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Re: Army/Navy E Awards


Tobyledog
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Hi folks.

I bought this flag in France some years ago & it had always remained a mystery to me until last Summer. Having just joined I thought I would share it with you with hopes of finding even more about it. There is a lot of info about the A/N E awards including a list of the 4000 recipients but I cannot find anything out about the Pennant of Merit awarded to overseas companies. Apologies if any words are highlighted as I am cutting & pasting from my WW1 Aircraft forum.

 

"Hi everyone.
Back in September 2016 I posted a thread(now closed- hence the new one)about a flag I had bought that Summer. I was never able to find anything about it even enlisting the help of US Military Flag experts- it was a complete mystery............ until now. I thought I would have another look to see if anything came up & all is now revealed! I did mention in the original thread that it was bought quite close to the Dunlop Factory in Montlucon. Well I found a photograph(hope it's ok to use it here as it is watermarked)taken of a flag which is the same(if not this one) at a Dunlop Factory I presume to be in France as there is a Tricolour on the wall & 2 men in Kepis far left although most men seem to be in American Uniforms it could of course have been in the States. Now I have a starting point I can do more research & hopefully identify where it is(I only drove past the factory on Sunday morning).
It pays to keep going & not give up as information is constantly changing on the net.
Regards Rob"

 

"I have now identified the location of the ceremony & it appears to be Montlucon(opened in 1919 so the flag cannot be WW1) in an old munitions factory, the only other factory in France being at Amiens which did not open until 1957. You can see the administration block in the centre of the postcard with the circular feature in front.

 

"During the Second World War, the Germans occupied the factory of Dunlop (although the factory was in free zone) to exploit the potential of the laboratory, since this one had the capacity to manufacture synthetic rubber, the natural rubber being unable be imported from Indonesia by the Nazis. The manufacture of aircraft tires for the Luftwaffe was also very interesting for the Germans.

This is why on the night of September 15 to 16, 1943, as part of missions to destroy the industrial potential of Nazi Germany, and in particular its production tools for military purposes, the allies decided to bomb the site. More than 300 bombers reduce the production and storage workshops to ashes, as well as part of the city of Saint-Victor. There were 36 dead and over 250 injured".

Montlucon was liberated on August 25th 1944 so presumably the Allies got the factory up & running to produce tyres for the war effort before the end of the War hence the award."

 

"On the proposal of General Allen, chief of the materiel services of the American army in France, the government of the United States awarded the pennant of merit to the Dunlop tire company, for its exceptional contribution to the war effort of the Allies. Yesterday, in Montluçon, in the presence of the three thousand workers of the factory, the American colonel Holle gave the white and khaki pennant to Mr. Dutreux, president of the company.

The vast Montluçon factory has already recovered 50% of its production capacity than the bombers of the R.A.F. had reduced to almost zero in 1943. The reconstruction posed a delicate problem: it was necessary to remain incapable of helping the Germans while preparing to effectively help the Allies from the liberation.

Now, we are redoubling our efforts to make as many tires as possible. We make the best use of the synthetic rubber that the Americans supply and the still very insufficient quantities of natural gum that arrive from the Far East and our colonies in Africa. As the percentage of natural rubber can be removed above its current figure, which is around 20%, production will accelerate, because technically easier, and the tires will be more durable. The relationship between the time required for manufacturing and the number of kilometers achievable for use will therefore increase in value. And, at the same time, the reconstruction of the workshops will be completed, workshops even more modern than before the war, where performance will be better. By the spring of 1946, progress would be very noticeable. There will be no more wheels without tires if no one puts sticks on them".

 

I know that this pennant was awarded to Michelin & another rubber Company in France.

 

I found a copy of the newspaper but cannot read it online as the print is too small.

 

Having finally thought I'd cracked it(ie it was the Montlucon Dunlop Flag given it was bought close by)it isn't the same flag............................. Mine has the American Eagle on it & the one presented appears to be blank although it is the same in every other respect.

 

Can anybody help?

 

Many thanks

 

Dunlop Flag.jpg

Dunlop tyre flag.jpg

Dunlop Factory.jpg

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Welcome-

 

Very cool-

 

I am working on a book on the "Home front flags of WWI & WWII" as a follow up to my recent service flag book-

 

I have not seen that one before! (I may have to hit you up for a high res image to use) but I will look into it!

 

Jerry

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Hi Jerry.

Just let me know what you want- you are welcome to use any images as you like.

The flag was a mystery to me for 4 years & I got some help from several learned flag collectors in the States who had never seen it before either.

