A red, white and blue silk Union Flag, with rope attached at one side. In blue cardboard box with leather label and accompanying letter. King George V recorded in his diary that he presented this flag to Shackleton just before the departure of the Imperial Transantarctic Expedition: ’Recevd Sir Ernest Shackleton & took leave of him, he starts at once for his Antartic [sic] Expedition, I gave him a union jack’. It was flown at various important points during the Endurance expedition, as a spur to morale. It was given back to the King on Shackleton's return from the south, 30 May 1917. An accompanying letter detailed the journeyings of the flag during the expedition and after its return to civilisation; it featured in many World War I recruitment rallies in Australia, before being returned to Britain.