 | |
| Red Duster | |
| Use | Civil ensign  |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 1:2 |
| Adopted | British Merchant Navy |
| Design | Red with theUnion Jack occupying one quarter of the field and placed in thecanton. |
TheRed Ensign orRed Duster is thecivil ensign of theUnited Kingdom. It is one of theBritish ensigns, and it is used either plain ordefaced with either abadge or acharge, mostly in the right half.
It is the flag flown by British merchant or passenger ships since 1707. Prior to 1707, anEnglish red ensign and aScottish red ensign were flown by theEnglish Royal Navy and theRoyal Scots Navy, respectively. The precise date of the first appearance of these earlier red ensigns is not known, but surviving payment receipts indicate that the English navy was paying to have such flags sewn in the 1620s.
The English Red Ensign as it appeared in the 17th centuryPrior to the reorganisation of theRoyal Navy in 1864, the plain red ensign had been the ensign of one of three squadrons of the Royal Navy, theRed Squadron, as early as 1558. By 1620, the plain red ensign started to appear with theCross of St George in the upper-leftcanton.
TheColony of Massachusetts used the red ensign from its founding; after a sermon byRoger Williams in 1636, equating crosses with thepapacy, GovernorEndicott ordered the St George cross removed from the flag. The Great and General Court of the colony found that Endicott had "exceeded the lymits of his calling", and yet left the flag without its cross for a number of decades afterward.[1]
In 1674, a Royal Proclamation of KingCharles II (1630–1685, reigned 1660–1685) confirmed that the Red Ensign was the appropriate flag to be worn by Englishmerchant ships. The wording of the 1674 proclamation indicates that the flag was customarily being used by English merchantmen before that date. At this time, the ensign displayed the Cross of St George in the canton. This changed in 1864, when an order in council provided that the Red Ensign was allocated to merchantmen.
The Scottish Red Ensign, flown by ships of theRoyal Scots Navy before it was merged into the BritishRoyal Navy in 1707It is probable that the cross-saltire was adopted by the Scots as a national ensign at a very early period, but there seems no direct evidence of this before the fourteenth century. The earliest Scottish records were lost at sea in the ship that was sent to return them to that country, whence they had been carried off, with theStone of Destiny, by KingEdward I (1239–1307, reigned 1272–1307). Prior to 1707, the Scottish Red Ensign was flown by ships of theRoyal Scots Navy, with asaltire in the canton.
The Scottish Ensign has been flown unofficially by many Scottish vessels for a number of years. In 2015, a movement was launched by Lieutenant Commander George MacKenzieRNR to have the Scottish Ensign officially recognised, on the basis that the Merchant Shipping Act of 1995 permits Her Majesty the Queen in Council or a Secretary of State to approve "any colours consisting of the Red Ensign defaced or modified". Supporters cited the example of the States ofJersey, who in 2010 were permitted to use a "voluntary or informal" red ensign, adorned with aPlantagenet crown.[2][3] The movement culminated in a petition for theScottish Government to seek a warrant from the U.K. government to reintroduce the flag as an "informal or voluntary ensign" for Scottish merchant vessels. MacKenzie stressed that the "petition was not meant to replace or supersede the British Red Ensign".[4] The petition received the support ofMSP Michael Russell, and other Merchant sailors and members of sailing trade groups.[5] The petition gained enough support that it was passed onto the Scottish Government who recommended Mr MacKenzie "raise the issue with the Secretary of State directly or through his MP".[6]
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The British Red Ensign (1707–1800).svg)
The British Red Ensign as used inBritish America (including theThirteen Colonies)Upon the legislative union of England and Scotland in 1707, the smallRoyal Scots Navy came to an end as a separate force, and the "Union" colours (invented on the union of the two crowns a hundred years before) were inserted in all ensigns, naval and mercantile. An Order in Council of 21 July 1707 established as naval flags of the royal standard the Union flag and "the ensign directed by her Majesty since the said Union of the two Kingdoms", which from the coloured drafts attached to the order is seen to be the red ensign. The white and blue ensigns are not mentioned in this Order; evidently the red ensign was alone regarded as the legal ensign ofGreat Britain and the others as merely variations of it for tactical purposes.[7]
In 1707,Acts of Union, ratifying theTreaty of Union, which had been agreed the previous year, were passed by the parliaments ofEngland andScotland, thereby uniting theKingdom of Scotland with theKingdom of England (which included thePrincipality of Wales) into a new state with the name "Kingdom of Great Britain". This resulted in a new red ensign which placed the firstUnion Flag, including asaltire in the first quarter. The new design of the Red Ensign was proclaimed byQueen Anne (1665–1714, reigned 1702–1714), who indicated that it was to be used by both the navy and ships owned by "our loving subjects".
