Michaelhouse School restores historic South African war flag
A historic flag used at the unveiling of South Africa’s National War Memorial in France, is being restored at Michaelhouse School
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KWA-ZULU NATAL private school, Michaelhouse School, is restoring a historic flag used at the unveiling of South Africa’s National War Memorial in France, preserving a vital piece of the country’s war history.
The flag, which once flew prominently over the school's Memorial Hall, is one of only two that were used during the unveiling of South Africa’s National War Memorial at Delville Wood in France, a site dedicated to honouring the brave South Africans who made the ultimate sacrifice during the First World War.
The memorial at Delville Wood is a national memorial dedicated to all South Africans who served in all areas of conflict in the war. Delville Wood is the only memorial dedicated to the participation of the South African Forces on the 1914 to 1918 western front.
The flag is currently undergoing restoration to preserve its historical integrity.
According to the school, both flags were given to South African author and politician, Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, whose daughter Mrs J.P. Mackie Niven later inherited. She gave one to Michaelhouse, where her three sons attended, and one to St Andrew's College, in Grahamstown, which her three brothers attended.
The flag previously flew over Michaelhouse, in the midlands, on commemorative days and was restored in 1974, and placed in the Memorial Hall in November 1977.
Murray Witherspoon, Michaelhouse director of marketing and admissions, said the flag was currently being restored in the school archives - a purpose-built facility for housing school relics.
The facility is temperature and humidity controlled and is fire and waterproof.
"Before this project the flag stood prominently in our Memorial Hall (currently our senior dining hall) for at least 45 years.
"The Memorial Hall is a magnificent building completed in the late-mid 1920s to commemorate the many Michaelhouse Old Boys who fell during the first World War. The building was also the 'final piece' completing the school's main quadrangle. Many of the buildings at Michaelhouse, although possibly not symbolic, span as much as 125 years," said Witherspoon.