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Nazi flag with a swastika and a Galgenhof district patch taken by a US soldier

Object | Accession Number: 2005.561.1 a-b

Nazi flag and flag ring taken by Paul Carey, 21, an American soldier, from a flag pole with an NSBO flag topper (2005.561.2) in Nuremberg Stadium after the city fell to Allied forces on April 20, 1945. The flag represented Galgenhof, a district of Nuremberg. Carey was a member of the 831 Quartermaster Gas Supply Co. on detachment with the 3rd and 45th Infantry. His unit arrived in Nuremberg on April 16, 1945. After four days of fierce fighting, the heavily defended city was captured. Carey was among the first group of soldiers to return home after the war ended on May 7, 1945.

Date
found:  1945 April 16-1945 April 20
Geography
found: Nuremberg (Germany)
Classification
Identifying Artifacts
Category
Flags
Object Type
Flags (lcsh)
Credit Line
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Melissa Carey-Lopez

About This Object

Physical Description
a. Double-sided, rectangular red cloth flag. Both sides of the flag have a black swastika within a white circle machine sewn to the center. A black rectangular cloth patch with a heavy white cord piping border is attached on both sides in the upper-corner, hoist side. German text is chain stitched with white thread within the patch. A metal clip is attached to the hoist edge and 5 metal rings are attached along the side of the hoist edge by cloth loops. The second ring (2005.561.1b) from the bottom is not attached. Silverish metallic fringe is attached to 3 sides of the flag.
b. Circular, silver colored plain metal ring, detached from the hoist side of the flag.
Dimensions
a: Height: 51.500 inches (130.81 cm) | Width: 53.250 inches (135.255 cm)
b: Height: 0.375 inches (0.953 cm) | Diameter: 1.500 inches (3.81 cm)
Materials
a : cloth, metal, thread
b : metal
Inscription
a. front, hoist edge, upper corner, inside patch, chain stitched, white thread : Nbg- / Galgenhof / 8 [Nuremberg- / Galgenhof / 8]
a. back, hoist edge, upper corner, inside patch, chain stitched, white thread : Nbg- / Galgenhof / 8 [Nuremberg- / Galgenhof / 8]
Contributor
Subject: Paul M. Carey
Biography
Paul Moseley Carey was born on February 28, 1924, in Washington, DC. After graduating high school, he joined the United States Army. He was assigned to the 831 Quartermaster Gas Supply Co. as a Private First Class and served on the front lines in Europe during World War II. In the spring of 1945, Paul was on detachment with the 3rd US Infantry and the 45th US Infantry divisions, which were assigned to the XV Corps. On April 16, 1945, these and other US Army units reached Nuremberg, Germany. After four days of heavy fighting against a well entrenched and motivated enemy, the city was captured by American forces on April 20th. Germany surrendered on May 7th, 1945. Paul was one of the first 200 US servicemen sent home after the war based on service points. Troop demobilization followed a plan whereby individual soldiers were assigned points for length of service, time overseas, time in combat, number of wounds, and number of children at home. Paul married Sally in 1952 and they settled in Virginia and had four children. Paul passed away, age 84, on September 15, 2008.

Keywords and Subjects

Administrative History

Legal Status
Permanent Collection
Provenance
The Nazi flag was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2005 by Melissa Carey-Lopez, the daughter of Paul M. Carey.

Rights and Restrictions

Conditions on Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions on Use
No restrictions on use

 
Record last modified: 2023-06-01 07:08:30
This page: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn523388

Also in Paul M. Carey collection

The collection consists of artifacts relating to the experiences of Paul M. Carey in Germany while serving with the United States Army during World War II.

Date: 1945 April 16-1945 April 20

Silver flagpole ornament with the NSBO Nazi trade union emblem taken by a US soldier

Silver flagpole ornament with the NSBO Nazi trade union emblem taken by a US soldier

Object

NSBO (Nationalsozialistische Betriebszellen-Organisation: National Socialist Industrial Cell Organization) flag pole decoration removed by Paul Carey, 21, an American soldier, from a flag pole with a Nazi flag (2005.561.1) in Nuremberg Stadium around April 20, 1945. NSBO was the Nazi Party organization that took over the trade unions in Germany after they were outlawed on May 2, 1933. Carey was assigned to the 831 Quartermaster Gas Supply Co., attached to the 3rd and 45 Infantry. His unit arrived in Nuremberg, Germany, on April 16, 1945. After four days of fierce fighting, the heavily defended city was captured. Carey was among the first group of soldiers to return home after the war ended on May 7, 1945.

View All 2 Items in the Collection