NationMaster - Encyclopedia: British ensign

This article concerns the ensigns flown by vessels and aircraft of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories, and by certain nations of the Commonwealth. Image File history File links RN-White-Ensign. ... Image File history File links RN-White-Ensign. ... The White Ensign. ... Image File history File links British-Government-Ensign. ... Image File history File links British-Government-Ensign. ... The modern Blue Ensign of the United Kingdom The British Blue Ensign (1707â€“1801) English Blue Ensign as it appeared in the seventeenth century. ... Image File history File links British-Merchant-Navy-Ensign. ... Image File history File links British-Merchant-Navy-Ensign. ... The Red Ensign, as currently used by the United Kingdoms Merchant Navy The Red Ensign is a flag that originated in the early 1600s as an ensign flown by the Royal Navy. ... Image File history File links Ensignstamp. ... Image File history File links Ensignstamp. ... This 1974 stamp from Japan depicts a Class 8620 steam locomotive. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... The Commonwealth of Nations, usually known as The Commonwealth, is an association of independent sovereign states, almost all of which are former territories of the British Empire. ...

In British maritime law and custom, the ensign proper to a British ship is one of several flags with a red, white or blue field, with the Union Flag in the canton (the upper corner next the staff), known as the red, blue and white ensigns respectively. Outside the nautical sphere, there are some flags which are modelled on the red, white, and blue ensigns, but which use more unusual colours, e.g. the sky blue of the Royal Air Force ensign. Ensign of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Italian ship-rigged vessel Amerigo Vespucci in New York Harbor, 1976 A ship is a large, sea-going watercraft, sometimes with multiple decks. ... The tricolor flag of France A flag is a piece of coloured cloth flown from a pole or mast, usually for purposes of signalling or identification. ... It has been suggested that Union Jack be merged into this article or section. ... The design and description of flags typically uses specialised flag terminology with precise and technical meanings (a form of jargon). ... The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ...

The Union Flag (also known as the Union Jack) should not technically be flown by vessels at sea. It should only be flown as a jacks by Royal Navy ships when moored or at anchor, or if the Monarch or an Admiral of the Fleet is on board or to signal a court martial is in progress. Flags are particularly important at sea, where they can mean the difference between life and death, and consequently where the rules and regulations for the flying of flags are strictly enforced. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... This article describes the British monarchy from the perspective of the United Kingdom. ... Admiral of the Fleet is a supreme naval position that has existed in historical navies and still exists in several modern-day navies. ... A court-martial (plural courts-martial) is a military court that determines punishments for members of the military subject to military law. ...

Modern usage

British ensigns currently in use can be classified into five categories, in descending order of exclusiveness:

Since the reorganisation of the Royal Navy in 1864, use of the White Ensign (a red St George's Cross on a white field with the Union Flag in the canton) has been restricted to ships, boats, submarines and on-shore establishments of the Royal Navy . The Royal Yacht Squadron also fly the white ensign by special dispensation. 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The White Ensign. ... St Georges cross The St Georges cross, a red cross on a white background, is the national flag of England and was adopted for the uniform of English soldiers during the military expeditions by European powers to recapture the Holy Land from Muslims (Crusades of the 11th, 12th... A canton is: a territorial subdivision of a country (especially cantons of Switzerland, Costa Rica and France, see canton (subnational entity), and of vingtaines in Jersey. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... The Royal Yacht Squadron is considered by many people to be the world’s most prestigious yacht club located on the coast at Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. ...

The Blue Ensign (dark blue field with the Union Flag in the canton) undefaced is worn masters of vessels in possession of a warrant issued by the Director of Naval Reserves, and by the members of certain yacht clubs. Such warrants are issued to officers in the active or retired lists of the Royal Naval Reserve and the maritime reserve forces of other Commonwealth Realms and territories. The master must be of the rank of lieutenant RN or above, and fishing vessels must be crewed by at least four other Royal Naval reservists or pensioners. The modern Blue Ensign of the United Kingdom The British Blue Ensign (1707â€“1801) English Blue Ensign as it appeared in the seventeenth century. ... The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. ... A Commonwealth Realm is any one of the 16 sovereign states of the Commonwealth that recognise Queen Elizabeth II as their Queen and head of state. ... A Lieutenant is a military, paramilitary or police officer. ...

British government departments use a variety of blue ensigns defaced in the fly with the department badge, and colonial governments use blue ensigns defaced with the colonial badge. The flag of Australia and those of its states as well as the flag of New Zealand are defaced blue ensigns. Several yacht clubs are also entitled to fly blue ensigns defaced by their club badge. Defacement is a vexillology term referring to the practise of adding badges, devices or other symbols to an existing flag. ... The design and description of flags typically uses specialised flag terminology with precise and technical meanings (a form of jargon). ... A United Kingdom overseas territory (formerly known as a dependent territory or earlier as a crown colony) is a territory that is under the sovereignty and formal control of the United Kingdom but is not part of the United Kingdom proper (Great Britain and Northern Ireland). ... Flag ratio: 1:2 The flag of Australia is blue with the flag of the United Kingdom (the Union Jack, or Union Flag) in the canton (the upper hoist quarter), and a large seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth Star (six points representing the six current states and one... The Australian States and Territories comprise the Commonwealth of Australia under a federal system of government. ... Flag ratio: 1:2 The current Flag of New Zealand is a defaced blue ensign with the Union Flag in the canton, and four red stars with white borders to the right. ...

