Billy Butlin's Nazi flag.

**JERSEY 34** · 02-26-2014, 10:18 AM

I am sure most of you guys will have heard the name Billy Butlin, he was the founder and owner of the famous Butlin Holiday Camps in the UK. He lived here in Jersey Channel Islands with his family. About 10 years or so ago I was at a perty with his son Billy Butlin Jnr. He told me about some of the bits and pieces his father has liberated at the end of the war. So a short while later Billy Jnr came to see me bringing with him the flag pictured in this thread. Obviously I really wanted the flag not only because of the Butlin name attached to it but because its a lovely piece in its own right. Unfortunately by this time Billy Jnr knew he had cancer so I did not push him too much as it did not seem right. A short while later he died and I just left things alone for a few years. I made contact with Billy Jnr's wife around 6 years ago and enquired about the flag and it was not until yesterday that I was asked to visit his widow and we struck a deal on the flag. Billy Jnr was a lovely chap, larger than life and always great fun. He had made his own way in life and was a commercial airline pilot. It always seems that God always takes the wrong ones when he finishes a life early...too early.
I will keep this monster of a flag not only because of Billy Snr's connection, but also because of the Gentleman that was Billy Jnr. I had to attach the flag to the hand rail upstairs and drop it over the top to hang it and it was still touching the floor downstairs
All the best from Jersey,
D.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 02-26-2014 10:18 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**HJ-Collector** · 02-26-2014, 10:46 AM

thats excellent!! and a very nice state service flag!!

**Wagriff** · 02-26-2014, 11:16 AM

A Navy marked State Service flag, no less! And with a connection to Butlin too! I don't blame you-I would never sell it either!

**Scout** · 02-26-2014, 11:30 AM

A little background for the non-Commenwealth forum members:
Billy Butlin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**JERSEY 34** · 02-26-2014, 11:41 AM

I forgot to mention that I also have the luger he brought back with him. Its a working gun which I use occasionally. What is surprising is the fact that he unlike so many others did manage to get a few souvenirs back with him into the country upon his return from Europe. Unlike the American troops who could bring back almost anything with them from the war our British troops were threatened prior to docking in England that if they had anything at all which they were not allowed that they would be sent to the glass house instead of being demobbed. So many hundreds of thousands of bits of German war kit were dumped overboard outside places like Southampton harbour. The pistol is in lovely condition but for some unknown reason has a mis-matched side plate.
D.