{"product_id":"original-u-s-army-post-1950-german-occupation-2nd-constabulary-squadron-3rd-tank-co-swallowtail-guidon-a-a-f-tank-museum-framed-36-x-27","title":"Original U.S. Army Post 1950 German Occupation 2nd Constabulary Squadron 3rd Tank Co. Swallowtail Guidon - A.A.F. Tank Museum - Framed 36 ½\" x 27 ½\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. In the United States Military, a guidon is a military standard that company\/battery\/troop or platoon-sized detachments carry to signify their unit designation and branch\/corps affiliation or the title of the individual who carries it. A basic guidon can be rectangular, but more often has a triangular portion removed from the fly (known as \"swallow-tailed\").\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe guidon came to us from the American Armoured Foundation, Inc. Tank and Ordnance Memorial Museum. The AAF Tank Museum was a living memorial dedicated to the Tank and Cavalry soldiers of the world. Before 1981 some of the artifacts that make up the AAF Tank Museum was a private collection belonging to Mr. William Gasser. Mr. Gasser felt that his collection would be beneficial in educating present and future generations to the sacrifices made and the technologies gained during war. Therefore, in 1981 the AAF Tank Museum was established as a non-profit charitable organization, and Mr. Gasser's donated his private collection to the Tank Museum. Mr. Gasser is still active as Volunteer Director and Curator of the Tank Museum and his knowledge of military history has been a great asset to the museum. Unfortunately after 20 years of operation it had to close its doors, which is when this framed guidon was acquired.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe guidon itself measures 19 ½\" in hoist by 29\" in fly, and the frame is 36 ½\"W x 27 ½\"H, making it an impressive display piece. It still has the original label inside the frame from the museum, detailing what it is:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGi. 13 .074\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePost 1950 period, U.S. Army,\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2nd Constabulary Squadron,\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3rd Tank Company, guidon\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Constabulary force was organized with relatively small units, and just in case they always had armored forces in the units.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe overall condition is quite nice, and it looks lovely inside of the frame. We believe that the body of the flag was originally yellow, as that was the color used for the Constabulary along with the Blue C and the red lightning bolt. The color of the flag has faded a bit, and there are some stains and gears, as expected of a guidon that saw service, and was possibly hanging up on a wall for years after the end of the occupation. The frame is in lovely condition, and it is ready to go up on the wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA great example ready for further research and display.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe United States Constabulary\u003c\/strong\u003e was a United States Army military gendarmerie force. From 1946 to 1952, in the aftermath of World War II, it acted as an occupation and security force in the U.S. Occupation Zone of West Germany and Austria. The concept of a police-type occupation of Germany arose from the consideration of plans for the most efficient employment of the relatively small forces available.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe speed of redeployment in the fall of 1945, and the certainty that the occupational troop basis would have to be reduced speedily, dictated the utmost economy in the use of manpower. The basic principle of the police-type occupation—that the lack of strength in the forces of occupation must be made up for by careful selection, rigid training, and high mobility—cannot be attributed to any single individual, or indeed to any single agency. Before any plans were worked out for the organization of the United States Constabulary, units of the United States Army assigned to occupational duties in Germany had experimented with the organization of parts of their forces into motorized patrols for guarding the borders and maintaining order in the large areas for which they were responsible. In September 1945, the G-2 Division of European Theater Headquarters put forward a plan, which was carried into effect towards the end of the years for the organization of a special security force known as the District Constabulary. In October 1945, the War Department asked European Theater Headquarters to consider the feasibility of organizing the major portion of the occupational forces into an efficient military police force on the model of state police or constabulary in the United States.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIdeas crystallized rapidly. At the end of October 1945, General Eisenhower, announced to the proper authorities that the population of the United States Zone of Germany would ultimately be controlled by a super-police force or constabulary. In early November, the strength of the proposed constabulary was announced as 38,000. Planning was well advanced by the end of 1945, when the European Theater Headquarters notified the War Department that the constabulary would be organized as an elite force, composed of the highest caliber personnel obtainable under the voluntary re-enlistment program, and that it would be equipped with an efficient communications network, sufficient vehicles and liaison airplanes to make it highly mobile, and the most modern weapons. During the paper stage, the organization was known by a series of names. \"State Police\" was discarded for \"State Constabulary.\" Then it was thought that \"State\" would be confusing, as the main United States Zone of Germany had been divided, for purposes of civil administration, into three states, or Länder. When the organization emerged from the planning stage, it was known as the \"Zone Constabulary,\" but before it became operational it was named \"United States Constabulary.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41138265751621,"sku":"ONJR24TMF035","price":895.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONJR24TMF035__01.jpg?v=1710525149","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-u-s-army-post-1950-german-occupation-2nd-constabulary-squadron-3rd-tank-co-swallowtail-guidon-a-a-f-tank-museum-framed-36-x-27","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}