The Red Ensign (red field with the Union Flag in the canton) defaced by a badge is flown by Trinity House and various organisations and yacht clubs. Merchant ships and private vessels registered in British colonies and dependencies, and in several Commonwealth realms, fly the Red Ensign defaced by the badge of their territory. The Red Ensign, as currently used by the United Kingdoms Merchant Navy The Red Ensign is a flag that originated in the early 1600s as an ensign flown by the Royal Navy. ... Trinity House - or, more correctly, the Corporation of Trinity House - came into being in 1514 by Royal Charter granted by Henry VIII. The Master of the Corporation is the Duke of Edinburgh Trinity House has three main functions: The care of all lighthouses in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and...

The Red Ensign undefaced is for the use of all other British merchant navy ships and private craft. The Red Ensign is the correct flag to be worn as courtesy flag by foreign private vessels in United Kingdom waters. In most seafaring countries, the merchant marine (or merchant navy) is a fleet of ships used for commerce that sometimes complements the navy. ... The Red Ensign, as currently used by the United Kingdoms Merchant Navy The Red Ensign is a flag that originated in the early 1600s as an ensign flown by the Royal Navy. ... A courtesy flag (or courtesy ensign) is flown by a ship in foreign waters as a token of respect. ...

Other ensigns

There exist also a Royal Air Force (RAF) ensign and a civil air ensign, both of which have a sky blue field, with the Union Flag in the canton. The RAF ensign is defaced with the red-white-blue RAF roundel, while the field of the civil air ensign is charged with a large dark blue cross fimbriated white. The flag of Tuvalu and that of Fiji are defaced sky blue ensigns. Image File history File links British-Civil-Aircraft-Ensign. ... Image File history File links British-Civil-Aircraft-Ensign. ... Image File history File links Royal-Air-Force-Ensign. ... Image File history File links Royal-Air-Force-Ensign. ... The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... For the neolithic monument type, see roundel enclosure. ... Flag ratio: 1:2 The current Flag of Tuvalu was instated when the country became independent in 1978, after the separation from the Gilberts in 1976. ...

The flag of Niue, a self-governing dependency of New Zealand, is a yellow ensign. Even more unusually, it is the Union Flag canton rather than the fly which is defaced with a modified Southern Cross. Flag ratio: 1:2 The flag of Niue was adopted in 1975. ... Southern Cross is the English name of Crux Australis, a constellation visible in the Southern Hemisphere. ...

The flag of the British Antarctic Territory has a white field defaced with the Territory's badge, while the British Indian Ocean Territory flag has a white and blue wavy-striped field, also defaced. Flag of the British Antarctic Territory The British Antarctic Territory is the British claim to land and islands in Antarctica, and is the oldest territorial claim on the continent. ...

The flag of the British East India Company, like the Cambridge or Grand Union Flag of the American colonies, had a red and white striped field. There were similar red-and-white and green-and-white striped ensigns in the English Navy in the 16th century. Similarly in flag plates from the 17th and 18th centuries there are representations of the Guinea Jack of the Royal Africa Company in various forms; the jack consisted of a St George's Cross within a double border of red and white chequers. The flag of Hawaii has white, red and blue stripes. The British East India Company, sometimes referred to as John Company, was a joint-stock company of investors, which was granted a Royal Charter by Elizabeth I on December 31, 1600, with the intent to favour trade privileges in India. ... Grand Union flag The Grand Union Flag (also known as the Congress flag, The First Navy Ensign, The Cambridge Flag, and The Continental Colors) is the first true Flag of the United States. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Ka Hae Hawaiâ€˜i, or the Flag of Hawaiâ€˜i Ka Hae Hawaiâ€˜i, or the flag of Hawaii, is the official standard symbolizing Hawaii as a kingdom, protectorate, republic, territory and state. ...

Other defaced ensigns were used by vessels of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, the Humber Conservancy, Custom House, the Board of Trade, Lloyds of London, the Post Office, cable laying ships, and other departments including War Office Ordnance. The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company is the sucessor to the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board. ... Custom House is an area of the London Borough of Newham. ... The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions. ... Lloyds of London is a British insurance market. ... The British General Post Office (GPO) was officially established in 1660 by Charles II and it eventually grew to combine the functions of both the state postal system and telecommunications carrier. ... A cable is two or more wires bound together which may be bare, covered or insulated. ... Old War Office Building, Whitehall, London - the former location of the War Office The War Office was a former department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1963, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence. ... Ordnance is a general term for a quantity of military equipment, usually specifying the ammunition for artillery, bombs, or other large weapons. ...

