Sandgate Flag Display 2015: WW1 Allies Remembered

The 2015 Sandgate High Street and Esplanade flag display commemorates just a few of the countries which were Britain's allies in the 1914-18 war, incliding Australia, Belgium, British India, Canada, France, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal and South Africa as well as our own British Union flag.

The Major Allied Forces were The British Empire (including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, New Foundland, Union of South Africa and India), The Republic of France, and the Russian Empire, formally linked by the Treaty of London of 5th September, 1914.

Other nations that had been, or came to be, allied by treaty to one or more of these powers were also called 'Allies': Portugal and Japan by treaty with Britain; Italy by the Treaty of London of 26th April, 1915 with all three powers.

Other nations - including the United States of America following its formal entry into the war of 6th April 1917 - that gathered against the "Central Powers" were called "Associated Powers", not "Allied Powers"; Woodrow Wilson, the President of the United States, emphasised this distinction to indicate America's independence.

The Treaty of Versailles of 1919 which formalised the end of WW1 listed 27 "Allied and Associated Powers": Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, British Empire (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, New Foundland, Union of South Africa and India), China, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Ecuador, France, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Hejaz, Honduras, Italy, Japan, Liberia, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serb-Croat-Slovene State, Siam, United States of America & Uruguay.

Sandgate has has a High Street flag display every year since 2012 and the visit of the Olympic Torch on its journey to the London Olympics. This year's display was funded by a Shepway District Council's Cabinet Members' Fund to Sandgate Parish Council.

Chairman of Sandgate Parish Council, Robert Bliss, said:

"We have been flying flags through the village for the past three years, each year with a different focus. Last year, we flew Union, French and special commemorative WW1 flags; this year, we wanted to include many more WW1 allies. We have received many compliments on the display; especially on how attractive they are along The Esplanade."

The display looks even better this year as the flags are flying from newly re-painted lampposts, another project under the Cabinet Members' Fund.