^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue

Norsk Selskab til Skipbrudnes Redning

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 May 2017

The Rescue Society (Redningsselskapet)

See also:

Norway

The Rescue Society (Redningsselskapet)

Full name: Norsk Selskab til Skibbrudnes Redning (NSSR / Norwegian Society for the Rescue of the Shipwrecked), but in all bases I met, it was denoted simply as “Redningsselskapet”.

The society was established on 9 July 1891 by Norwegian Navy Doctor Oscar Tybring, supported by the merchants’ society of Kristiania, nowadays Oslo. The first base was established in 1854, their number increased up to five until 1890. The first four lifeboats were brought into service in 1893. The society became well-known on 20 May 1894, when 36 shipwrecked persons were rescued. The society didn’t use any special ships but adapted fishing trawlers instead. Since about 1980 special lifeboats were brought into service. In 2014 there had been more than 7500 rescue missions. The society then had 50 lifeboats and 4 hospital ships located on 46 bases. Furthermore there had been 19 work boats and 27 auxiliary ships. The service was done mainly by about 950 volunteers. The paid staff in 2014 had 276 members, among those 194 seamen. Finally the society had about 100,000 supporting members.

The current flag has a thin red cross patty, surrounded by a blue annulet but just two blue initials bigger than before “R” (hoist) and “S” (fly).
I spotted this flag among others in Ålesund base on 18 April 2017.

Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redningsselskapet
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 May 2017

Norwegian Society for the Rescue of the Shipwrecked, voluntary society, est. 9 July 1891 in 1950s took over a state service in 1854. White flag with a red Hanseatic cross within a blue-edged white circle, blue letters NSSR in each corner. Designed by committee in 1893. The style of elements in the flag (widths, fonts, shapes) are notably different, but retaining the same general contents.
Željko Heimer, 29 August 2017

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 May 2017

I also find a lifeboat pennant (or vimpel), white with blue initials “RS” at hoist and a thin, red cross patty between blue brackets at fly.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 May 2017

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 May 2017

I spotted the pennant and a variant of flag with bigger capitals and lighter shades of blue in Svolvær on 25 April 2017.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 May 2017

Former Flag

image by André Coutanche

Source: 'The Lifeboat' magazine from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

The old flag, drawn by André Coutanche above, seems to have been in use at least until 2014.
That flag was white, in centre a thin, red cross patty, surrounded by an annulet blue and flanked by blue initials “N” (upper hoist) “S” (upper fly and lower hoist) and “R” (lower fly).
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 May 2017