Description
Object description
Flag
Physical description
Tricolour flag of (printed) green, white and red with a printed central white cross on a red field, bordered within a blue shield. There are three pairs of green tape suspension ties to the hoist edge, top, centre, and lower.
There are several moth holes.
History note
This and another flag (FLA 5550) and two Italian photograph albums were bought back to England by Major E C G 'Paddy' Haigh, who served in 2/3rd King's African Rifles during the East African Campaign of 1941.
Haigh joined the Highland Light Infantry in 1937, and was later seconded to The King's African Rifles. Serving with the 3rd Battalion between 1939-40, he also served in 2/3rd Bn between 1940-42. Between 1942-45 he served with 5/th Bn KAR in Uganda, Abyssinia, Tanganyika, India, & Burma.
Whilst Italy maintained its presence of 290,000 Italian and colonial troops in the territories that comprised the Italian East African Empire it posed a threat to British supply routes along the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. During the 1941 campaign a British-led force advanced from the Sudan into Eritrea whilst a second headed north from Kenya into Italian Somaliland and Ethiopia, aided by Ethiopian irregulars under Emperor Selassie. It was in the southern area of operations that 2/3rd Battalion King's African Rifles were deployed, the battalion being part of the 12th African Division. Notably Haigh (then a captain) commanded the 2/3rd briefly when all other commanders became casualties at the Battle of Kulkaber, and he was present at the taking of Gondar where 23,500 Italians surrendered on 27th November, 1941.
Haigh's family suggested that the flags and albums were taken shortly after the fall of Gondar (an image in one album clearly shows an Italian flag, believed to be one of these, before the surrender).