The flag was flown by ships of theThirteen Colonies inNorth America before theAmerican Revolution. Modification of the flag was used to express the discontent of the colonists before and during the outbreak of the revolution.[8] This can be seen in both theTaunton flag and theGeorge Rex flag.[9] It also formed the basis of theContinental Union Flag of 1775, which served as the first American national flag, although it differed slightly from the primary Red Ensign in that it had a squared Union Flag in the canton.
In 1801, with anotherAct of Union, Ireland joined with Great Britain to form theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, which resulted in the presentUnion Flag being added to the canton. TheSt Patrick's Cross was added to the Union Flag and, accordingly, to the first quarters of the British ensigns.
TheMerchant Shipping Act 1854 included a specific provision that the Red Ensign was the appropriate flag for a British merchantman. This provision was repeated in successive British shipping legislation (i.e.,1889,1894 (section 73) and1995).
Until 1864, the Red Ensign was also the principal ensign of the Royal Navy, and as such it was worn by ships of the Red Squadron of the navy, as well as by those warships that were not assigned to any squadron (i.e., those sailing under independent command). The white ensign and the blue ensign were also used by the Royal Navy.
Many in theAdmiralty felt that the Royal Navy's use of three separate ensigns (i.e., the red, white, and blue) was outdated and confusing. Many also felt thatmerchantmen should be clearly distinguishable fromwarships. In July 1864, anorder-in-council provided that the White Ensign was the ensign of theRoyal Naval Service. The Blue Ensign was designated as the proper national colours for ships commanded by an officer of theRoyal Naval Reserve, and (with an appropriate badge) as national colours for ships in government service. The Red Ensign was assigned to British merchantmen. This basic structure remains today.
A few years later (1867–1869), the Admiralty determined that theblue ensign charged with an appropriate badge in the fly would be used as the ensign by those ships in the armed, or public, service of the many British colonies. Most British colonies needed to use the blue ensign due to the fact that most had government vessels; some colonies, such asSouth Australia, had warships. As a result, the Blue Ensign was used throughout the Empire and thus became the model for the flags used by a number of colonies and former colonies in theBritish Empire. At the same time, the red ensign (which was designated in 1864 as the flag for merchant shipping) was used by merchantmen of those colonies or territories which obtained an Admiralty warrant. Warrants were issued, chronologically, toBritish North Borneo (1882),British East Africa (1890),Canada (1892),New Zealand (1899), British South Africa (1902),Australia (1903),British Somaliland (1904),Union of South Africa (1910),Newfoundland (1918),Indian Native States (1921),Cyprus (1922),Tanganyika (1923),Western Samoa (1925) andPalestine (1927).[10] Those areas, notably including British India, that did not have an Admiralty warrant used the plain Red Ensign, although unofficial local versions of the Red Ensign were used.
Today[update], Red Ensigns charged with the local emblem are available to be used by ships registered on several of the component registers of theRed Ensign Group:Bermuda,British Virgin Islands,Cayman Islands,Falkland Islands,Gibraltar,Guernsey,Jersey, andIsle of Man.
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The plain red ensign is thecivil ensign or merchant ensign of theUnited Kingdom. The flag has overall ratio of 1:2 with theUnion occupying one quarter of the field and placed in thecanton.
