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Battle Damaged U.S. Flag Flown on PT-520 "Coral Queen" During the Invasion of France, June 6 Through August 25, 1944 Belonging...
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Description
Battle Damaged U.S. Flag Flown on PT-520 "Coral Queen" During the Invasion of France, June 6 Through August 25, 1944 Belonging to Crewmember Seaman 1st Class J. G. Marcantonio. James G. Marcantonio was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on October 29, 1926. He joined in the Navy in November, 1943 and after his initial training was sent to Melville, Rhode Island for PT boat training. Upon graduation he sailed to England, arriving in Liverpool June 1, 1944. The Navy, wasting no time, assigned the young seaman to PT-520 attached to RON 35 on June 5, 1944. The boat's commanding officer gave him a brief tour of the boat and he "was told where to stand (he was a loader), where to sleep, and do as I was told." Still in port on June 6, the boat left about midnight assigned to patrol an area from Ile du Large to the Mason Line two to three miles off the coast of Omaha and Utah beaches, minesweeping, watching for Germans dropping mines, flares, etc. Marcantonio recounts seeing many bodies in the water on their patrol saving as many as they could. On June 8, the 520 proceeded to pick up survivors from the USS Rich (DE-695) sunk by a mine off the Normandy coast. The boat continued service in the area until August, in which time they rescued a downed pilot and had engagements with German E-Boats and other patrol craft. Marcantonio kept a contemporary log book (included with the lot) with daily and sometimes hourly entries, the first entry dated November 18, 1943 the last February 21, 1945. All the items in this lot come directly from James Marcantonio and include: 1.) 48-star flag removed from PT-520 after an engagement with a German R or E boat on August 25, 1944 just after midnight. The log entry reads: "Disengaged the enemy sustained a hit on the starboard side at about frame number 2 and 3 just below the main deck. She was apparently a 40 m.m. high explosive projectile. Radar antenna was also hit by fragments." The boat returned to base and at 21.06 hours Marcantonio notes in his log "Colors. Damages repaired." In a more recent document which is also included with the flag Marcantonio elaborated that "This is when and where J.J. Salerno, J.E. Tallon Q.M. 2nd class changed our damaged flag, it was on the antenna. Actually, I was told I was going to be promoted to boatman in the future so I was given the flag to dispose of. I kept it." The wool flag measures approximately 30 x 55-inches (corresponding to flag size 11); the canton 22 x 18-inches; with 1 ½-inch tall stars, 2 ¾-inch wide stripes. The hoist is about 1 ½-inches wide with grommets at each end. A 1-inch hole with some obvious scorching around it has just clipped the hoist end about 8-inches below the upper grommet with four additional small holes in the canton. There are no readily visible marks on the hoist end, though a black light inspection revealed some areas of interest. 2.) Marcantonio's log book, 5 ¼ x 8-inches, bound in green cloth. The cover has been titled in hand with black ink "Torpedo Log P.T. 520". The entries are written in green ink on lined pages. As stated, the entries date from November 18, 1943 until February 21, 1945. There are several accounts of engagements with German E and R Boats, in fact the rear endpaper of the log has an illustration showing 5 destroyed German boats of varying types. 3.) A nine-page typed transcript of the log with additional reminiscences by Marcantonio including a crew roster, etc. 4.) 15 original black and white photographs, taken mainly during Marcantonio's service with PT-250, the "Impatient Virgin", after being transferred to the Pacific where he spent the remainder of the war.Condition: 1.) Excellent. Besides the battle damage, the flag shows only honest use, with some toning to the white areas. 2.) Very good. 3.) Very good. 4.) Very good.
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