Beschreibung:

ISRAEL] PALESTINE, END OF BRITISH RULE. Union Jack flown over the harbor-master's office at Haifa, Palestine, and lowered at 2:30 p.m., 30 June 1948 to mark the end of the evacuation of the British forces in Palestine, and the end of British rule. Blue, white and red cotton fabric, machine sewn in the familiar Union Jack design, 4 ft. 2 in. x 9 ft. 7 in., one edge with original canvas strip and three grommets, portion of original rope and clip attachment present, several tears, one old repair, other slight defects, but generally in good unfaded condition. THE END OF THE BRITISH MANDATE: THE LAST UNION JACK TO FLY OVER PALESTINE As a lone bugler sounded the general salute on June 1948, this historic flag was lowered from Haifa's port offices, formally signifying the end of thirty-one years of British rule in Palestine. Eric Downton, special correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, reported: "The last soldier to leave was Lt.-Gen. G.H.A. MacMillan...After watching the Commando troops cast off, the curtain came down on 31 years of British administration here. The Holy Land was without a single British soldier for the first time since Allenby's victorious campaign in 1917...Men of the Royal Marine Commando covered the movement by holding a perimeter around the docks, while...tanks stood on guard." Finally, Cyril Marriott, the British Consul General, shook hands with MacMillan, who commented "It is a rather historic moment" (clipping). "No incident marred these final hours," Downton reported, "and there was smooth co-operation with the Jewish officials as police and employees of the State of Israel took over the docks. On the flagpole where the Union Jack was ceremoniously hauled down, the Israeli emblem, the blue Star of David on a white field, was raised this afternoon." According to a letter present from the son of Marriot, the flag "was handed by Marine Joseph Noakes to...MacMillan, who gave it for safe-keeping to the American Consul, requesting him to hand it in due time to my father..." Marriott took the Union Jack back to England with him. The lot is accompanied by a binder of clippings, photographs, pamphlets and ephemera relating to the career of Marriot, 45 pieces, 1915-1937, a binder containing two photographs of the present flag being lowered and numerous clippings on the event and the flag. Provenance : Lieutenant General G.H.E. MacMillan, General Officer Commanding Palestine, last British Officer to embark from Palestine on 30 June 1948 -- British Consul General C.H.A. Marriott (1897-1977) -- The present owner.