Original U.S. WWII Burial Flag of KIA Tail Gunner Sergeant Marvin Thrower Wilson, 754th Bomb Squadron “Ford’s Folly” in Original Shipping Box - 5 x 9½ Feet

Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is a tremendous piece of WWII history, the burial flag of a WWII KIA Soldier, sent in its original shipping box from France. This is the flag of Sergeant Marvin Thrower Wilson, 754th Bombardment Squadron, 458th Bombardment Group, 2nd Air Force. On March 3rd, 1944, he was on the crew of the B-24H-15-FO Liberator #42-52515 "Ford's Folly" during a mission to Berlin when they were hit with flak and exploded over Lake Glindow, Werder, Germany. Of the crew of 10, 8 were killed or missing while 2 were captured and held as POWs.

Enlisting in February 1942, Wilson volunteered to be an aerial gunner, and won his wings at Tyndall Field, Florida in January 1943. Assigned as a B-24 Tail Gunner, he was sent to England in February 1944, being killed in action over Berlin the following month, having previously been reported as Missing in Action.

The flag was sent via post to Wilson’s mother, Irene T. Wilson, with a card in the box denoting the flag as her son’s burial flag. The box measures 8½ x 10 x 3½”. The original label is mostly retained.

The flag has a Philadelphia Quartermaster marking with the size, 5 x 9½ feet. It’s in great shape overall.

This is a fantastic piece named to a tail gunner killed in action in 1944, one of the first burial flags we have offered. This piece should be well preserved and maybe even framed, or just displayed with its box. Ready for further research and display.