Sunday, November 11, 2018

Kentucky WWI


This is a Service flag or Service banner, also called the Blue Star Flag or Mother's War Banner. It is machine-stitched, and it is made of wool bunting with a canvas header. The banner has a white field with a 12-inch wide red border. The white field is made of two vertical segments of fabric that are stitched together down the center. There is an appliquéd blue star at the top center of the field with blue appliquéd "103,000" below the star. In the center of the field, there is red appliquéd letters that read, "WWI / KENTUCKY." The bottom half of the field has a yellow or gold star appliquéd onto the field with a gold number "3,200" appliquéd below the star. The red border is made of four panels of fabric stitched to the field. The seams are stitched with white thread. This banner has a canvas header with a rope strung through the sleeve. The rope is stitched in place. The rope is looped on the right end and a 30-inch segment of rope hangs off the left side of the banner. On the back of the right side of the header, there is an inscription that reads, "KY. CHAPTER / AMERICAN WAR MOTHERS / 1927."

Size is 74" x 48.5"

The numbers on the banner apparently means 103,000 Kentuckians served in World War I and 3,200 died.  These figures might not be correct - see https://www.abmc.gov/news-events/news/hometown-boys-kentucky-information-and-statistics-about-wwi-service-members


The above is Courtesy of Kentucky Historical Society.

As for Ohio County, my search found the following:

D.W. = Died of Wounds
D.D. = Died of Disease
D.A. = Died of Accident
K.A. = Killed in Action
W.A. = Wounded in Action

No comments:

Post a Comment