Dating a WWII burial flag

[smwinter207]

BBC - A History of the World - Object : US flag from WW1

 

This is the United States flag that draped the coffin of my Great Uncle Mahlon Wallace when his body was repatriated to Texas in 1917. He was killed in northern France on one of his first days in the country as a volunteer in WW1. His mother, my great grandmother was given the choice of either visiting the french gravesite or of having his body brought home. As she was worried about the instability in Europe, she chose to have him brought home where he is buried in Houston, Texas in the family plot. This flag accompanied him on that long journey home.

This is an amazing object for me to now own as I live not far from where he fell in northern France. We have researched and visited the place where he died - and the memorial to him and his fellow soldiers. His sister, my grandmother lived to be 107 and we had not known all his personal articles had been saved until her death. We also have the compass that he used to lead his battalion into that fatal battle.

One of many young and talented men lost to us all in that terrible war.

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[REDHAND]

smwinter207,

 

Thank you for the follow up and a very moving post. 

 

Doug

[tdurbinmas]

I’ll have to add pix a little later but not long ago I Purchased a naval ensign number 7, made by Mare Island Naval shipyard dated “44” and stamped “funeral”. Unlike the Philadelphia quartermaster funeral flags this ensign has standard ring type grommets stamped into the canvas header. The flag measures approximately 5‘ x 9 3/4‘. It is made of wool with appliquéd stars and sewn stripes. 
 

maybe someone can comment on the naval use of burial flags. I have seen several photos of burials at sea where the ensign is placed on the wrapped remains and held over the body just prior to committing the body to the sea. Of course the pall-bearing sailors held onto the flag it was not sent into the water. 

[IndianaTyler]

I have a 48 good star WWII American burial flag, that comes with the original paperwork, the Western Union sent to the Mother and another certificate that states this was the burial flag used oversees in France at the burial of her son and that the certificate and flag was immediately sent to the Mother after the burial. 

Army PFC John C Coffey was MIA on December 19th, 1944. This was the 3rd day of the Battle of the Bulge. 

So this a 48 Gold Star American Burial Flag from the actions of an American Hero, Army PFC John C Coffey from Kentucky, was 20 years old, never married and had no children. Its my great honor to show, on any public platform the original 48 Gold Star Burial Flag and the original Western Union and original certificate sent stating the flags purpose and journey back home to USA. I would like to thank the Coffey family for giving this to a family member of mine, a Vietnam Veteran, who in-turn gave to me. 

*On my flag, there are no stamps or markings indicating who or where it was made. I'm intrigued as to why some have markings like those in above messages and why mine doesn't. If anyone has information as to why this is, would be greatly appreciated.