and off the coast of Normandy, which he calls "Somewhere off the British Isles." There are significant date gaps revolving around the Invasions (I focused on D-Day as the 14 brought British Troops ashore on Sword Beach), and will go back to check on the others the 14 was apart of. I did not see any early letters speaking about times in Africa. In a letter he wrote on June 8 1944, he apologized to his wife, saying he has been extremely busy.

 

I will take a picture of the grouping when I get home and repost. His name was Lt (JG) C.E. Clark and hailed from (at the time) Pennsylvania.

 

His mailing address on the letters reads:

 

Lt (JG) C.E. Clark

Navy Ship USS LCI (L) 14, USCG

 

Andrew

[IKEsaysGO44]

It should read:

 

Lt (JG) C.E. Clark, USNR

USS LCI (L) No. 14

 

Pictures of the letters to come.

 

Andrew