Milestone Auctions will ring in the new year with a Saturday, Jan. 18, Premier Military Sale that commands collector attention throughout its 705 high-quality, well-provenanced lots. The 250-year timeline starts in the 18th century with coveted Revolutionary War items and progresses to the modern-war era. Significant sections are devoted to Civil War (Confederate and Union) and WWII/Nazi relics, including important uniform groupings, helmets, flags, medals and insignia, photographs, and a comprehensive array of military swords, knives, daggers and katanas. All forms of bidding, in-person and remote, will be available for this auction, which will be webcast live from Milestones gallery. Leading the selection of WWII Axis artifacts is a massive handsewn Imperial Japanese flag IDd to the Battleship Nagato. It was recovered from the Nagato captains quarters during the Occupation of Japan by U.S. Navy veteran Neil Huntington, who served on the USS Texas. The frayed edge on one side suggests the flag may well have been flown on the Nagato, but it also stands apart from other Japanese flags because it bears the signatures of several American POWs who signed it aboard the USS Texas enroute to the States. Accompanied by Huntingtons photo album and documents pertaining to his military service, the lot will be offered with a $30,000-$60,000 estimate. Parades and pageantry were part of the Nazi propaganda campaign, and no expense was spared when it came to the creation of standartes (flags or banners) used at events. The auction includes a rarity, a double-sided WWII Nazi regimental swallowtail standarte (flag/banner). The standarte is intricately hand-embroidered with eagles in relief, silver bullion wire oak and laurel leaves, and hand-applied silver wire edging. The silk fabric is of a particular shade of red that denotes the artillery branch of the German army. In excellent-plus condition and one of very few known survivors of its type, it is expected to sell for $25,000-$35,000. Another standarte is known to have been used by Adolf Hitler during public appearances. The double-sided wool banner is a full 10 feet square and was handpainted by artists at its place of manufacture. It displays pristine condition with a bright red border stamped Fuhrer, gold wreath and eagle imagery, and a tab marked FIB, Pola (Fuhrer Political Flag). This estate piece is accompanied by two different photos of the flag as displayed in Nuremberg at the KongressHalle, a coliseum where Nazis held large rallies. Possibly the largest official Hitler flag in existence, it is estimated at $15,000-$25,000. Also from World War II, Milestone is pleased to offer a stellar U.S. Naval grouping directly linked to Rear Admiral William Clayton Butler Jr., recipient of the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service. Both the jacket (with medal bar) and trousers are name-identified to the admiral. Accompanied by a framed array of medals, a photo of Admiral Butler, photocopies of his service records, and a signed affidavit stating the medals are the ones he wore during the war, this lot has been assigned a $3,000-$5,000 estimate. The many collectors of wartime flight jackets will find a rare treasure in this sale, a WWII A-2-patched flight jacket for U.S. 1st Combat Cargo Group, 1st Squadron, worn by aviator J.B. Bass. The U.S. 1st CCG was well known for flying dangerous supply missions within Asian combat zones. Basss jacket is impressively decorated with several fantastic China-Burma-India Theater leather insignias, including a large American Flag and blood chit on the back. It was made in 1936, suggesting Bass may have been an early member of the Army Air Corps. Approximately one dozen lots represent rare and coveted Civil War Confederate weapons and other antiques. A well-preserved original Confederate sword made by Thomas Leech (Memphis, Tenn.) is of a type that was known as a floating CS staff and field officers sword. Its 30-inch blade is identified with the engraved name, Lieut. W. B. Spencer 31st, Regt. Tenn. Vols. Fresh-to-the-market, this desirable, recent discovery comes to auction with a $10,000-$15,000 estimate. Other Confederate entries of note include foot soldier, cavalry and short swords; a writing desk named to Captain Julius H. Norton with assorted documents from the 4th Arkansas Cavalry; a snare drum painted with the National Flags of the Confederacy; a key-wind engineers pocket watch; and a 2nd Mississippi IDd snuff box. Milestones gallery is located at 38198 Willoughby Parkway, Willoughby (suburban Cleveland), Ohio. The sale will begin at 10 a.m. ET with all forms of remote bidding available, including live via the internet through Milestones own bidding platform, LiveAuctioneers, or Invaluable. For additional information, call 440-527-8060 or visit www.milestoneauctions.com. All images courtesy of Milestone Auctions.