Blue ensign

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RFA Brambleleaf flying the square Blue Jack based on the Blue Ensign
RFA Brambleleaf flying the square Blue Jack based on the Blue Ensign

The Blue Ensign is a flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated with the United Kingdom. It is used either plain, or defaced with a badge or other emblem.

The evolution of the Blue Ensign followed that of the Union Flag. The ensign originated in the 1600s with the St. George's cross (see Flag of England) in the canton, and with a blue field background (top right).

The Act of Union 1707 united Scotland, England and Wales in the Kingdom of Great Britain and produced a new blue ensign which placed the Union Flag in the canton. With the Act of Union 1800, Ireland joined the United Kingdom and the St Patrick's Cross was added to the Union Flag of the United Kingdom and, accordingly, to the cantons of the British ensigns from 1 January 1801.

State ensign The modern Blue Ensign of the United Kingdom

Vexillological symbol The British Blue Ensign (1707–1801)

Vexillological symbol English Blue Ensign as it appeared in the seventeenth century.

Contents

[edit] Plain blue ensign

Prior to the reorganisation of the Royal Navy in 1864, the plain blue ensign had been the ensign of one of three squadrons of the Royal Navy, the "Blue Squadron." This changed in 1864, when an order in council provided that the Red Ensign was allocated to merchantmen, the Blue Ensign was to be flag of ships in public service or commanded by an officer in the Royal Naval Reserve, and the White Ensign was allocated to the Navy.

Thus, after 1864, the plain blue ensign is permitted to be worn, instead of the Red Ensign, by two categories of civilian vessel:-

  • British merchant vessels whose officers and crew include a certain number of retired Royal Navy personnel or Royal Navy reservists, or are commanded by an officer of the Royal Navy Reserve in possession of a Government warrant. The number and rank of such crew members required has varied over the years, as have the additional conditions required, since the system was first introduced in 1864.
  • Yachts belonging to members of certain long-established British yacht clubs, for example the Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club. Permission for yachts to wear the blue ensign (and other special yachting ensigns) was suspended during both World War I and World War II.

[edit] Defaced blue ensign

Since 1864, the Blue Ensign is defaced with a badge or emblem, to form the ensign of United Kingdom government departments or public bodies, for example:-

Ensign of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Ensign of the defunct Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service

Ensign of the defunct Royal Navy Auxiliary Service

Ensign of the Northern Lighthouse Board

Ensign of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency

Ensign used by maritime departments of the Government of Bermuda.

Ensign used on British Army vessels commanded by a commisioned officer.

Ensign used on British Army vessels not commanded by a commsioned officer.


A blue ensign, defaced with the Coat of Arms of Bermuda, as used by marine services of the Government of Bermuda, flies with the flag of the Bermuda Police Service (BPS) from the BPS Marine Section flagpole.
A blue ensign, defaced with the Coat of Arms of Bermuda, as used by marine services of the Government of Bermuda, flies with the flag of the Bermuda Police Service (BPS) from the BPS Marine Section flagpole.
  • Government vessels of UK overseas territories. This usage stems from the fact that in 1867–69, orders in council provided that the ensign for vessels in the service of any of the British colonies was to be the Blue Ensign, charged in the fly with the seal of the colony. Any British colony with ships in its service thus had reason to use the Blue Ensign. This worldwide, imperial use is the origin of the use of the Blue Ensign by many areas today, such as the Australian states. Although the distinguishing flag of Bermuda is a defaced red ensign, its government marine services (police, ferries, et cet.) fly a defaced blue ensign from both vessels and shore facilities.

The defaced blue ensign was formerly used as:

Blue Ensign worn as a jack by the Royal Canadian Navy from 1957–1965

Blue Ensign worn as a jack by the Royal Canadian Navy from 1921–1957
  • In the first half of the 20th century, Blue Ensigns for each province of Canada often appeared in charts of "all the world's flags", but these flags were just fantasies of the artists who drew the charts, and then copied by other artists putting together similar charts. They never existed in real life.

[edit] Flags of UK Overseas Territories using the Blue Ensign

These include:

The colonial flag of Hong Kong and the flag of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force were based on the Blue Ensign.

[edit] National flags based on the Blue Ensign

These include:

[edit] Other flags based on the Blue Ensign

[edit] See also

v • d • e
Flags of the United Kingdom
UK
Home Nations
Historical
Northern Ireland (1953–1972)
Royal
Ensigns

[edit] External links

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