History

Prior to 1864, red, white, and blue were the colours of the three squadrons of the Royal Navy, which were created as a result of the reorganisation of the navy in 1652 by Admiral Robert Blake. Each squadron flew one of the three ensigns. Image File history File links Charles_De_Gaulle-tribord-et-HMS-Endurance. ... Image File history File links Charles_De_Gaulle-tribord-et-HMS-Endurance. ... Motto : Fortitudine Vinvimus (By Endurance We Conquer) see: HMS Endurance ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor), born 21 April 1926, is the Queen regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda... // Events April 6 - Dutch sailor Jan van Riebeeck establishes a resupply camp for the Dutch East India Company at the Cape of Good Hope, and founded Cape Town. ... Robert Blake, General at Sea, 1599–1657 by Henry Perronet Briggs, painted 1829. ...

The red squadron tended to patrol the Caribbean and north Atlantic, the white the coasts of Britain, France and the Mediterranean, while the blue patrolled the south Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The flags of the various former British colonies often have grounds of the same colour as their protective squadron. Hence Bermuda has a red ground and Australia and New Zealand blue. The flag of the United States also follows this pattern. Early flags of the American Revolution were modified Red Ensigns. The Grand Union flag, added six white stripes to the Red Ensign and this flag was used during the fight for independence until the Union Flag in the corner was replaced by the current stars in 1777. Map of Central America and the Caribbean The Caribbean Sea is a tropical body of water adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean and southeast of the Gulf of Mexico. ... The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... The Pacific Ocean (from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, peaceful sea, bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan) is the worlds largest body of water. ... Flag ratio: 10:19 Stars and stripes redirects here. ... -1... 1777 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

In addition to the Admiral of the Fleet (who was Admiral of the Red), each squadron also had its own admirals, vice admirals and rear admirals, e.g. Lord Nelson was Vice Admiral of the White at time of death. Admiral of the Fleet is a supreme naval position that has existed in historical navies and still exists in several modern-day navies. ... Lord Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (September 29, 1758 – October 21, 1805) was a British admiral who won fame as a leading naval commander. ...

Canadian ensigns

In 1868, the British Admiralty made the Canadian Blue Ensign the proper flag for ships of the Canadian government, and in 1892, the Admiralty approved the use of the Canadian Red Ensign by Canadian merchant ships. 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Old Admiralty House, Whitehall, London, Thomas Ripley, architect, 1723-26, was not admired by his contemporaries and earned him some scathing couplets from Alexander Pope The Admiralty was historically the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. ... The modern Blue Ensign of the United Kingdom The British Blue Ensign (1707â€“1801) English Blue Ensign as it appeared in the seventeenth century. ... 1892 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

From about 1870, Canada unofficially used a Red Ensign with the arms of its provinces on one shield as its national flag (the Canadian Red Ensign). In 1924, an order-in-council made the flag official (for certain purposes) and replaced the provincial arms with the royal arms of Canada. The red ensign was replaced by the current red and white maple-leaf flag in 1965. In that same year, the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba adopted red ensigns defaced by their provincial arms as their provincial flags. (see Flag of Ontario and Flag of Manitoba) 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Red Ensign, as currently used by the United Kingdoms Merchant Navy The Red Ensign is a flag that originated in the early 1600s as an ensign flown by the Royal Navy. ... The Canadian Red Ensign, this design was used from 1957 until 1965. ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... An Order-in-Council is an executive order issued in Commonwealth Realms operating under the Westminster system. ... Canadas coat of arms was proclaimed by King George V on November 21, 1921, as the Arms or Ensigns Armorial of the Dominion of Canada. ... Flag Ratio: 1:2 (1965â€“Present) The National Flag of Canada, popularly known as the Maple Leaf Flag (French: lUnifoliÃ© the one-leaved), is a base red flag with a white square in its centre, featuring a red stylized 11-pointed maple leaf. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English, French (in some areas) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation - House seat - Senate seats 106 24 Area - Total - % water Ranked 4th 1,076,395... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Latin: Glorious and free) Official languages English Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Parliamentary representation - House seat - Senate seats 14 6 Area - Total - % water Ranked 8th 647,797 kmÂ² 14. ... Ontarios official flag since 1965 The current Flag of Ontario was proclaimed the official flag of the Canadian province of Ontario by the Flag Act on May 21, 1965. ... Manitobas official flag since 1965 The Flag of Manitoba is a variation of the Red Ensign which bears the shield of the provincial coat of arms. ...

Sources

Contents

Modern usage

Other ensigns

History

Canadian ensigns

Sources

See also

External links

Contents

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Other ensigns

History

Canadian ensigns

Sources

See also

External links

Modern usage