Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. In the United States Navy, 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").
This wonderful example is the type used by U.S. Navy training units, and would be flown when they were assembled. It has a canvas header with a light canvas or muslin body, and measures approximately 25" x 17". There are galvanized steel grommets at either end of the header. Each side has a large green felt 34 stitched to it, which would indicate the designation of the training unit.
What makes this example great is that it looks to have been signed by all of the members of the training unit. The very bottom is marked Robert J. NicHoLs GUIDON, so we assume that this is the Sailor who took it home. They may have been the unit leader. All over the rest of the Guidon are at least 30 names of fellow members of the training unit, which trace to some 1944-1946 muster rolls. There's LOADS of research potential in this small flag.
The guidon is in very good shape, but does have some water staining. However there is very little if any running of ink, which leads us to believe that the stains occurred mostly before it was signed, during service. The felt numbers on the back do have a bit of moth, mostly just removal of the fabric nap. The guidon was probably displayed with this side against the wall, protected from the light.
A wonderful piece of U.S. WWII Navy memorabilia, ready to research and display!
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