A historic stars and stripes flag hastily made for the burial of American soldiers on a Scottish island during WWI is returning home after a century away.
The star spangled banner was hand-stitched by quilters on the island of Islay in the Inner Hebrides in 1918 following the tragic sinking of a British troopship.
The SS Tuscania sank after being hit by a torpedo from a German U-boat seven miles off Islay. Along with British servicemen and crew, some American soldiers who were on board died.
The ship was loaded with around 2,000 men and women making their way from New York to the north of France at the time, including the 210 crew and soldiers.
Many of the dead washed up on Islay’s shores.
The flag was made so American soldiers who died after the sinking could be buried with honor under their own flag.
It was made by Jessie McLellan, Mary Cunningham, Catherine McGregor, Mary Armour, and John McDougall—who worked through the night at Islay House to complete it.
They finished the stitching around 2 a.m. just ahead of the first American funeral held on Islay.
The flag was later sent to President Woodrow Wilson and is now in the collections of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington D.C.
It will return to the Islay ahead of the WW100 Scotland National Day of Remembrance—held on Islay on May 4.
Jenni Minto, of the Museum of Islay Life, said she is delighted the flag will return home for the 100-year commemorations.
“Islay and Jura lost over 200 of their own men in WW I and sadly those families never got the opportunity to bury their own. The sinking of the TUSCANIA and later the OTRANTO, gave the Islanders the opportunity to look after those men, living and dead, as they hoped their own boys would be cared for at land and sea. The making of the flag 100 years ago is symbolic of that and I am delighted that it is to come home to Islay as part of our commemorations,” she said.
Some beautiful photos from today's commemorations on #Islay, marking 100 years since the sinking of the SS Tuscania: https://t.co/M3v5UFzFVw pic.twitter.com/m6BxeOu8iM
— WW100Scotland (@WW100Scotland) February 5, 2018
Richard Kurin, the Smithsonian’s Ambassador at Large, said the flag “embodies an amazing story” and she is “proud” it is returning home to Islay.
Minto continued, saying: “It’s a flag that exemplifies the long-standing bonds between the people of the United States and those of Scotland and the United Kingdom.”
And 100 years on, the ladies of the Islay Quilters have recreated the flag, working at Islay House.
The new replica flag will be used in the commemorative services later this month.
The original flag will be displayed in the Museum of Islay Life in Port Charlotte for the coming months before returning to the United States.
Marian Senior, one of the Islay Quilters team which made the replica flag, said it will be a “privilege” to see the original flag.
“As we sewed, we reflected on what it must have been like on the island 100 years ago, making the flag in the same spot that it was done so long ago but under very different conditions,” she added.
The commemorative service on May 4 will remember the over 200 Islay men who died during WWI.
It will also pay tribute to the 700 U.S. servicemen and British crew members who lost their lives in the sinkings of SS Tuscania and the HMS Otranto in October 1918.
The commemorations will be attended by HRH Princess Royal and Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop.
“World War One had a devastating impact across Scotland with no town or village unaffected,” the MSP said. “Islay and Jura not only lost a significant amount of men for such a small community, they had war brought to their shorelines.”
