Last modified: 2025-03-08 by rob raeside
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The Canadian government issued flags for two of the campaigns during World War I. The fifth campaign was the first to issue a flag bearing the 9-province arms. The five blue diagonal stripes represent the campaign - in this case the 5th. The sixth campaign used in lieu of the stripes the British Union flag and coincided with a visit by the Prince of Wales to Canada, which is why the campaign used his image in the poster Pascal cited.
According to Fraser
[fra98], there were 9 loan campaigns in the
Second World War - and beginning with the fifth campaign there was also not
only campaign flags for locales, but also campaign broad pennants for
companies where employes subscribed to the loan campaign, both augmented when
the community or company went over the quota.
Phil Nelson, 18 December 2005
![[Victory Loan Flag]](../images/c/ca_vlww1.jpg)
image by Dave Martucci, 26 June 2010
Canada 5th Victory Loan Honour Flag 1918. Note the peculiar order of the 9
province badge. This flag was awarded when the recipient met 100% of their
assigned goal.
Dave Martucci, 26 June 2010
![[Victory Loan Flag]](../images/c/ca_vlww1c.jpg)
image by Dave Martucci, 26 June 2010
The flag could be augmented with a Royal Crown to be sewn
on anywhere for each 25% raised over the assigned goal. This image is based
on an actual flag that still exists.
Dave Martucci, 26 June 2010
![[Victory Loan Flag]](../images/c/ca_vlpow.jpg)
image by Dave Martucci, 26 June 2010
The Prince of Wales Victory Loan
Honour Flag 1919. The awarding was done in the same manner as the 1918 flag.
Instead of crowns, the augmentation badge was a "feather" or a "plume" as
described in the news accounts of the day. Probably this was a representation
of the crest or part of the crest that shows the three feathers originally
used by the Black Prince. I have no image of this badge.
Dave Martucci, 26 June 2010
This campaign coincided with the presence of the
Prince of Wales, and used his arms on the flag. The post-War campaign was
designed to raise funds to pay for the cost of World War I.
Phil Nelson, 18 December 2005
This flag is shown at the Ontario Archives
Peter Johnson, 3 August 2008
![[Victory Loan Flag]](../images/c/ca_vlpow).jpg)
image by Dave Martucci, 26 June 2010
Detail of the
(incorrect) Prince of Wales Arms used on the flag. Note the Arms of Saxony
used here as an inescutcheon, which were no longer used by the Prince of
Wales at this time.
Dave Martucci, 26 June 2010
![[Victory Loan Flag]](../images/c/ca_vlpow-ph.jpg)
A photograph of the actual flag was posted on https://www.ebay.com/itm/316341968701
![[Victory Loan Flag]](../images/c/ca_vlf1919-6.jpg)
image provided by Zach Hartwell, 9 August 2011
I have acquired several news clippings about this flag and one other image
with the augmentation of the "plumes" as described in the clippings. Here's how
it worked in 1919 (which is different than WWII): an entity (usually a
municipality, county, or major employer) was given a quota to meet by the local
Victory Loan Committee (who in turn were given a total to raise for their
district). When the entity reached their quota they got a flag. For every 25%
above the quota they got a "plume" to sew on the flag. So this flag shows
whoever was awarded this flag raised 250% of their quota.
Dave Martucci,
10 August 2011
Below are images of the nine Canadian Victory Loan Honour flags of World War
II. Note the following. Although always described as having a red bordure, in
practice after the 3rd Loan the bordure was just on three sides, with no red
bordure at the hoist. These flags were awarded upon making a pledge and were
used to raise the funds to fulfill that pledge. Upon raising 100% of the pledge,
a white pennant with red bordures at the top and bottom with the appropriate
badge in the center was awarded and flown beneath the honour flag. For each 25%
above the pledge, a blue pennant with the badge was awarded and flown beneath
that (although I have seen one 2nd loan pennant that was red with white bordures
at the top and bottom and the Maple Leaf in Blue). In addition, for the 5th,
6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th loans, there was a distinctive "V" flag for industry. (I
have seen some variants of these as well.)
Dave Martucci, 26 June 2010
![[Victory Loan Flag]](../images/c/ca_vl1.gif)
image by Dave Martucci, 26 June 2010
This was a Canadian flag of the early 1940s
connected with raising money for the war effort. It was the first in a series of
nine Pledge Flags, each with a different badge, that were used in promoting the
Victory Loan campaign.
David Prothero, 27 September 2001
![[Victory Loan Flag]](../images/c/ca_vl2.gif)
image by Dave Martucci, 26 June 2010
![[Victory Loan Flag]](../images/c/ca_vl3.gif)
image by Dave Martucci, 26 June 2010
![[Victory Loan Flag]](../images/c/ca_vl3.jpg)
An example of a Third Campaign flag, located by William Garrison, 7
September 2015
[Click on image for larger version]
A 1940s WWII flag that hung outside a Halifax, Nova Scotia, business to show
that they were active in the Victory Loan campaign during WWII. Measures over
8.5 feet in length and over 4’ in width.
William Garrison, 7
September 2015
![[Victory Loan Flag]](../images/c/ca_vl4.gif)
image by Dave Martucci, 26 June 2010
![[Victory Loan Flag]](../images/c/ca_vl5.gif)
image by Dave Martucci, 26 June 2010
![[Victory Loan Flag]](../images/c/ca_vl6.gif)
image by Dave Martucci, 26 June 2010
![[Victory Loan Flag]](../images/c/ca_vl7.gif)
image by Eugene Ipavec and Martin Grieve, 9 August 2008Alistair B. Fraser's online
The Flags of Canada, Chapter VIII: National Flags of Occasion
states the Seventh loan started 23 Oct 1944. "Badge: flaming sword over a 7 on a shield".
A bit further on, Fraser describes the accompanying "broad pennant".
Jan Mertens, 3 August 2008
The image lacks the fly border because, in the eBay
photo I sent serving as a model, that part of the flag remained out of sight.
Jan Mertens, 26 June 2010
![[Victory Loan Flag]](../images/c/ca_vl8.gif)
David Prothero, 11 April 2004
This one was for the eighth campaign of 23 April
1945.
David Prothero, 11 April 2004
![[Victory Loan Flag]](../images/c/ca_vl9.gif)
image by Dave Martucci, 26 June 2010
A photo of a large
Ninth Campaign flag is available.
Dave Robinson, 7 February 2021
