A US Navy Red Cross flag carried on to the Normandy beaches during D-day is coming to auction.
The lot, which is expected to make $15,000-20,000, will auction as part of Bonhams' World War II 70th Anniversary Sale in New York on April 29.
 The flag was recovered from Omaha beach by a soldier involved in the landings |
It was carried aboard troop carrier LCT-537, one of the first to land at Omaha beach, and was recovered by a soldier named CW Weiss. It's accompanied by a Navy buckler parka bearing Weiss' initials.
LCT-537 was reportedly used as a medical centre after dropping off its consignment of troops. The flag would have been flown in an attempt to minimize enemy fire.
Bonhams explains: "There was in each crew a red cross complement and they would try to set up First Aid Stations in whatever cover was available on the beach, rescue the wounded were they had a chance, and get them back to hospital ships offshore.
"Many photographs of the Omaha beach show the Red Cross groups clustered around small flags like this."
The sale features an impressive selection of pieces from the second world war, including a British POW contraband radio constructed in Stalag 17.
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