Original Item. Only One Available. This is a WWII-era New Zealand patriotic pennant featuring a humorous anti-German cartoon, apparently depicting a New Zealand soldier kicking AH. The pennant measures approximately 10 ½” x 19” [26.7 x 48.3 cm] and is constructed from black felt in an elongated triangular shape, with a sewn reinforcement strip and two projecting attachment tabs along the hoist.

The design is printed in green, cream, and pinkish-red, with black outlines. On the left, a cheerful New Zealand soldier wearing shorts, long socks, and a broad-brimmed hat delivers a forceful kick to the backside of a fleeing German political figure wearing a swas. armband. The exaggerated expressions and animated poses give the scene a deliberately comical appearance. To the right, the words NEW ZEALAND appear in large cream-colored block lettering, with a horizontal line beneath the design.

The pennant remains in good overall condition, with expected age and handling wear. The black felt retains its deep color, while the printed decoration shows scattered fading, surface abrasion, and small areas of color loss, particularly around the figures. There is minor fraying and a small area of fabric loss near the lower hoist, along with light wear to the edges. The principal design and lettering remain clear, and both attachment tabs are present.

Historical Context

New Zealand entered WWII on September 3, 1939, following Germany's invasion of Poland and Britain's declaration of war. Although still a Dominion within the British Commonwealth, New Zealand formally declared war in its own right. Two days later, Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage addressed the nation in a radio broadcast, expressing the country's commitment to Britain with the memorable words: "Where she goes, we go. Where she stands, we stand."

Despite its relatively small population of approximately 1.6 million in 1940, New Zealand made a substantial contribution to the Allied war effort. Around 140,000 New Zealand men and women served overseas during the conflict, including approximately 104,000 with the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF). Under Lieutenant General Bernard Freyberg, the 2nd New Zealand Division fought in Greece, Crete, North Africa, and Italy, while other New Zealand forces served in the Pacific and with British and Commonwealth naval and air formations.

The broad-brimmed military hat was an established part of New Zealand's national military image. Particularly recognizable was the distinctive peaked felt hat popularly known as the "lemon squeezer," introduced into New Zealand military service during WWI. Its unusual shape became closely associated with New Zealand soldiers and continued to appear in military imagery and recruitment material during WWII. Such recognizable elements of dress helped establish a distinctly New Zealand identity in wartime illustrations.

Political cartoons played an important role in Allied wartime publicity, using satire and exaggerated caricatures to ridicule enemy leaders and encourage public morale. New Zealand newspapers, military publications, and other printed material employed this form of humor throughout the conflict. German political figures, particularly AH, frequently appeared as objects of ridicule, often portrayed fleeing, surrendering, or suffering humiliating defeats at the hands of Allied soldiers.

These cartoons translated the complex events of the war into simple, memorable scenes that could be understood immediately. The depiction of an enemy leader receiving a kick from an Allied serviceman was a particularly direct expression of defiance, conveying confidence in eventual victory through humor. Patriotic pennants offered a convenient way to display such sentiments in homes and other civilian settings.