Sweden and Norway 1858-1905

The saluting instructions of 4 September 1858 abolished the common rank and command flags for the Norwegian and Swedish navies. In Norway, admirals were to use the war ensign of 1844 as rank flag (to be hoisted on different masts according to rank). The commissioning pennant was left unchanged. Three new rank flags were introduced:

• A commodore, as commander of a squadron was given a red over white over blue over white over red (~6:1:2:1:6) with the union mark in top hoist corner.
• Commanders of detachments had a swallow-tailed pennant (~1:3) divided red-white-blue-white-red (~5:1:2:1:5) with union mark in the top hoist corner.
• Non-commissioned officers flew an all red pennant.

SOURCES:

• Beutlich, F: "Flag og kommandotegn", in C. Sparre (ed): Norges sjöforsvar 1814-1914, Kristiania, 1914
• Sundt, Trygve: "Norske orlogsflag og kommandotegn siden 1814", Norsk tidsskrift for sjövesen, Vol. 50, 1932, pp. 518-529

Jan Oskar Engene, 11 February 1997

Triangular pennant in the Norwegian national colours (no cross) with the herring salat in the canton. As in other cases when the saltire is included in non rectangular canton, the deformations make it a rather unpleasant sight.
Željko Heimer, 15 July 2002

"Broad pennant" (i.e. swallow-tailed rectangular flag) in the Norwegian national colours (no cross, though I haven't noticed this in all places where maybe needed) with the canton of the herring salat.
Željko Heimer, 18 July 2002

New saluting instructions of 8 April 1875 made some changes to the rank and command flags of the Norwegian navy.

A flag for the commander in chief of the navy was introduced. He was to have two crossed white command staffs in the red field under the union mark (bottom hoist).

Admirals were no longer to use the plain war ensign. Instead stars were added to denote their rank. An admiral was to have three white stars (1 over 2) in the bottom hoist red field, a vice-admiral two stars (side by side), and a rear-admiral a single star. The pennant previously used by commanders of detachments (introduced in 1858) was now to be used by commodores as commanders of squadrons. Commanders of detachments were now to use a pennant with the union mark at the hoist with the rest of the field divided horizontally red-white-blue-white-red. The plain red pennant of non-commissioned officers was retained.

Amendments of 1898

Instructions of 1901

SOURCES:

• Beutlich, F: "Flag og kommandotegn", in C. Sparre (ed): Norges sjöforsvar 1814-1914, Kristiania, 1914
• Reglement for saluter fra rigets faestninger, Kristiania, 1901
• Salutreglement med Tillaeg om Flage of Kommandotegn, Christiania, 1875

Jan Oskar Engene, 12 February 1997

The state flag with the herring salat in canton and two white batons in saltire in lower hoist quarter.
Željko Heimer, 18 July 2002

Herring Salat in canton and three white stars in lower hoist quarter. As I have noted when dealing with the state flag, the 1844 pattern on which this one should have been modeled is shown by Engene with curious middle tongue. Either the flags followed it (not shown so by Engene) or the state flag was changed in usage to the modern look (with herring salad, of course), possibly silently. Third possibility is that the "odd 1844" is erroneous.
Željko Heimer, 16 July 2002

The state flag with the herring salat in canton and two white stars in lower hoist quarter. I don't know if we have covered it, but I just remembered, and this seems the most adequate place to put it - the post-1905 admiral flags probably retained the 1-2-3 stars system until some modern date when they were changed to 2-3-4 (and 1-star was recently added finally). This may be also good spot to ask - where there flags of generals, yacht clubs, postal ensigns etc. before 1905 to match the current usage (at least some of those may have been there)?
Željko Heimer, 16 July 2002

---

I am not sure I understand what you are asking about. The major change in 1905 was the total removal of the union badge from those flags in which it was still retained - that is military flags and the yacht ensign. The union badge was removed from the state, post and customs flags in 1899. The yacht ensign also had a change of cipher, as Oscar II was replaced by Haakon VII. Further, the Royal flag was changed into a heraldic banner of the national coat of arms. Before 1905 the royal flag was the state flag/war ensign with the union coat of arms in the intersection of the arms of the cross. I have not made images of this flag because the coat of arms is too complex to draw (for me at least).
Jan Oskar Engene, 17 July 2002

---

I guess it is this arms in Arnaud Bunel's "Heraldique Europeene" website here.
Sanitago Dotor, 18 July 2002

---

Right. And with two crowns above the escutcheon to indicate not one united kingdom, but two kingdoms sharing the same king. It was introduced by Oscar I (father of Charles XV) to promote equality within the union, for the same reason that they both got new flags at the time, with the same union badge. The union arms were only used by royals and the foreign service. Both states kept their individual coats of arms for internal use, and the Norwegian lion was removed from the Swedish coat of arms.
Lars Roede, 18 July 2002