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United Kingdom: Royal Navy rank flags

Last modified: 2003-01-25 by rob raeside
Keywords: royal navy | united kingdom | white ensign |
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Early usage (after 1864)

 A historical note: since the abolishment of the three squadron system in 1864, a plain St George Cross flag was flown by admirals at the main masthead, by vice admirals at the fore masthead, and by rear admirals at the mizzen masthead. A broad pennant of similar design was flown by commodores (1st class at main main masthead, 2nd class at fore masthead). The evolution in warship design soon made such practices impossible. Instead, the vice admiral's flag was given a small red ball at the extreme canton, while the rear admiral's flag got two small red balls, arranged like the circles on the % sign, also at extreme canton. The balls were difficult to be seen from a distance, however, so that the designs were changed to the current forms circa 1900.
Miles Li, 22 September 2000

"British Flags" (W.G.Perrin, Cambridge University Press, 1922) has a lot to say about naval rank flags. In 1864 the 'three squadron' system of the Royal Navy was abolished, and all flag officers came under the St George's cross banner, flown by the admirals in the main masthead, by the vice admirals in the fore masthead, and by the rear admirals in the mizzen masthead. There were also a set of flags for use on boats: the admirals used the St George's cross banner; the vice admirals used a similar flag with a small red ball (before 1864 it was blue) at the extreme canton of the flag; the rear admirals used a similar flag with two red balls, one above the other, at the extreme canton. As warships designs of the late 19th century reduced the masts to two, the system of denoting ranks by flying a flag on different masts became impractical, so boat flags came to use on warships as well. In order to make the balls easier to be seen from a distance, the current set of flags were adopted in 1898.
Miles Li, 19 March 2001

Admiral of the Fleet

[UK Admiral] by António Martins

The British Admiral of the Fleet uses the Union Flag flown at the masthead, but the proportions of the flag have been disputed. In BR20, the Ministry of Defence flag book, they are given as 2:3, but the Royal Navy web-site and other sources showed it to be 1:2. It has now been agreed that the flag of an Admiral of the Fleet has always been, and still is, a Union Flag in proportions 1:2. The Ministry of Defence will remove the 2:3 Union Flag from BR20 at the next change. "Admiral's flags" are 2:3, but the flag of an Admiral of the Fleet is not an "admiral's flag", it is the Union Flag.
David Prothero, 3 December 2002

Admiral

[UK Admiral] by Ivan Sache

Admiral. 2:3 St George's cross. Source: Album des Pavillons.
Ivan Sache, 26 April 2000

Vice-Admiral

[UK Vice-Admiral] by Ivan Sache

Vice-Admiral. Same as Admiral, but with a red disc in canton. Source: Album des Pavillons.
Ivan Sache, 26 April 2000

Rear-Admiral

[UK Rear-Admiral] by Ivan Sache

Rear-Admiral. Same as Admiral, but with a red disk in first and third canton. Source: Album des Pavillons.
Ivan Sache, 26 April 2000

Commodore

[UK Commodore] by Ivan Sache

Commodore. Same as Vice-Admiral, but forked broad pennant with decentered cross. Source: Album des Pavillons.
Ivan Sache, 26 April 2000

Commodore of the Royal Navy Reserve

[UK Commodore or the Royal Navy Reserve] by Ivan Sache

Commodore of the Royal Navy Reserve. Same as Commodore, but with a blue cross and without disk. Source: Album des Pavillons.
Ivan Sache, 26 April 2000

A special Broad Pennant, white swallow-tail with blue St George's cross, was introduced during the Second World War for Royal Naval Reserve Commodores of Convoys. On 2nd November 1959 the privilege of flying this Broad Pennant was granted to Commodores on the active list of the Royal Naval Reserve; there are normally two such Commodores. From Flags of the World 1971 edition by E.M.C.Barraclough.
David Prothero, 23 August 2002

Chief of Squadron

[UK Chief of Squadron] by Ivan Sache

Squadron Commander. Longer broad pennant with upper and lower edges in red. Source: Album des Pavillons.
Ivan Sache, 26 April 2000