Unidentified Flags or Ensigns (2002)

flags submitted in 2002

Last modified: 2011-09-23 by pete loeser
Keywords: ufe | unidentified flags |
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Identification Key:

= Positive ID (Positive Identification)
= Tentative ID (Tentative Identification)
= Some Speculation

1. Three Axes Flag at World Cup Some Speculation

During the World Cup final (2002: Brazil vs.Germany), around the 50th minute was seen on TV a white flag with three red axes. It looked more German than Brazilian. Is anyone to identify it?
Ivan Sache, 1 July 2002

The website at http://www.mindspring.com/~debard/bardeleben.htm shows a three-axes flag that might give a lead.
Ewald Mertins, 28 August 2002

Not sure it does; it's a reference to his family arms, and the axes there are black. What we saw was white with three red axes. Do any of the towns mentioned on the page have arms/flag like that?
Al Kirsch, 29 August 2002

2. Three Lions St.George's Flag Positive ID

This flag has been identified as that of the English Premier Football League and is now on its proper page.

3. Black-Blue-Black Stickers Positive ID

Image from John Evosevic

Lately I've noticed a black - medium blue - black, arranged horizontally auto tag on many vehicles in the area around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Anyone know what this means?
John Evosevic, 3 July 2002

The Black-Blue-Black design is usually seen on a policeman's personal car or family members car. It stands for the "thin blue line". There is also a similar one with a red strip for firemen.
Jim Popovitch, 17 August 2002

The black-medium blue-black flag is actually a police mourning band. It is typically worn as a band across the badge when an officer is killed in the line of duty. I have seen it in use more frequently now as a bumper sticker, I believe this is probably a show of respect for the police officers killed on September 11th.
Troy Corwin, 26 September 2002

This design is an identification to notify other law enforcementpeople that the bearer also works in law enforcement. It representsthe "thin blue line, or brother police officer. The identification of fallen officers uses a badge with black tape or a black elastic band around the center. It is usually only worn when an officer dies, and is worn for up to a week after death, not everyday use.
Bob Cunningham II, 8 May 2006

Although this flag already has a positive identification. it is interesting that the British shipping company James Hall, located in Sunderland, had the same black over blue over black horizontal triband. Source: Lloyds flags and funnels, ed. 1912, p.81, image no.925.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 February 2009

4. Unidentified Singapore Flag

Image by by O. Myszor

This flag is described as the flag of Singapore in the Polish Yearbook Swiat w Przekroju from 1960/61. I haven't seen it before.
O. Myszor, 20 May 2002

5. German Tank Flag Positive ID

Maybe you can help me. I don't know what this is called. This flag was removed from a German Tank in Holland during World War II. Any information you might have would be gratefully appreciated.
Mary Oldring, 11 Oct 2002

I believe that the yellow flag with a blue cross found on a German tank is Swedish. Soldiers from Sweden were fighting on both sides in World War II, so the crew on that tank probably was from Sweden. I have seen that flag as an alternative flag in Sweden before.
Ted Nordin, 24 Aug 2007

This is a pre-World War II German aircraft identification flag, based upon the Nationalist insignia of the Spanish Civil War. It was used by ground units to help friendly aircraft identify vehicles readily from the air. Designed to be stretched over a flat area of the vehicle that faced upwards. It was used in much the same manner as the "^" insignia was used by coalition forces in the Gulf War to prevent friendly units from being mistaken for the enemy.
Ken Bassford, 15 Oct 2009

6. German Vehicle Recognition Drape Positive ID

This flag was identified and now can be found on its proper page at German Vehicle Recognition Drapes (World War II).

7. "Y" Flag Tentative ID

…similar to one that was displayed in LA when the community center was shot up. This flag someone is flying and my husband thinks it may be an anti-Jewish flag.
US annonymous, Oct 1999

This is either a variation of the swastika symbol, with three legs and barred ends (cf. the Austrian World War II Vaterländische Front and the South African white supremacist Afrikaner Weerstands Beweging) (If it is this one, I bet we’ll found it that it was hoisted upside down — just a semiotic/aesthetical hunch), or it might be some organization somehow related to the letter "Y" (there’s a US racist organization that uses a "W," for "white," in this flag arrangement, but I know none using a "Y").
António Martins, 04 May 2000

