BRITISH UNION OF FASCIST BANNER AND BANNER TOP.

In all of our 50 years in handling items of military and political memorabilia we have only ever managed to obtain three of the British Union of Fascist banners and have never been able to obtain the banner top. This British Union of Fascists banner top measuring 50cm across the name box and 43cm from the base of the box to the point of the spear top. During the post WWI period the rise of fascism across Europe accelerated, it started firstly in Italy with Benito Mussolini’s march on Rome in 1922 with, at the same time, the fledgling NSDAP in Germany was growing in strength. In 1922 a sketch was made in Germany of the soon to be called The Deutschland Erwache Standard, the sketch in itself was possibly a copy of what the fascist Italians were already using, which they in turn had copied from the Roman legions. This British Union of Fascist banner top is a direct copy of those two nations political parties banner tops. Many images can be seen of this banner and banner top being used on marches in and around Great Britain by Sir Oswald Mosely’s British Union of Fascists, most notable is the 1937 march in London which can be seen in moving images on You Tube where the banner bearer is leading the march. On the outbreak of WWII Sir Oswald Mosely and his wife both the leaders of the BUF and other notable BUF officials were interned in the Isle of Man. After WWII the British Union, as it was then known, was reborn and these banners and banner tops were used again until the early 1950’s. Where and who by these banner tops and banners were made is unknown, it is estimate that no more than 60 were ever completed, the BUF did have one particular company that sourced a lot of their insignia and badges. The top and box are made of aluminium and constructed in a fashion very closely following the German name boxes on their Deautschland Erwache standards, but the British Union boxes were in a heavier material, the pole ends and below for suspending the banner itself are plated steel fittings a good degree of the plating still remaining although lifting in places, with the interim poles being in wood. The banner itself 82cm x 63cm that was hung from the pole of the banner top. The Red ribbed material backing cloth with applied laurel leaf with the central British Union of Fascist device of a white lightning bolt. The banner is edged with blue and white coloured thread tassels. The reverse has a plain backing cloth. The 8 suspension straps are all complete and are secured with two press studs to each loop. The banner has seen much service and it is with some slight discoloration of flooding of colour from the red backing material onto the white laurel leaf circlet to the centre, also minor staining of service wear but no damage, the wood pole is non contemporary. A Fabulous item of British Political history. More extensive, extra images can be seen on our new Premium website, type in regimentalsmilitaria.co.uk in to your web browser.

Code: 95642