FLAGS THAT MADE HISTORY

Evening Star, Issue 23421, 11 November 1939, Page 3

FLAGS THAT MADE HISTORY

“RAGS OF BUNTING" THAT INSPIRED HEROES [Written by E. 11. Yakham, F.R.G.S., for the 4 Evening Star.’] An. old rag of bunting, said Emerson, blowing in tlie wind on a fort at tho ends ot the earth, shall make the bloodl tingle under the rudest or most conventional exterior.

Some of the Empire’s most treasured possessions are the tattered relics of Hags which have withstood tempests of enemy fire, or which have accompanied heroic explorers to the far corners of the globe. In our great cathedrals are scores of Colours belonging to famous regiments, and recorded on them are their battle honours.

Tho other day Mrs Gordon Dill, of London, the only surviving child of a couple w r ho endured the rigours of the siege of Lucknow (two others of their children perished from lack of food) in the' Indian Mutiny, was present at Brentwood, Essex, when a Union Jack which flew over the British Residency during the siege was dedicated. This precious relic has been handed down from Major Tierman, who took part in the fighting. Because of tho marvellous resistance which Lucknow put up it enjoys a unique privilege. In a record of the siege appears this passage: 44 During the defence of tho Lucknow Residency in 1857 Captain Andrew Loughnan defended Innes Post and the' Baillie Guard. After the first relief of Lucknow Residency Sir Henry Havelock and Sir James Outram inspected the Baillie Guard and looked at the battered wall and gateway; they found that there w r as not an inch without the mark of a roundl shot or bullet, and they simply marvelled that Aiken and Loughnan could have managed to defend it for five months.”

Captain Loughnan was mentioned in despatches: “ He kept the flag flying at Lucknow, where it has flown ever since.” This is literally true, for, while it is the custom in the services to lower all flags at sunset, the flag at Lucknow, a Union Jade, flies on. It is not even lowered at the passing of the King. The reason is that Queen Victoria gave the order for the nonstriking of the flag in order to mark the Empire’s gratitude to the defenders and its pride in their achievement. A flag of a different type is one that has seen no battles, but which immortalises a story just as heroic. For it went to the South Pole with Captain Scott. It belonged to the 4th Cardiff troop of Scouts before the war, and when Captain Scott was preparing for his journey he asked Scoutmaster Harvey if he couldl take it with him. Gladly the scoutmaster consented, and so the flag went on a journey that is for ever one of the glories of British exploration. After the end of Captain Scott and his noble companions hefcame known, none expected to, see the flag again. But when Admiral Evans reached tho tragic tent he found ■it there, and brought it home. Should! the troop be disbanded at any time it has been arranged that tho flag will find a permanent resting place in the National Welsh Museum. Together with this flag another was found. Aboard the King’s yacht Victoria and Albert is a small tattered White Ensign, much stained and worn. It hangs in a plain black frame in the reception lounge. This flag wasvjalso brought back from the Antarctic by the search party, who found it, still flying, by the bodies of Captain Scott and his companions. Yet a third famous White Ensign can be seen at Lloyd’s. It flew at the masthead of Shackle ton’s Endurance when she was crushed in the ice in the Weddel Sea in the Antarctic in 1915. after which tho gallant leader made his renowned voyage of 760 miles in an open boat in order to get help so that he could rescue his men. Two other relics famed in the history of-Polar exploration are worthy of mention. They are mementoes of Peary’s dash to the North Pole,_ and belong to the American Geographical Society, to whom they were given a year or two back. They are a flag ho took with him and a bit of a flag he left behind on his way. One he left at the Pole, and nobody is likely to see this again; the second he brought back and gave to a friend, who has now .passed it on to the explorer’s countrymen. There was a third flag, which he cut into pieces and left behind him to mark stages in his long-continued attempt to reach the North Pole. A fragment left at Cape Thomas Hubbard was recovered by a later expedition, and now it has joined the Peary flag which travelled with him to the Pole.

His Majesty the King treasures a flag which brings home many memories of the Great War. As a young officer he was on the Collingwood during the (Battle of Jutland. He toiled all day at the great guns till, in the dusk, the final “Cease fire 1 ’ was run up. Now that black-faced young officer is KingEmperor, but he still keeps the White Ensign of the Collingwood as a memento of that historic day. In Livingstone, Rhodesia, is a cejebrated organisation, the (Rhodes-Liv-ingstone Institute. Last summer Dr Ross, the provost of Oriel College, and the College Committee at Oxford presented to the institute the first flag of tho British South Africa Company. The following accompanied the historic gift: —“ This emblem of a great idea successfully accomplished was the first flag of the British South Africa Company to wave in their territory. It was hoisted on the Hospital Hill, Fort Tuli, on November 12, 1891, to welcome Mr Cecil (Rhodes on his first visit to the country, saved for the Empire by his solo efforts (Signed) Herbert Sieveking. Medical Officer, Rhodes Pioneers. Fort Tuli. 1891-92.” . , .. Two years back another notable South African flag was discovered in the strong rooms of the Legislative Assembly at Salisbury. It was the large ■silk flag which covered the coffin of Rhodes on its journey from Cape Town to Matopos in April. 1912. It is a White Ensign, and embroidered on it bv members of the Guild of Loyal Women of South Africa, whose gift the flac was, are these words: “Farewell, Greatheart.” The flag has been handed to the National Historical Museum. When Joan of Arc crowned Charles VII. King of France in Rheims Cathedral, Scotland was there with a banner made for her by a Scotsman. Recently interests in Great Britain presente'd the cathedral with an exact copy of the banner she bore into the cathedral that day, a standard with the figure of Christ seated on a rainbow between angels. An ancient document tells us that the banner was “ painted by James Power of Toures, Scoatchman, painter to the King.