Cal said:
I am very sure that the cross on the shirt has nothing at all to do with the Iron Cross.
As the shirt was originally from 1884, the Iron Cross hadn't been tarnished by the Nazi's yet...and also we were a church side. I'm no Gary James, but I'd say the cross was a symbol for St. Marks Church and not the Iron Cross.
*sigh*
The "Iron Cross" and "Knights Cross" are based on the cross of the Teutonic Knights, and, hence,
are originally Christian. The Iron Cross itself predates the NSDAP: the
Knights Cross was an invention of Adolf et al. The cross worn on the shirt by Gorton St. Marks is
not the cross of the Teutonic Knights, but is the cross of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights of Rhodes, Knights of Malta (name changed as they moved)...and early variant of the(ir) "Maltese Cross" (the one we are all familair with) and has nothing whatsoever to do with with the NSDAP. If you look closely, the arms on a Teutonic Cross are curved, those on the cross on the shirt are straight.
At least that is my understanding of the issue; could be wrong.