![[UK Admiral]](../images/g/gb.gif)
1:2 image by Clay Moss, 16 December 2006
Last modified: 2014-10-11 by rob raeside
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1702 –1805
Regulations and Instructions relating to His Majesty's Service at Sea.Article III. For the better Distinction of Flag‑Officers passing in their Boats, the following Regulation is to be observed; the Admiral of the Fleet, the Admirals of the White and Blue, and the Vice‑Admiral of the Red, may carry their proper Flags at the Head of their Boats, when they think proper; but there shall be in the other Flags the following Distinction, viz. a white Ball in the Flag of the Rear‑Admiral of the Red, a blue Ball in the Flag of the Vice of the White; and two blue Balls in the Flag of the Rear of the White; a white Ball in the Flag of the Vice of the Blue, and two white Balls in the Flag of the Rear of the Blue; the said Balls to be in a Canton, at the upper Corner of the Flag, next the Staff.
Thus:-
Admiral of the Fleet, Union Jack.
Vice-Admiral of the Red,
Red flag.
Rear-Admiral of the Red, Red flag with one white ball.
Admiral
of the White, St George’s flag.
Vice-Admiral of the White, St George’s flag
with one blue ball.
Rear-Admiral of the White, St George’s flag with two blue
balls.
Admiral of the Blue, Blue flag.
Vice-Admiral of the Blue, Blue flag
with one white ball.
Rear-Admiral of the Blue, Blue flag with two white
balls.
[These flags are illustrated on the page reporting flags from Le Gras' Album of 1858.]
In 1805 the rank of Admiral of the Red was created in addition to Admiral of the Fleet.
Article 8 .When Flag-Officers shall think fit to carry their Flags at the head of their Boats, they shall wear the following Flags toThus,
distinguish their Ranks, viz.
The Admiral of the Fleet, and the Admirals of the Red, White, and Blue, shall each wear his proper Flag; Vice-Admirals of the Red and Blue, their proper Flag, but with one White Ball in it; and Vice-Admirals of the White, their proper Flag, with One Blue Ball in it. Rear-Admirals of the Red and Blue, their proper Flag, with Two White Balls; and Rear-Admirals of the White, their proper Flag, with Two Blue Balls in it. The Balls to be large enough to be, easily distinguished, and to be in the upper part of the Flag, and near the Staff.
"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
The white field bearing a red Cross of St George became the command flag of
Admirals of the White or leading squadron (later Admirals of the White) by an
Order dated 6 May 1702, and were standardised at 2:3 early in Queen Victoria's
reign. It became the command flag of all Admirals by an Order in Council
(abolishing squadronal colours) of 9 July 1964, while at the same time,
opportunity was taken to alter the "balls" of difference in the 'boat flags' of
junior grades of Admiral from blue to red. By the 1870's and the demise of the
masted Navy, these 'boat flags' had come into general use on major ships, and
the system was regularized in 1898 when the balls were increased in size to one
half the canton, and the second (denoting a Rear-Admiral) necessarily moved from
the upper to the lower hoist.
The construction details given here are taken from the Ministry of Defence
figures published in the current edition of BR20 "Flags of all Nations".
Christopher Southworth and Martin Grieve, 12 December 2003
The regulations of 1898 resulted in the "balls of difference" being increased in
size (to one-half the canton) and one moved from the upper to the lower hoist.
The exact pattern of the earlier balls had, as far as I know, never been
specified, possibly because their use on a command flag (as opposed to a boat
flag) dates only from the 1870's and had not, at least until 1898, been properly
established. I have seen illustrations where they are shown in a vertical,
horizontal and diagonal arrangement, and have no idea which (if not all) is
actually "correct"?
Christopher Southworth, 1 November 2004
1:2 image by Clay Moss, 16 December 2006
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
A Union Flag at the main masthead is no longer flown only by an Admiral of the Fleet.
From Chapter 91 of ‘The Queen’s Regulations for the Royal Navy’:
9106. Flag Officers and CommodoresDavid Prothero, 8 July 2012
1. Admirals’ Flags. Admirals of the Fleet, the First Sea Lord, former First Sea Lords and Admirals who are or have been Chief of Defence Staff are to fly the Union Flag at the main when embarked in one of HM Ships or visiting one of HM establishments. The flag of an Admiral or a Commander in Chief is to be flown at the main whilst other Flag Officers are to fly their flags at the fore.
![[UK Admiral]](../images/g/gb~adm.gif) |
![[UK Admiral]](../images/g/gb'adm.gif) by
Martin Grieve |
A straight-forward English flag in the ratio of 2:3
Martin Grieve, 12 December 2003Vice-Admiral
![[UK Vice-Admiral]](../images/g/gb~vadm.gif) |
![[UK Vice-Admiral]](../images/g/gb'vadm.gif) by
Martin Grieve |
As per Admiral's flag, but one ball added in upper canton.
Martin Grieve, 12 December 2003Rear-Admiral
![[UK Rear-Admiral]](../images/g/gb~radm.gif) |
![[UK Rear-Admiral]](../images/g/gb'radm.gif) by
Martin Grieve |
As per Vice-Admiral, but an additional ball inserted in
3rd quarter and centrally placed on white panel..
Martin Grieve, 12 December 2003Commodore
![[UK Commodore]](../images/g/gb~cdr.gif) |
![[UK Commodore]](../images/g/gb'cdr.gif) |
by Martin Grieve
The rank of Commodore, the status of which had remained murky throughout the
18th Century, was legally established by Regulations of 1806, and formally
divided into those of the 1st class (with a Captain under them) and 2nd class
(when commanding the ship themselves) in 1826. The previously used Red and Blue
Broad Pendants disappeared with the abolition of squadronal colours in 1864
leaving only the White, with a "ball of difference" being introduced for the
boat pendants of Second Class Commodores at the same time. From the same cause
that affected Admiral's flags, this form with the ball became the only one for
use for the second class. In 1958 however, the rank of of First Class Commodore
was placed "in abeyance" and the broad Pendant without a ball accordingly
dropped. The construction details given here are taken from figures issued by
the Ministry of Defence and published in the current edition of BR20.
Martin Grieve and Christopher Southworth, 26 December 2003Commodore of the Royal Navy Reserve
![[UK Commodore or the Royal Navy Reserve]](../images/g/gb~crrnr.gif)
by
Martin Grieve
The flag of Commodore RNR (introduced in 1958) as well as
the flag of Commodore 1st class (1826-1958).
Martin Grieve, 26 December 2003
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
*There is only one active Commodore RNR
at any one point. Prior to the 1950s merger of the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR
being merchant-navy qualified and professional seamen) and the Royal Naval
Volunteer Reserve (RNVR being the "civilian" volunteers) into the one RNR there
well may have been! But certainly not now!
Andrew Thomas, 31 August 2006Squadron Command Pennant
![[UK Chief of Squadron]](../images/g/gb~csq.gif)
by Ivan Sache
Squadron Commander. Longer broad pennant with upper and lower edges in red. Source: Album des Pavillons.
Ivan Sache, 26 April 2000
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