Some public bodies or national institutions are authorised to fly red ensignsdefaced with a badge or emblem. These include:
The red ensigndefaced with a specific club's badge or emblem is allowed to be hoisted as the national ensign by members of the followingyacht clubs:
Bermuda, uniquely amongBritish overseas territories, uses the Red Ensign as its land flag as well as at sea. The flag has apparently been flown unofficially since Bermuda's arms were granted in 1910. There appears to be no formal adoption of the Bermuda flag for use on land, although a 1969Foreign and Commonwealth Office circular mentions its use. The white and green shield has a red lion holding a scrolled shield showing the sinking of the shipSea Venture off of Bermuda in 1609. The Red Ensign is likely to have been chosen as Bermuda's land flag due to Canadian influence. (For the first half of the 20th century, Canada made use of the Red Ensign defaced with the Canadian shield as an unofficial land flag.) Bermuda's 2002 shipping legislation officially recognises the flag as an ensign for Bermudian registered ships. Prior to 2002, the flag was often used unofficially by Bermudian ships as an ensign, as reflected in Admiralty correspondence dating back to the 1950s. Bermuda (civil) Government vessels and maritime services use thedefaced blue ensign, which is flown both from vessels and from shore facilities.
Gibraltar features variant flags of the territory which incorporate the Gibraltarcoat of arms into a red ensign. This is the only Overseas Territory not to adopt any such ensign as its territorial flag, although the ensigns may still be seen on vessels in the waters of the territory.[11]
TheCrown dependency of theIsle of Man was granted a red ensign, with the triskelion of Man in the central fly, for use by ships registered through the island, by Royal Warrant dated 27 August 1971. It is widely used onluxury yachts and largecargo ships around the world, due to the financial benefits the Isle of Man can provide.[citation needed]
The Australian Red Ensign is the Australian civil ensign. From 1901 to 1954 the flag was used as a civil flag, to be flown by private citizens on land, with the use of the Blue Ensign reserved for government use, reflecting British practice. During this period, the Blue Ensign was the Australian national flag. In 1941, Prime MinisterRobert Menzies stated that there should be no restrictions on private citizens using the Blue Ensign on land, and in 1947 Prime MinisterBen Chifley reaffirmed this position, but it was not until the passage of the Flags Act 1953 that the restriction on civilians flying the Blue Ensign was officially lifted, after which use of the Red Ensign on land became a rarity. Under the Navigation and Shipping Act 1912 and the Shipping Registration Act 1981, the Red Ensign remains the only flag permitted for use by merchant ships registered in Australia. Pleasure craft may use either the Red Ensign or the national flag, but not both at the same time.[12]
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Canadian flag (1868–1921).svg)
Canadian flag (1921–1957).svg)
Final Canadian Red Ensign (1957–1965)The term "Red Ensign" is often used to refer to theCanadian Red Ensign, the formerde factonational flag of Canada. It was informally adopted followingCanadian Confederation in 1867 and, from 1892, it was the official flag for use on Canadian merchant ships. On land, however, the official national flag was the Union Flag. Despite its unofficial status, the Red Ensign was widely used on land as well. In 1924, the Red Ensign was approved for use on Canadian government buildings outside Canada, and from 1945 for those inside Canada as well.
Canada's Red Ensign bore various forms of the shield from theCanadian coat of arms in its fly during the period of its use. Shown here are pictures of the three official forms between 1868 and 1965. Canada also used ablue ensign for ships operated by the Canadian government and for theRoyal Canadian Navy.
While not an official national flag, the Red Ensign represented Canada until 1965 when, after considerabledebate, it was replaced by theMaple Leaf flag. The Red Ensign is still popular amongtraditionalists andmonarchists. Although the national Red Ensign is no longer used, the provincial flags ofManitoba andOntario are Red Ensigns bearing their respective coats of arms.
TheHudson's Bay Company and theNorth West Company also used Red Ensigns as their corporate flags.
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Newfoundland Red EnsignThe Red Ensign with the Newfoundland great seal in the fly was considered the unofficial flag of theDominion of Newfoundland from 1904 until 1931, at which point it was officially legislated as the Dominion of Newfoundland's "National Colours" to be flown as thecivil ensign, with theUnion Flag being legislated as the national flag at that time as well. The Newfoundland Red Ensign was then used as official commercial shipping identification until the mid-1960s.[13] The badge in the flag consists ofMercury, the god of commerce and merchandise, presenting toBritannia a fisherman who, in a kneeling attitude, is offering the harvest of all the sea. Above the device in a scroll are the wordsTerra Nova, and below the mottoHæc Tibi Dona Fero or "These gifts I bring thee." The seal was redesigned by Adelaine Lane, niece of Governor SirCavendish Boyle in 1903.
