![[BA flag 1974]](../images/g/gb$ba74.gif)
image by Miles Li, 13 June 2021
Last modified: 2023-03-11 by rob raeside
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image by Miles Li, 13 June 2021
This is the flag of British Airways between 1974 and 1984, based on its
first generation ‘Negus’ livery.
Source: Barraclough and Crampton ([c2b78]
and [c2b81]).
Miles Li, 9 November 2020
![[BEA flag]](../images/g/gb$bea68.gif)
image by Miles Li, 25 April 2020
From the collection of the Museum of Transport and Technology, New Zealand.
Miles Li, 25 April 2020
![[BEA flag]](../images/g/gb$bea50.gif)
image by Miles Li, 25 April 2020
A white-red-white horizontal triband, with two blue crowns in the upper white
stripe and one blue crown in the lower white stripe. In the middle red stripe
are the letters BEA.
Miles Li, 12 January 2015
![[BOAC flag]](../images/g/gb$boac.gif)
image by Miles Li and Martin Grieves, 12 January 2015
A yellow-edged blue swallowtail flag with the BOAC highly stylized
flying bird in yellow.
Miles Li, 12 January 2015
The Speedbird emblem was designed in 1932 by Theyre Lee-Elliot as a logo for
Imperial Airways, and retained in 1940 when Imperial Airways and the original
British Airways combined into the British Overseas Airways Corporation. First
reference to its use on a flag, that I have found, is in Campbell & Evans, ‘Book
of Flags’, 1953. BOAC and British European Airways merged in 1974 to form
British Airways, which adopted a new flag based on the shield of its coat of
arms; ‘Observer’s Book of Flags’, William Crampton,
1979.
David Prothero, 9 February 2016
Note that the blue is not bright blue, but rather a much darker blue, and also the Speedbird and border fringe are not bright yellow, but rather golden.
According to "B*O*A*C STANDARD DESIGNS" (B.O.A.C. British Overseas Airways
Corporation Standard Designs 1940's manual), it describes both the flag and its
dimensions as follows: "The House Flag is in Corporation blue with a gold
Speedbird and gold border. The occasions on which it may be flown are given in
Standing Instruction No. 25/46 : (Use of Flags), in Gazette No. 44, June 1st,
1946.
The Speedbird always flies towards the mast with the notched
portion of the flag outwards.
Esteban Rivera, 31 December 2020
![[BOAC flag]](../images/g/gb$boac6.gif)
image by Miles Li and Martin Grieves, 12 January 2015
There was also a variant (as flown in the 1960s) which was rectangular
(proportions 1:2) with a field in navy blue, without a border, bearing a yellow
speedbird.
Miles Li, 12 January 2015
Note that the blue is not bright blue, but rather a much darker blue, and also the Speedbird and border fringe are not bright yellow, but rather golden.
This BOAC is seen here originally:
https://collection.motat.org.nz/ (source:
https://collection.motat.org.nz/objects/90330). As the MOTAT (Museum of
Transportation and Technology) website states, this is a flag commissioned by
BOAC for the 1973 IATA's 29th Annual General Meeting held in Auckland, New
Zealand, in November 1973.
Esteban Rivera, 31 December 2020
![[BSAA flag]](../images/g/gb$bsaa.gif)
image by Miles Li, 14 February 2023
Formed by a consortium of shipping lines on 25 January 1944, nationalised on
1 August 1946, became part of BOAC on 1 January 1950.
Note that the
colours of the image are an educated guess, based on black-and-white photos of
the flag and contemporary promotional materials.
Miles Li, 14
February 2023
![[Imperial Airways flag]](../images/g/gb$ia.gif)
image by Miles Li, 20 April 2019
The pennant of Imperial Airways (1924-1939) was rarely used: an example is in
the British Airways Heritage Collection.
Miles Li, 20 April 2019