New image provided by Rick Prohaska, 31 January 2010

[This new flag image has been identified as a KKK LLC flag (see below), and based on António's 2000 speculation (above) suggesting our original image was upside down, I include it here for your consideration - UFE Editor]

KKK LLC is a separate organization legally registered as a limited liability corporation. They use this symbol as a flag exclusively. There does not appear to be good feelings between them and the other Groups´ leadership, they do appear to be a significant sized organization with chapters in Europe, as well as the US and Canada. Thier demonstrations are now reaching into several hundred "Stormtroopers," instead of the usually handful, and there are dozens of videos of this group available on U-Tube.
Rick Prohaska, 31 January 2010

I believe this red flag with a black symbol on a white disc (a common neo-Nazi design), and the golden border all around, identifies the UFE02-7 after more than 10 years waiting! The symbol consists of a three "T" shaped elements adjoined at their bases so that one is straight up and the others are rotated at right angles, forming a seamless horizontal stroke.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 13 February 2010

8. Walkyrie Flag Tentative ID

Nazi group Walkyrie (I don’t know what country); source: communication from José Luís Cepero.
Jaume Ollé, 5 June 2000

This may be a current flag used by the Golden Dawn Movement in Greece. (Other groups use similar ones.)
Rick Prohaska, 30 January 2010

Good point: They do use a cross with a circle: Golden Dawn (Political organization, Greece). The snag is that the Golden Dawn Movement always uses a very Celtic-like Cross, and apparently on every single cross they use there is white on it. This may indeed be another group using it.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, January 30, 2010

9. Unknown German Nazi Eagle Flag Tentative ID

Note: This very speculative image is based on the rather vague text description given. The use of an "army-type" eagle is complete guess work based on its use prior to the raise of the Third Reich. Be aware that we may also be looking at the reverse side of the flag based on the more typical German eagle placement practices of the time.

I have an authentic German Nazi eagle flag that I am trying to identify. The middle of the flag is a white circle with the eagle (looking right) in black on it. There is a swastika covering the middle of the eagle (back in the color white). The flag is red on both sides of the circle with a large thick sown black patch in the upper right. The stitched writing on the patch is in German and I cannot translate it. It goes like something as follows: Gau XI / Schutzenges. / St. Hubertus / e.D.Frechen gegr.1913.
James Bohanek, 3 June 2002

I can only attempt a reconstitution and translation, as follows:

This flag must be a composite; the Nazi party did not exist in 1913. The description is garbled, but it sounds as if the flag of a St. Hubert shooting club was sewn onto a Nazi flag (...) and "Gau XI" was then embroidered onto it.
John Ayer, 8 June 2002

The inscription would suggest a rifle club formed in 1913 and nazified probably around 1933. The flag seems a little like that of the German National League for Physical Education, but the fit is only approximate and besides I do not think rifle clubs were in that outfit.
Norman Martin, 9 June 2002

     Firstly it must be pointed out - as John Ayer did - that this flag certainly does not date from 1913. It seems to be a flag of the St. Hubertus Shooting Club at Frechen, as already suggested. There still exists a shooting club of this name at Frechen (near Cologne). It is common practice for many different kinds of associations and clubs (Vereine) here in Germany to have a flag, usually embroidered. Originally something like the "regimental colours" of especially shooting clubs, later other clubs (voluntary fire brigade; traditional custom club; veterans' club; sports club etc.) also adopted this practice. Nowadays there are probably tens of thousands of these (different) flags in clubs in Germany. A whole terra incognita for vexillology!
     Every now and then either the old, traditional flag has to be restored, or a new flag has to be bought. This seems to be the case for this particular flag, as the swastika implies that either they made a new flag (after 1933) instead of the old one, or this was their first flag anyway. I think it is quite improbable that they just charged their old flag with a swastika.
     The Gau XI in the inscription is probably not a Nazi Gau, but the Schützengau, the district of a higher level shooting association).
Marcus Schmöger, 14 June 2002

I guess the "e.D." is actually "e.V." (Fraktur letters V and D are rather similar). The German abbreviation "e.V." stands for "eingetragener Verein," which means "registered association."
Ole Andersen, 14 June 2002

10. S. M. T. House Flag

Image by Bill Sullivan, 27 Nov 2000

This unknown house flag (?) was submitted without country, location, or origin. Does anybody recognize it?
Bill Sullivan, 27 Nov 2000