Third Reich War Flag, Stalag 383 : Corporal F W Clear, 2/7 Battalion

Printed Third Reich war flag in a coarse open-weave cotton. Set on a red field is a black edged white central disc with a black and white edged swastika centrally located. This sits over a symmetric cross in black with a black and white border which divides the flag into four fields. The canton is charged with a black Iron Cross emblem. Both top and bottom lengths have been reinforced with six rows of red cotton stitching.

Flag associated with the service of VX7167 Corporal Francis (Frank) William Clear, 2/7 Battalion. Clear, born 13 July 1917, of Walbundrie, NSW enlisted at Wangaratta on 29 November 1939 and served with 2/7 Battalion in the Middle East, Libya and Greece, where he was captured by the Germans. He spent the next four years in POW camps before being liberated from Stalag 383 at Hohenfels, near Regensburg, Bavaria by advancing American forces. Relating the circumstances under which he obtained the flag, Clear states: 'I spent 4 years in POW camps, the last 2 in Stalag 383. I had on many occasions looked up at the hated flag and vowed that someday I would piss on the bloody thing. On 19 April 1945, a friend, POW Jack Ellis of Sydney and I got through to the American lines, [and] returned with the Americans to capture the POW camp. Jack Ellis got the flag, threw it at my feet and said 'OK, Clear, here is your chance!' I did not carry out my vow, instead deciding to keep it, carried it right across Germany, Luxembourg and France in an Opal car we 'borrowed' in Parsberg. We sold the car on the Black Market in Paris.' Corporal Clear returned to Australia soon after and was discharged on 18 January 1946. The flag is somewhat shorter than when originally made, the fly end being mended with a contemporary repair (resulting in rounded corners), and the hoist end torn down its entire length, probably by Jack Ellis when he removed the flag.