A U.S. 48-STAR ENSIGN OF THE SUBMARINE, U.S.S. JALLAO.
Machine stitched cotton flag with white canvas heading featuring wartime gromets, 58 x 89 inches, with Dettra Flag Company stamp to heading.
Provenance: Made at the Dettra Flag Company, Oaks, PA, 1943/44; used aboard the USS Jallao, 1944/45; kept aboard as a memento of WWII service until decommissioning, 1974; retained by Seaman John Bayley as a memento until 1990s; sold to The War Museum of New York City, 1990s; sold Bonhams, New York, to Zaricor Flag Collection, 2013.

The submarine U.S.S. Jallao, named for a particularly deadly predatory fish common to the Gulf of Mexico, was launched in March of 1944 and commissioned in July of that year. After additional training she departed on her maiden war patrol on 9 October 1944 and joined a US Navy 'wolf-pack' nicknamed 'Clarey's Crushers' in the fall of 1944. The Jallao participated in the Battle for Leyte Gulf and Battle of Cape Engano. In the aftermath of the latter engagement, the Jallao sank the Japanese light cruiser Tama. Her successful first war patrol concluded at Majuro, the US Navy's large forward base in the Marshall Islands, on 10 December 1944. She participated in three other war patrols before she was decommissioned in 1946, then recommissioned between 1953 and 1974, at which point she was sold to the Spanish Royal Navy.

This flag is a commercially made cotton flag with wartime grommets. It was likely acquired by private purchase by the Jallao for use when entering or leaving port as it is much larger than the US ensigns commonly displayed by boats and would only have been used for more ceremonial entrances or departures. It was likely stored or displayed on board the Jallao during its later run, and at the sub's decommissioning and sale to Spain, was taken home by Seaman John Bayley as a memento, after which it was acquired by The War Museum of New York, and later sold at Bonhams NYC.