Flagman’s world of flags

http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/449533

They are in a bit of a flap over in Canada over rigid stands for their national flags on Canada day.

 

It is a good way of protecting flags and prolonging their life (they tend to fray at the end) but to the purist eye I guess they are not as visual.

You can buy Candaian maple leafs here by the way!

From the Glasgow Herald

REGIMENTAL standards thought to have been found after the Battle of Waterloo by Sir Walter Scott have been dismissed as “tourist tat”.

The four flags - described as three French and one Scottish - were heralded as an important discovery when they were found recently in a cupboard at Abbotsford House, the author’s home near Melrose, Roxburghshire.

They were thought to be price less souvenirs taken from Waterloo by Scott in the days immediately after the 1815 battle in what is now Belgium.

But even before they take centre stage in a £10million campaign to boost falling visitor numbers at Abbotsford, critics have pointed out that one standard apparently from a French regiment has English writing on it.

Another appears to be Russian - even though the Russians were not involved at Waterloo.

Amateur historian Bob Burnett, from Edinburgh, said: “The standard purporting to be that of the French 105th regiment of the line says just that, 105th.

“Unless Napoleon was in the habit of having his military standards made up in Britain in the English language, the suffix to the numerals would have been e or eme.

“I regret that Sir Walter was, like many of us, sold the tourist tat of the day.” Another flag described as being English is now thought be Imperial Russian.

National Army Museum spokesman Julian Farrance said: “We have the eagle headpiece and the flagpole taken from the 105th regiment here in the museum in London.

“It is almost certainly impossible that the flag and the flagpole would have been separated at the time - they would have been together.

“The idea that the flag would have been left behind for Walter Scott to just pick up from the battlefield is unfathomable.

“Frenchmen would have, and did, give their lives to defend it and protect it.”

Abbotsford Trust executive manager Jacquie Wright last week described the standards as an “amazing discovery”.

Yesterday, she said: “We just don’t know what they are. We are sending photos to various people to have them authenticated but they are definitely from the right period.”

and all announced on the anniversary of the battle!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/7458741.stm

 

Flags from the battlefield at Waterloo have been found in a cupboard at the home of Sir Walter Scott.

The four banners, which date from 1815, were discovered by trustees sorting through Abbotsford, Scott’s home near Melrose in Roxburghshire.

The novelist brought them from the scene of the battle, which he visited after hearing of Napoleon’s defeat.

The Abbotsford Trust, which runs the house, hopes the standards can be restored and put on public display.

Very fragile

Jacquie Wright, executive manager of the trust, said: “We were very excited to find the banners. They are very rare.

“As you can imagine, they have been lying in a cupboard since 1815 rolled up in bits of paper so the material is very fragile.

“He collected other things, which were on show because he put them on show but these things were actually put away in the cupboard.

“We would absolutely love to have them on display one day.”

She added: “It may be that one of the family knew that the banners were there but we had no idea of their existence until just recently when we unravelled them.”

Scott, author of classics such as Waverley and Ivanhoe, was interested in military history and collected many relics.

Rob Roy’s gun and Montrose’s sword are among the items on display at Abbotsford.

Scott was allowed on to the battlefield at Waterloo and took three French and one English banner, some of which have bullet holes through them.

Inspired by the battle, he wrote a poem The Field Of Waterloo.

Abbotsford is full of souvenirs Scott collected throughout his life and was first opened to the public in 1833, five months after his death.

It is run by the Abbotsford Trust, which must raise around £10m to fully restore the house.

The Battle of Waterloo took place in Belgium on 18 June 1815 and saw a French army of 124,000 men led by Napoleon fight the armies of six nations.

The 97,000-strong British-Dutch army was led by the Duke of Wellington and another 117,000 men were led by Field-Marshal Blucher, a Prussian.

After eight hours, the battle ended in defeat for the French.