U.K. Royal Air Force Ensign
This is sewn, wool Royal Air Force (RAF) Ensign from World War II, acquired with an POW embroidered RAF Glider pilots wing insignia and several WWII cloth maps of Europe.

The RAF Ensign is used only on RAF installation and bases from freestanding flagpoles, it is never paraded. It was adopted in 1920 after a contentious round of discussion involving the Admiralty, The War Office and the Air Ministry. The Royal Navy, who relented only after King George intervened, initially opposed it.

The Royal Air Force Ensign is flown daily at established RAF stations. It was acquired with other WWII glider related material it is likely that it was from a base associated with the Glider Pilot Regiment.

It has been speculated that the pilot who acquired this flag did so from his duty station, after his release from captivity, as the RAF Glider pilot wing insignia with which it was acquired was made while the pilot was a POW, perhaps one of the glider pilots captured on D-Day.

From the Jim Mountain grouping related to the Royal Air Force Glider Pilot Regiment which included a wool RAF flag; a 7 1/2" x 11" , framed, POW embroidered United Kingdom Army Flying Badge ('Lion With Blue Wings') insignia with text beneath "Army Air Corp (Glider Pilot)" piece measures and 5 air corps maps of Europe.

Provenance: Acquired at auction, Alderfer Auctions, Hatfield, PA, 9 September 2009

ZFC Significant Flag

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