Poland - Coast Guard flags

Last modified: 2000-10-14 by jarig bakker
Keywords: poland | eagle | crown | coast guard | border troops |
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• Coast Guard Ensign
• Coast Guard Ensign (swallowtailed)
• Former Coast Guard flag
• Banner of Border Troops 1953-1990
• Flag of Coastal Units of Polish Navy 1961-1990

• Poland
• Polish Navy flags

Current Coast Guard ensign

The image by Zeljko Heimer and Yosef Obskura is not a current polish CG ensign. It is abandoned ensign of Wojska Ochrony Pogranicza 1945-1990 (WOP - Border Protecting Forces,  submitted to Ministry of Defence) In 1990 WOP was tranformed into Straz Graniczna - Frontier and Coast Guard, submitted to Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Current polish Coast Guard ensign (pl~cg91.gif), adopted  on 20th December 1991 is rectangular (not swallow-tailed).
The eagle on COA has crown, as all polish flags since 1990-1991.
Source: Monitor Polski - Dziennik Urzedowy Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej nr 5, 1992 (official gazette announcing current legislation in Poland)
Grzegorz Skrukwa, 2 Apr 2000

Coast Guard ensign - swallowtailed (Bandera jednostek pomocnicczych straży granicznej)

Former Coast Guard flag

Here is the Polish CG flag that was prepared by Yosef Obskura, with Yosef's comment:
According to C F Pedersen [1971] page 35, the Flag of the Coast Guard of Poland is as shown.
Zeljko Heimer, 1 Apr 2000

The more recent Album des Pavillons (correction #29, February 1998) shows the same ensign, but  rectangular. It is added in corresponding text:
"Coast guard vessels fly the State ensign at stern. Their hull is ornated with an oblique red stripe fimbriated in yellow."
If you replace the green border with a white one, and add a thin black fimbriation to isolate the main white field from the border, you get the pilot ensign.
Ivan Sache, 1 Apr 2000

Interesting that they kept the green color associated with Coast Guard. Clearly a russian/soviet influence.
Antonio Martins, 2 Apr 2000

This a flag of ships of Border Defence Forces (Bandera jednotek plywajacych Wojsk Ochrony Pogranicza; in polish). In times of socialist PPR the flag was same but the eagle was not crowned.Adopted  23 april 1953.
Victor Lomantsov, 2 Apr 2000

Swallow-tailed and uncrowned is flag of military Border Protecting Forces (Wojska Ochrony Pogranicza, WOP). Established
23th April 1953 by State Council. Abandoned  when WOP was transformed into civilian Frontier Guard (Straz Graniczna) - 12th October 1990.
Rectangular and crowned, also with green fimbration - it is flag of Frontier Guard (Straz Graniczna).
Established by Minister of Internal Affairs, 20th December 1991.
Sources:
Dziennik Ustaw Polskiej Rzeczypospolitej Ludowej, Nr 23, 1953
Monitor Polski. Dziennik Urzedowy Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, Nr 5, 1992
(both official gazettes announcing current legislation)
Grzegorz Skrukwa, 6 Apr 2000

Banner of Border Troops 1953-1990 (WOJSKA OCHRONY POGRANICZA)

Flag of Coastal Units of Polish Navy 1961-1990

This was the banner of the Polish Navy in 1955, but it was never used.
Adam Kromer.