The Fijian Red Ensign with the Union Flag in the first quarter, and the shield from thecoat of arms of Fiji in the fly became the official flag in Fiji for civilian vessels since 10 October 1970. Previously the ensign was displayed the full coat of arms on a white disc from 1908.
Indian Red Ensign with theStar of India
Ensign of Commissioners of thePort of Calcutta 1896–1947The flag representingBritish India was usually the Union Flag with theStar of India. In many international events and international associations the Red Ensign with the Star of India was used to represent India.[14] After the partition of British India, both India and Pakistan have their own civil ensigns following British tradition, which are all variants of the Red Ensign with their own national flag in the canton.
Theprincely states, also known as 'native states', were over five hundred nominally sovereign territories within theBritish Raj that were not directly governed by the British, but by a local ruler through a form ofindirect rule subject to asubsidiary alliance under theparamountcy of theBritish Crown.[15]The great majority of the princely states of British India werelandlocked. Some of the few which had a coastline used versions of the red ensign on their merchant vessels.
Civil Ensign ofBaroda State (until 1948)
Civil Ensign ofBhavnagar State (until 1948)
Civil Ensign ofCambay State (until 1948)
Civil ensign of theKingdom of Cochin (until 1948)
Civil ensign ofCutch State (until 1948)
Civil Ensign ofJafrabad State (until 1948)
Civil Ensign ofJanjira State (until 1948)
Civil Ensign ofJunagadh State (until 1948)
Civil ensign ofNawanagar State (until 1948)
Civil Ensign ofPorbandar State (until 1948)
Civil Ensign ofSachin State (until 1948)
Civil Ensign ofTravancore State (until 1948)
The New Zealand Red Ensign with the Union Flag in the first quarter, and theSouthern Cross, represented by four five-pointed white stars featured in the fly became the official flag in New Zealand formerchant vessels in 1901.[16] Previously a plain red ensign was used.
The red ensign may continue to be flown on land inMāori areas or during Māori events under the Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981[17] in recognition of long held Māori preference for red flags. New Zealand law allows thedefacement of the flag in accordance with Māori custom in which white capital letters identifying a particular family or Māori tribe are added. In the case of the flag on the right, TAKITIMU refers to a grouping of Māoriiwi descended from the crew of theTākitimuwaka (canoe).[18]
Today, private and merchant craft can choose to fly theFlag of New Zealand (which is a blue ensign) or the New Zealand red ensign.
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The Red Ensign, defaced with the shield of the national coat of arms, was authorised as the merchant ensign of theUnion of South Africa on 28 December 1910.[19] From 1912, the shield was displayed on a white disc. The ensign was superseded by thenational flag with effect from 1 January 1960, in terms of the Merchant Shipping Act 1951.[20]
The Red Ensign with the shield was also used on land as a de facto national flag from 1910 until 1928. There was also aBlue Ensign which was the official ensign of government-owned vessels, and was also flown at South African offices overseas.
The most notable usage of the Red Ensign as a national flag was when GeneralLouis Botha flew the flag overWindhoek in what was thenGerman South-West Africa after the town's occupation by South African troops in 1915.
The use of the Red Ensign as a national flag ended with the introduction of a propernational flag in 1928. This was preceded by the South African Flag Controversy of 1925 to 1928.[21]
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TheContinental Union Flag (often referred to as the Cambridge Flag or the Grand Union Flag), the first national flag of theUnited States of America was adopted in 1775. The flag was created by sewing 13 white stripes onto the field of existing colonial ensigns.[22] It was used by theUnited Colonies, and then the United States, until 1777, when a 13-star canton was adopted by theContinental Congress to replace the pre-1801Union Jack. All subsequent federal flags and the 50-starcurrent flag are therefore derivatives of such.
Theflag of the city ofTaunton inBristol County, Massachusetts is also based on the pre-1801 Red Ensign. This was a local variant of theFlag of New England (seeGeorge Rex Flag).
The currentFlag of Hawaii was adopted by theKingdom of Hawaii in 1845 and was retained after annexation by the United States. The flag is most similar to the modern Red Ensign of all American flags and contains the post-1801 Union Jack.
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Sea Scout groups withinThe Scout Association can beRoyal Navy Recognised, and are allowed to fly a defaced Red Ensign to signify this.
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