The flag carries an estimate of £1000-1500 at C&T’s military collectibles and antique arms and armour sale at The Spa Hotel Mount Ephraim in Tunbridge Wells which is also being hosted on thesaleroom.com.
The artefact, which is being sold by a private collector, is believed to have been made by a crew member involved in the Normandy landings.
In multi-piece stitched black cotton, it has a crudely applied white skull and cross bones on either side.
C&T have researched that crews from the US Navy Coast Guard ship USCG-6 had the unofficial skull and cross bones insignia in the same style applied to their steel helmets. In some images of the ship there is evidence of a flag similar to this item but it would need further research.
The upcoming sale of the flag follows news that the Dutch buyer of ‘the most valuable Second World War battle flag ever sold’ has loaned it to the National Military Museum in Soesterberg, the Netherlands.
It also comes after an auction in France of the entire catalogue of the Normandy Tank Museum on September 18.
More than 130 items were sold by the museum via Artcurial Motorcars.
Museum founder Patrick Nerrant decided to close the exhibition and sell off its entire collection. No reserves were offered and all the lots sold including two tanks – the Chrysler M4A Sherman and the Cadillac M5 A1 that made for €280,000 (£240,000) and €230,000 (£197,000) respectively.
The museum, which opened three years ago near the D-Day beaches in Normandy, shut down because of a 30% drop in visitors this year.
