Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent near unissued condition example of a very scarce Airborne Paratrooper Flag Armband. This type of armband was typically used by U.S. Paratroopers, for example in North Africa (1942), during the D-Day invasion in Normandy (June 1944) and during Operation Market Garden (September 1944). The armband was typically fixed to the uniform jacket arm with safety pins, but this example is missing them. 

This is the third type of Arm flag, which was printed as an armband on a kind of sturdy paper stock resembling wallpaper, called oilcloth. This is a semi-waterproof material also called "lacquered cloth" and "American Cloth". It has punch holes and originally came with two safety pins, both of which are gone. One of the holes still retains the punched piece, and there is clear oxidation staining from the shadows of the safety pins, so this example likely sat in a damp place for far too long.

The condition is very good overall with the only damage being the oxidation staining from the now-absent pins. This flag shows no signs of ever having been used or attached to a uniform. The only difference from when issued is that these were not folded, issued from a stack of flags.

This type was issued for the Southern France, Holland and Rhine jumps and was worn as an armband or cut or folded and pinned to the sleeve. 509th PIR troopers during Operation Dragoon wore their flags on the left sleeve.

There are two variations of this type of armflag, and you will mostly find both described as printed on oilcloth. This is true for the second type, which has a hemmed edge all around, but which is otherwise identical in pattern and size.