# Old UK playing cards with a swastika motif –what & why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 22, 2001, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-uk-playing-cards-with-a-swastika-motif-what-why/77528 "2001-08-22T12:57:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-uk-playing-cards-with-a-swastika-motif-what-why/77528/21 "2001-08-23T19:30:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sewalk \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by yabob \* > > **In fact the American 45th Division used it on a shoulder patch in WWI.** > > I was in the 45th a few years ago (it’s a Seperate infantry Brigade, now). I have three of the pre-WWII patches in my collection, one is sewn on a MP brassard. The swastika is oriented in the opposite direction of the Nazi swatika, though. The 45th was not organized until about 1923 so the patch was not worn in WWI, however. The current patch, incorporating a yellow thunderbird on a diagonally-oriented red square was adopted in 1938 or 1939, IIRC. [Link](http://www.45thdivisionmuseum.com/DivFormed/Divformed.htm) \*\* You might send a note to [about.com](http://about.com) - that’s where I got the factoid, and they said WWI: [link](http://history1900s.about.com/library/holocaust/aa120699a.htm) You might also comment on the authenticity of their replica patches. I note that the swastika is clockwise: [link](http://www.45thdivisionmuseum.com/Giftshop/Insignias.htm) [Edited by bibliophage on 08-24-2001 at 09:11 AM] ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-uk-playing-cards-with-a-swastika-motif-what-why/77528/22 "2001-08-23T19:34:48Z")
Rats. The second link doesn’t work. Anyway, the patches can be linked to from the first one, and they look just like the ones in sewalk’s link anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Mike30](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@Mike30](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike30)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-uk-playing-cards-with-a-swastika-motif-what-why/77528/23 "2001-08-24T06:07:40Z")
slight hijack… there is a town in Ontario called Swastika, which resisted public pressure to change its name during WWII ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Stewart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Dave\_Stewart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Stewart)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-uk-playing-cards-with-a-swastika-motif-what-why/77528/24 "2001-08-24T06:14:06Z")
I had heard that as well as being an ancient Hindu symbol, it is also a Jewish symbol. Anyone know anything about this? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-uk-playing-cards-with-a-swastika-motif-what-why/77528/25 "2001-08-24T06:32:56Z")
**longjohn** As ever on the 'net. Type in what you’ve got as a URL. [http://www.antiqueplayingcards.com/](http://www.antiqueplayingcards.com/) ---
**Author:** ![longjohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@longjohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longjohn)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-uk-playing-cards-with-a-swastika-motif-what-why/77528/26 "2001-08-24T09:17:52Z")
don’t ask. well, whaddaya know? i hadn’t even thought of that aproach. cheers! ---
**Author:** ![Tedster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@Tedster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tedster)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-uk-playing-cards-with-a-swastika-motif-what-why/77528/27 "2001-08-24T17:29:29Z")
I remember being vaguely surprised to see swastikas on fairly large signs whilst traveling through South Korea… Apparently a common symbol over there, though the arms go the ‘wrong’ way. I think it’s analagous to their yin-yang symbol. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-uk-playing-cards-with-a-swastika-motif-what-why/77528.md?page=1)