Original Item: Only One Available. During "The Great War", the area known as the Fortified Region of Verdun (RFV, Région Fortifiée de Verdun) was one of the most blood soaked of the entire war. Some estimate that as many as 1,250,000 lost their lives in the area during the war, especially during the 302 long Battle of Verdun. This flag is a souvenir from the battle area, and looks to have been recovered after the fighting had ceased.

This very nice original French World War One Tricolor National flag measuring approximately 31" X 46". The flag looks to be made of open woven cotton, almost like gauze, and each color is a separate piece of fabric.

The flag was painted on at some point during or just after the war, and reads as follows:

The writing is quite faint, but we're fairly certain about our transcription.

La Madelon or Quand Madelon, also known in English as Madelon (I'll Be True to the Whole Regiment) is a French popular song of World War I. Although it is mostly known as La Madelon the proper title is Quand Madelon which are the beginning words of the refrain. The lyrics are by Louis Bousquet (1914) and the music by Camille Robert. The music shown on the flag however is not correct.

The song tells a story about soldiers flirting with a lovely young waitress in a country tavern and may partly owe its long term popularity to the fact that the lyrics were clean at a time when soldiers' songs were mostly bawdy and rude. It was one of the most popular songs in France during World War I and became a patriotic song as the war wore on. It remains a patriotic, well-known song in France to this day. It also became popular among Spanish soldiers.

The flag is in good condition, but definitely shows age, use, and exposure to the elements. The colors are quite faded, as well as relatively age toned or stained overall. There are some tears in the fabric, as the paint used for the writing seems to have weakened it. Considering the original lightweight construction, it definitely has done quite well considering its history.

An original French WWI Tri-color flag with loads of history and patina! Ready to add to your WWI Flag collection!

The Battle of Verdun (French: Bataille de Verdun; German: Schlacht um Verdun) was fought from 21 February to 18 December 1916 on the Western Front in France. The battle was the longest of the First World War and took place on the hills north of Verdun-sur-Meuse. At 302 days in length, it is one of the longest the longest and one of the most costly in human history. In 2000, Hannes Heer and Klaus Naumann calculated that the French suffered 377,231 casualties and the Germans 337,000, a total of 714,231 and an average of 70,000 a month.