FG-052 — DGzRS Maritime Rescue Flag (ca. 1938–1945)

FG-052 — DGzRS Maritime Rescue Flag (ca. 1938–1945)
DGzRS rescue flag, wool bunting, 68×89 cm — operational wear
DGzRS rescue flag, wool bunting, 68×89 cm — operational wear along the fly edge.

Flag ID: FG-052

Flag facts

  • Dimensions: 68 × 89 cm
  • Material: Wool bunting with heavy ribbed cotton canvas hoist
  • Construction: Machine-sewn panels; reinforced corners; folded rope seam
  • Hoist: Hand-stitched rope with spliced end and steel swivel ring
  • Markings: None (typical for early DGzRS issues)
  • Condition: Clear operational service — frayed fly edge, minor moth losses, light salt staining
  • Origin: Purchased at a collectors’ fair in the Netherlands; initially unidentified

Context & use

The Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Rettung Schiffbrüchiger (DGzRS), founded in 1865, is Germany’s national sea-rescue service. The red cross on a white field bordered in black was flown from lifeboats, rescue cutters and coastal stations to signal humanitarian neutrality and life-saving duty throughout the 1930s–40s.

During WWII, DGzRS crews remained operational along the North Sea and Baltic coasts, cooperating with naval authorities yet retaining civil status. Flags of this type were locally manufactured and replaced frequently due to salt exposure and wind wear.

Why the design remained non-political under the Third Reich

Unlike pilot, customs and harbour flags, which were re-issued with the swastika after 1935, the DGzRS flag remained free of state symbols. DGzRS was legally independent and privately funded, not part of Reich state services, and thus not bound by emblem decrees such as Reichsgesetzblatt I Nr. 39 (19 May 1935). Authorities avoided altering Red-Cross-related or humanitarian insignia to preserve international neutrality under the Geneva framework. Archival notes from 1937–38 (DGzRS Bremen) confirm deliberations to “retain the historical cross flag for recognition and neutrality at sea.” Photographs from Travemünde, Norddeich and Borkum stations show unaltered flags still in use through 1944.

Technical observations

  • Coarse wool bunting in medium-tight weave consistent with pre-1945 German maritime textiles
  • Ribbed cotton hoist with diagonal “X” reinforcement stitching
  • Hand-attached rope splice with metal ring — not the post-1948 loop type
  • No maker marks, size codes or DGzRS text → practical service flag rather than souvenir or post-war issue

Remarks

Acquired by chance at a collectors’ fair in the Netherlands, this flag was later identified as an authentic DGzRS rescue flag. Its condition and construction indicate genuine operational service aboard a small coastal lifeboat or station mast around 1938–1945.

Detail images

Central red cross emblem on wool bunting
Central red cross emblem on wool bunting.
Hoist corner with reinforced stitching and metal swivel ring
Hoist corner with reinforced stitching and metal swivel ring.
Lower hoist area with reinforced fold and canvas texture
Lower hoist area with reinforced fold and canvas texture.
Diagonal reinforcement ‘X’ stitching at hoist corner
Diagonal reinforcement “X” stitching at the hoist corner.
Rope end with original braided finish
Rope end with original braided finish.
Wool weave macro showing tight maritime texture
Wool weave macro showing tight maritime texture.
Fly edge showing operational fray and wear
Fly edge showing operational fray and wear.
Detail of black border seam and stitching
Detail of black border seam and stitching.

Sources & References

  • DGzRS Historical Archive, Bremen — correspondence 1937–38 and flag pattern files.
  • Die Seenotretter: 150 Jahre DGzRS, Bremen 2015.
  • Reichsgesetzblatt I Nr. 39, 19 May 1935 (national emblem decree).
  • Archival photographs: Norddeich / Travemünde / Laboe rescue stations, 1937–44.
  • DGzRS — History overview.
  • DGzRS — Wikipedia (DE).
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