Even knowing what General Allen called it "The Pennant of Merit" has provided little further information.

As mentioned it was also awarded to Michelin & another French rubber Company.

I don't live too far from Clermont so it could be their one as well(ever the optimist). I cannot explain why there is a US Eagle on my flag & not on the Dunlop one- it is identical in every other way. It is well made & the Construction is similar to other WW2 period flags of its type.

The Arm/Navy E Award flags are well documented(originally I thought it was associated with that programme)but nothing on this one or the criteria for awarding it.

Regards Rob

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  • 2 months later...

Hi all.

I was out at the weekend finally & went down to Clermont in Central France to the Brocante. There was a Rugby Scrum behind one dealers van & he obviously had some good & interesting stuff but I couldn't get near so walked on by. Same on laps 2, 3 & 4 but the scrum had lessened. I saw a frame in a box & something clicked........ it looked as though it had been sold but I picked it up anyway & was able to buy it. As you can see it is a Certificate for a Merit Flag. Chausson were well known for their radiators amongst other things & presumably supplied similar to the US Forces after Liberation in 1944. I know of the award being made to Michelin, Dunlop, SNCP(French Rubber Company) & now Chausson.

In a similar fashion to the A/N E Awards the Company was given a Flag & allowed to use the award in its Advertising etc. The US Companies gave badges to the employees too.

Bien cordialement Rob

IMG_1528.JPG

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Yes Jerry............. as you can imagine I was very happy. I told the seller after I had paid him that I had the flag! It was fate...........what are the chances! No sign of the flag though. I think the Factory closed in 1997 so presumably it was just binned. I cannot imagine any Company still existing who won the award throwing it away or capitalizing on it.

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That is absolutely a fantastic find! Now I guess you need to find one of the lapel pins. Right place, right time!

Thanks for showing it.

BKW

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  • 7 months later...

Rob.  A truley incredible find and one that is indeed highly unusual. I have been working on a Collector's Guide to E pins of WW ll for almost 2 years now. Should be finished soon. Much more to it that it seems.  I am resaonably certain this is the War Dept's ? US Army's  " A " award as referenced in the joint order in which it was to be merged with the Munnitions Board Star Award and the Navy E award  in the spring of 1942 and the first joint pins were awarded in August 1942. Those companies that had already rec'd Navy awards since July 1941 could CHOOSE to convert to the Army-Navy Award or stay in the Navy program. Many chose to stay and rec'd Navy pins though out the War. Many changed over to Army-Navy  pins & reference the 1st awrd as a Navy pin  right on the pin.  More to come if you like.   As to the abscence of the Eagle I would venture to say that the flag to fly in FRANCE omitted the American Eagle as DeGaulle would have been sensitive to an American Eagle flying over his soverignty he had just liberated. . The flag and certificate to be displayed in the US with the Eagle would have been OK. I would love be able to use photos of your stuff as reference with credits in the Collectors Guide. The signatory of the award certificate LT GEN. John C.H.Lee was the second highest ranking officer behind Ike in the European Theatre Of Operations and responsible for Logistics. Great Stuff you have Richard

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I think the "Army A" award flag here in the States was a slightly different design - the prototype (it was doubtful if any were ever actually awarded except on paper) but a burgee (think Ohio state flag) design with a more stylized eagle on a red background.

a.jpg

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Great swallow tail flag!!. Does it have any markings of any kind? Is it two sided and is it printed or stitched separate pieces? The item Rob has and the certificate were an award of the Army Thearter Service Forces , European Thearter which was a subordinate unit of the War Dept. The Army-Navy joint Award was an award of the Dept of War and Dept of the Navy that were at that time co-equal Departments of the Executive Cabinet. The Eagle on the swallow tail has been used since then on insignia of the Army, I'll have to find it for you. Any other thoughts? Richard

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Great swallow tail flag!!. Does it have any markings of any kind? Is it two sided and is it printed or stitched separate pieces? The item Rob has and the certificate were an award of the Army Thearter Service Forces , European Thearter which was a subordinate unit of the War Dept. The Army-Navy joint Award was an award of the Dept of War and Dept of the Navy that were at that time co-equal Departments of the Executive Cabinet. The other interesting point is the date 1945. The Eagle on the swallow tail has been used since then on insignia of the Army, I'll have to find it for you. Any other thoughts? Richard     

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This is from a subordinate level and is the level in which I think you swallow tail belongs as an A award from the Army Logisitics. 

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