A Yorkshire man has spoken out after shocking residents by flying a German Nazi navy flag outside of his home.
The flag, known as the Kriegsmarine, was displayed outside a home in North Yorkshire next to a flag bearing the White Ensign and the Naval Poppy which both represent the British Royal Navy. The flags were erected together on Friday, May 27 but people living nearby have expressed their concern after a picture of the flags was shared on social media.
However, the man who flew them has explained to Yorkshire Live that he is a flag enthusiast and regularly erects a wide range of flags outside of his Harrogate home to mark different occasions. He stated that May 27 was the anniversary of the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck during the Second World War - it resulted in the death of 2,000 German soldiers.
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The event took place only three days after the Royal Navy battlecruiser HMS Hood was sunk by the Bismark during the Battle of the Denmark Strait in 1941. "That's what it was in memory of. My father fought in the Second World War and as a naval tradition you show respect to your enemy as well as your own flag," the man explained.
"There was no intention of causing any offence to anyone. It's not glorifying war, it's commemorating it. It was a matter of showing respect. I would have thought people would have understood that with the poppy being flown at the same time."
Despite this, many who saw the picture did not know the context and social media was flooded with thousands of comments, with some stating it was "shocking and upsetting" to see. The 57-year-old, who wished to remain anonymous, said the police visited him on Sunday due to some complaints that were made.
Officers came to see the man twice more later on in the day as they were "concerned about threat" and came over once again on Monday morning. The main further explained that he had an interest in flags throughout his whole life and has been erecting them outside his home for a few years.
Reporters from Yorkshire Live visited the mans home on Monday and spotted he had three flags flying to commemorate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. He had also previously flown an NHS flag during the pandemic and an American flag during Independence Day.
Now, he adds a notice outside of his home to explain what the flags represent, hoping to clear up any confusion in the future. Talking about the controversy over the Nazi navy flag, the man said: "I'm surprised it would cause that much offence when I have given enough information. Going forward that flag won't be flown again.
"I'm the opposite to what that flag was intended for. I would classify myself as a pacifist, not a war monger. It had nothing to do with politics or anything like that, it was more to lighten up people's day when they go past and see a flag.
"If people ask what the flags are for I'm more than happy to explain."
The man stated he was now on the search for a more modern Kreigsmarine flag that doesn't feature a swastika, however, if he can't find one he will alter the flag to remove the swastika before flying it again in the future. The man's neighbours were more sympathetic to him, with one woman called Laura saying he was a "really nice guy" and that his flags had brightened up the community by bringing a "bit more colour".
However, some others were a bit less sympathetic, with one woman who saw the flag saying it was "a bit strange" while another neighbour said: "I think it was silly mistake to be honest."
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