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| WWII D-DAY INVASION FLOWN FLAG LST 314 & LT. HENRY OAKES ARCHIVE |
A very significant and extensive grouping of WWII Normandy D-Day Invasion Items, consigned by the Family of D-Day Veteran - United States Navy LT. Henry L. Oakes (August 13, 1900 - November 23, 1973). Oakes was one of the oldest of the Allied Forces to take part in the D-Day Invasion (D-Day 11th Amphibious Force). During his WWII Service, Oakes was awarded 4 Purple Hearts (2 of which are from action in Normandy France) and a Bronze Star. All items within this lot have been in the possession the family since being brought back by Oakes. All were maintained within the Original Military Trunk of Oakes.
The lot includes:
- WWII D-Day Flown Flag of LST 314 (Landing Ship Tank) - Omaha Beach (Red), Invasion of Normandy. This 48 Star Ensign was flown aboard LST 314 on June 6th, 1944 as it took part in Omaha Beach (Red) Operations during the invasion of Normandy (D-Day). It was recovered and kept by Lt. Oakes as he took part in D-Day Operations. Written in black ink (albeit exhibiting some fading, but clearly discernible / legible) by the hand of Lt. Oakes, to Heading of the flag itself, is the following wording: "6th June - 44 LST 314 Red, Beach Normandy, France." Oakes stated to his Family, having removed this flag from LST 314 and then utilizing the flag on the beach to establish a make-shift command post for follow-on beach operations. Following D-Day, Oakes spent weeks on the Beaches of Normandy, where he oversaw varying Beach Operations.
LST 314 was subsequently sunk by German torpedoes on the evening of June 9th, 1944
- Personal Effects of Oakes. All of these items were verbally stated by Oakes to have been used / worn by him personally on D-Day and then in immediate follow-on Beach Operations:
- U.S. Navy Issue Foul Weather Gear
- USN Mk 1 Knife
- U.S. Marked canvas bag (**See Bag Note Below – has hand written chronological list of Oakes’s WWII Service, written by Oakes)
- USN canvas Gas Mask Bag
- 11th Amph. Force 6th N.B.B.
- Feb 43 London - S.H.A.E.F. (Supreme Headquarters,
- Allied Expeditionary Force)
- March 43 - Scotland
- April - May - France
- June 6th 44 - Normandy Beach Head (11th Amph. Force)
- June 17th 44 Cherbourg, France
- July 3rd London - Hosp. 15 Days
- July 19 RI - Ship Trans Com One
- Aug - Home !!
- Other Included Provenance / Items:
- Original photographs (dated 6/20/44) showing Oakes on Normandy Beach following D-Day. Oakes remained on the Beach and surrounding area, following D-Day in support of continued Allied Normandy Beach Operations. Affixed to the back of each photo, is the date of the photo and a typed description of the activities taking place.
- Photograph of Oakes' son and a friend (dated August 1944) taken while Oakes was home on Medical leave after being wounded in France, showing the son and friend wearing some of Oakes' D-Day gear.
- WWII U.S. Navy Officer Visor belonging to and named to Oakes.
- Various Official U.S. Navy Orders, Notices, Notes & Papers relating to Oakes and his service, with dates ranging 1943 through 1947.
- Throughout 1943 and early 1944, Oakes was involved in the installation of anti-torpedo gates in North African Ports, and for this received a Citation from Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal. The Citation letter states "for meritorious achievement as Net and Boom Defense Officer of the U.S.S. Naval Operating Base, Oran, Algeria during a period of almost continual offensive operations against the enemy in the Central and Western Mediterranean in 1943 and 1944....When subsequently placed in charge of the laying and mooring of a net in Andalouse Bay, he supervised the installation of the net in record breaking time despite inadequate personnel and material and, by his ingenuity and unremitting efforts, contributed materially to the effective protection of Allied shipping in these vital ports from underwater attack". Included, is the hand signed Citation letter, as well as the bound Navy issue "Net and Boom Defenses" & "Net" manuals used by Oakes while laying and mooring the nets.
- Newspaper article written about Oakes and his D-Day / WWII Service.
- Stars & Stripes Newspaper (dated Monday, July 17 1944), where on the outside back cover is a lower-left photo of 2 Navy men on the beach in Normandy, and having the caption: "Two Navy Men dive for a foxhole, one losing his helmet, to duck a Nazi plane swooping in for a quick strafe run". And Oakes has noted in pen: "Me!" next to one of the men ducking in to the foxhole.
- Leather German P38 Holster & various German printed publications Oakes picked up in France following D-Day, as the Germans retreated.
- Faded photocopies of Oakes's Navy Separation Papers
- Oakes' Obituary
The Allied Invasion of Normandy on June 6th, 1944 (D-Day), involved nearly 160,000 Allied Troops (half of whom were American). The D-Day Invasion, and the sacrifice of those involved, signaled a turning point in the WWII European theater, and contributed largely to the defeat of Germany.
Only a handful of legitimate D-Day flown flags are known to exist in the market. As such, this grouping, to have the D-Day Flown Flag and the Archive / Personal Items of Oakes makes for an exceptional opportunity to own an incredible piece of history. The depth and comprehensive nature of this grouping is remarkable.
All items in this lot are consigned by the family of LT. Henry Lewis Oakes. All has been in direct possession of the family since being brought back by Oakes. Also included, from the the Consignor, is a signed & Notarized Statement of Authenticity.
READ MORE ABOUT THIS LOT.......
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| WWII D-DAY INVASION FLOWN FLAG LST 314 & LT. HENRY OAKES ARCHIVE |
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