AMERICAN MERCHANT LINE[S].

The Winchester-period flag is a diagonal bicolour from upper hoist to lower fly, red over blue, with white “AML” overall. American Farmer’s 1924 photograph confirms the funnel. Rosanoski presumed that this flag continued after the 1929 sale until the post-1931 adoption of the United States Lines eagle pattern.

In the eagle pattern, letters identified the United States Lines subsidiary managing a vessel; this practice appears to have ceased in the 1930s. Brown 1934 and Loughran show black charges and an eagle with wing tips downwards. Rosanoski suggested that black might reflect confusion with dark blue and questioned whether commercial eagles had to use that wing position.