trenchrat1918 Posted March 13, 2016 Share #1 Posted March 13, 2016 I recently purchased a Liberty Loan war record flag and a War Saving Service flag together and hope someone can provide some information. I know about the history of the war record flag but I have not been able to find any info on the W.S.S. flag. Were the W.S.S. given to schools and institutions that had kids and employees buying war saving stamps and liberty bonds or flown by banks and the like who were selling stamps and bonds to John Q. Citizen who came in off the street? Or were they awarded for meeting certain quotas but that's what the Liberty Loan flags were for. If anybody can fill in some holes for me I would appreciate it, either way they're pretty cool. Both flags appear to have come from the same place as they are both hung on the same style flag pole. Sorry about the lousy quality of the pictures, the poles make them a pain in the a@# to work with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchrat1918 Posted March 13, 2016 Author Share #2 Posted March 13, 2016 More pics of the war record flag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchrat1918 Posted March 13, 2016 Author Share #3 Posted March 13, 2016 Pics of the W.S.S. flag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchrat1918 Posted March 13, 2016 Author Share #4 Posted March 13, 2016 More Pics of the W.S.S. flag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fstop61 Posted March 13, 2016 Share #5 Posted March 13, 2016 Awesome flags---I'm sure M r Jerry will provide additional info. Thanks for posting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Scott Posted March 13, 2016 Share #6 Posted March 13, 2016 fstop61 is correct Mr.Jerry is the man to tell you all about your flags.He is writing a book on US Home Front flags and has been working on it for years.Scotty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchrat1918 Posted March 13, 2016 Author Share #7 Posted March 13, 2016 That's what I thought, I hope he will chime in or I may send him a pm. There's lots of information available on the Liberty Loan banners but virtually nothing on the W.S.S. banner,.at least where I've been looking. The war record banners were awarded to schools and institutions who exceeded their quota for the third, fourth and fifth Liberty Loan drives. fstop61 is correct Mr.Jerry is the man to tell you all about your flags.He is writing a book on US Home Front flags and has been working on it for years.Scotty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Jerry Posted March 14, 2016 Share #8 Posted March 14, 2016 yea and Mr. Jerry was an underbidder But seriously, those are both great flags, and actually I am glad to see where they ended up! (Maybe you can take some better pics and I can include them in the book - 200 pages done so far and still in WW1...) I was sad to see that whole group get split up because it it obvious they were all from one organization (I ended up with the 3rd Liberty Loan one) I would assume they were from a bank or other non factory kind of place based on the wooden flagpoles. The WSS from what I can tell off the top of my head was not an "award" flag as you mentioned but was for one of the places that you could actually buy the stamps at. Yours is unique from others I have seen (have only 1 in my own collection) with the 1918 date that I would assume go with the 1918 dated pins. I will look at my notes and see what else I can find out. I have a photo somewhere too of them flying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchrat1918 Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share #9 Posted March 15, 2016 yea and Mr. Jerry was an underbidder But seriously, those are both great flags, and actually I am glad to see where they ended up! (Maybe you can take some better pics and I can include them in the book - 200 pages done so far and still in WW1...) I was sad to see that whole group get split up because it it obvious they were all from one organization (I ended up with the 3rd Liberty Loan one) I would assume they were from a bank or other non factory kind of place based on the wooden flagpoles. The WSS from what I can tell off the top of my head was not an "award" flag as you mentioned but was for one of the places that you could actually buy the stamps at. Yours is unique from others I have seen (have only 1 in my own collection) with the 1918 date that I would assume go with the 1918 dated pins. I will look at my notes and see what else I can find out. I have a photo somewhere too of them flying. Thank you for confirming my thoughts on the WSS banner, there seems to be a paucity of info on them. I had also thought that the banner was probably associated with the 1918 pin backs (3rd liberty Loan?). Does the 3rd Loan flag you bought have a manufacturers mark? My war record banner is marked but it's unreadable to the naked eye. It was a shame to see a group like that broke up, as you said they all came from the same place. I probably overpaid for the banners but they filled holes in my collection, it's only money after all. My wife was not happy when the mail carrier showed up with a giant 7' long tube, I believe her exact words were "What in the h@#@ did you buy now, get rid of something or I will.". I will try to get some photos done before I return to work for the sailing season. Maybe I can do it this week as the ice is gone and I can't fish anymore. As a side note there is a shop I visit in Michigan that has a number of extremely large service banners on the ceiling that I think you would find interesting, I ask to buy them every time I'm there. Wes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Jerry Posted March 15, 2016 Share #10 Posted March 15, 2016 Thanks Wes, I sent you a PM so we can continue the conversation. I should also note that the 5 stars on the black stripe are for going over the quota 5 Times! Quite the accomplishment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love of flags Posted December 6, 2016 Share #11 Posted December 6, 2016 Would be cool to see the service banners your talking about in Michigan. Thank you for confirming my thoughts on the WSS banner, there seems to be a paucity of info on them. I had also thought that the banner was probably associated with the 1918 pin backs (3rd liberty Loan?). Does the 3rd Loan flag you bought have a manufacturers mark? My war record banner is marked but it's unreadable to the naked eye. It was a shame to see a group like that broke up, as you said they all came from the same place. I probably overpaid for the banners but they filled holes in my collection, it's only money after all. My wife was not happy when the mail carrier showed up with a giant 7' long tube, I believe her exact words were "What in the h@#@ did you buy now, get rid of something or I will.". I will try to get some photos done before I return to work for the sailing season. Maybe I can do it this week as the ice is gone and I can't fish anymore. As a side note there is a shop I visit in Michigan that has a number of extremely large service banners on the ceiling that I think you would find interesting, I ask to buy them every time I'm there. Wes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettow Posted December 7, 2016 Share #12 Posted December 7, 2016 Isn't WSS the War Savings Society? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchrat1918 Posted December 7, 2016 Author Share #13 Posted December 7, 2016 Isn't WSS the War Savings Society? Yes, yes it is War Saving Society. I'm surprised no caught that before now. Call it a brain fart or a intellectual hiccup but I certainly dropped the ball on this one, either way thank you for noticing and correcting my error. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchrat1918 Posted December 7, 2016 Author Share #14 Posted December 7, 2016 Would be cool to see the service banners your talking about in Michigan. Sorry, I have not been back to take pictures since this original post. My better half has cut my allowance to a mere pittance and I have strict instructions to stay away from Bay City until I thin my collection, or as she put it "Get rid of some stuff or I will". wes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Jerry Posted December 7, 2016 Share #15 Posted December 7, 2016 According to one of my period sources, W.S.S. stands for both War Savings Stamps AND War Savings Society(ies) Wes, you have my address- Box it up! Tell your wife you are sending it across the pond to Wisconsin! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchrat1918 Posted December 7, 2016 Author Share #16 Posted December 7, 2016 According to one of my period sources, W.S.S. stands for both War Savings Stamps AND War Savings Society(ies) Wes, you have my address- Box it up! Tell your wife you are sending it across the pond to Wisconsin! From my cold dead hands, although she would we very happy to see it go along with a few hundred other things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love of flags Posted December 7, 2016 Share #17 Posted December 7, 2016 You can always send some of it down here to stay warm in the south! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Jerry Posted December 8, 2016 Share #18 Posted December 8, 2016 I should read my own book; apparently the 1918 WSS was an honor "award" flag for meeting quotas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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