D-DAY: A 48-STAR AMERICAN FLAG FROM THE 237TH ENGINEER BATTALION.

D-DAY: A 48-STAR AMERICAN FLAG FROM THE 237TH ENGINEER BATTALION.
[Landed Utah Beach, June 6th 1944.]
A cotton American Flag, with the 48 stars sewn into the blue canton. 1070 x 1740 mm. The hoist stenciled "237th ENG.C BATT. 1944." The flag stained and faded, battle-torn, and with fly partially blown out.
Provenance: A gift from the 237th Engineers, a few weeks after D-Day, to Olivier Baubau, a farmer who lived near Gourbesville, 4 km inland from Utah beach.

A fine battle-worn flag, carried by the 237th Engineer Battalion, who landed on green and red beaches in advance of the main landings, to clear a way through the obstructive barriers and minefields in the early morning of June 6th 1944. This sized flag was likely flown on the ship or landing craft that brought them in, having been tossed and blown out at sea for the two days preceding. The Unit were stationed near Mr. Baubau's farm, three weeks after the landings, and he likely swapped agricultural produce for this blown out flag. The flag was sold by the heirs of Mr. Baubau to an English collector in the 1980s.