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The San Andrés (St. Andrew) (Saltire) Cross in its white background blue
cross version was also used by Argentina as its naval flag.
"With the
purpose of facing the Spanish Navy in the Río de la Plata, the (Argentine)
government purchased at the end of 1813 the frigate Hercules from Juan (John)
Goodfellow for 25,000 pesos, which had been part of the Russian Navy. Onboard
the ship were several flags with a blue diagonal cross over a white horizontal
background (Scotland's inverted colors) used by this nation's warships. On March
1, 1814 William (Guillermo) Brown was named Comandante de la Marina del Estado
(States Marine Commander) and given the rank of Teniente Coronel del Ejército al
servicio de la Marina (Army Lt. Col in Navy service). He then made the Hercules
his flagship and adopted such flag.
It is currently located at the
Complejo Museográfico "Enrique Udaondo" (semi official websites:
http://museo-udaondo.tumblr.com/,
https://www.facebook.com/museoudaondo/?ref=ts and
https://twitter.com/museoudaondo).
Its measures are: 2,27 m long x 1,65 wide x 1,08 m.
On Casa Amarilla
(Yellow House), the main office of Instituto Nacional Browniano (Brown National
Institute) and Departamento de Estudios Históricos Navales it is flown daily in
honor of the Padre de la Patria en el Mar, Almirante Don Guillermo Brown (Father
of the Fatherland at Sea, Admiral Don Guillermo Brown). (translated from the
original in Spanish from Argentinian Republic's Navy official website )"
Source:
http://www.ara.mil.ar/pag.asp?idItem=41
Esteban Rivera,
9 January 2017
Photo:
https://www.baenegocios.com/politica/La-armada-analiza-si-el-contacto-a-477-metros-se-trata-del-ARA-San-Juan--20171202-0006.html
Victor Lomantsov, 5 February 2018
A commemorative flag called “Insignia del Almirante Brown” (Admiral Brown's
Ensign) can be seen at
http://www.ara.mil.ar/archivos/imgs/san%20andres_web.jpg, source:
http://www.ara.mil.ar/pag.asp?idItem=41) on the official website of the
Argentine Navy.
The website mentions the following (translated from the
Argentine Navy's official website):
"In order to form the (second Naval)
(there had been already a first Argentinian Naval Squadron that had been
defeated in 1811, sources:
http://www.ara.mil.ar/archivos/Docs/priemra_escudrilla_mauro.pdf and
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armada_Argentina) Squadron to face the Spanish
Navy in the Río de La Plata (English: River Plate), the government acquired at
the end of 1813, through Mr. (John) Juan Goodfelow for the sum of 25,000
(Argentine) pesos, the frigate "Hercules", a ship that had belonged to the
Russian Navy.
On board (there) were several flags on a white background
and had a diagonally blue cross (reverse colors to the flag of Scotland), which
was used by the warships of that Nation.
On March 1, 1814, Don (Mr.)
Guillermo (William) Brown was appointed Comandante de la Marina del Estado
(English: Commander of the State's Navy) and was given the title job of "Teniente
Coronel del Ejército al servicio de la Marina" (English: Lieutenant Colonel of
the Army in Navy service). He immediately went aboard the Hercules, which was
selected as the Argentine Navy's flagship and adopted it as his personal (a flag
with the blue cross on a white background).
Currently the flag is in the
Complejo Museográfico Provincial "Enrique Udaondo" (English: Enrique Udaondo
Museum Complex), (in) Luján, Buenos Aires Province. It is a flag that measures
2.27 m by 1.65 m by 1.08 m. It is made of white silk with a diagonal blue cross
in the middle.
At the Casa Amarilla (English: Yellow House) (former house
of Brown), main office of the "Instituto Nacional Browniano" (English: Brownian
National Institute) and also of the "Departamento de Estudios Históricos Navales"(English:
Department of Historical Naval Studies), the flag (http://www.inb.gov.ar/guillermo_brown/iconografia/san_andres.jpg,
source:
http://www.inb.gov.ar/guillermo_brown/iconografia.html) with the Cross of
San Andrés is raised daily in memory and tribute of the Father of the Nation in
the Sea, Admiral Don Guillermo Brown."
In turn, the "Instituto Nacional
Browniano" also has its own flag:
http://www.inb.gov.ar/guillermo_brown/iconografia/instituto.jpg (source:
http://www.inb.gov.ar/guillermo_brown/iconografia.html). It is a Swallowtail
flag, divided horizontally, white on top, and blue on bottom, with two initials
IB (the initials of the Institute) and two golden five-pointed stars on each
side.
The historical flag (https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PUkQsaKi5l4/WKoQ3uJNBlI/AAAAAAAAERU/wxVqunHi0SIYpKxuC6SGlixzw4Te2_5bQCLcB/s1600/insignia%2Bde%2BBrown-MH%2BLujan.jpg)
had been kept at the “Saint George’s Colege” (High School) as a donation in 1910
and since 1925 has been loaned to the museum.
Source:
http://banderasargentinas.blogspot.com.co/2017/02/unabandera-de-la-armada-rusa-victoriosa.html
The flag is a "Saltire Crosses (St. Andrew-type blue on white) on Flags
(Overview)" over a white background.
Interesting to notice is that the
flag did not have a cravat back then, but currently it does as seen here (second
flag from left to right:
https://www.baenegocios.com/__export/1512225613439/sites/cronica/img/2017/12/02/submarino.jpg_541755376.jpg,
source:
https://www.baenegocios.com/politica/La-armada-analiza-si-el-contacto-a-477-metros-se-trata-del-ARA-San-Juan--20171202-0006.html)
in order to comply with current flag regulations.
For additional
information go to ARA (official website):
http://www.ara.mil.ar/
Esteban Rivera. 5 February 2018
