Last modified: 2011-11-12 by ivan sache
Keywords: naval ensign | lion (black) | crown: royal (black) | civil ensign | jack | masthead pennant | yacht ensign | crown (yellow) |
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A Royal Decree dated 28 October 1936, modified on 12 May 1938, approved the Regulation Règlement relatif aux Pavillons, Honneurs et visites en usage dans la Marine Belge (Regulation prescribing Ensigns, Honours and Visits in use in the Belgian Navy).
The text prescribes ensigns, salutes and other
courtesy items, including two new ensigns for State and
private ships, whereas the merchant ensign is not
changed. House flags have to be allowed. A yacht
ensign was also adopted.
Sources:
All the images shown on this page were drawn after Flaggenbuch [neu92]. The flag construction details come from the same source.
Ivan Sache & Jan Mertens, 12 May 2004
![[Civil ensign]](../images/b/be~civ.gif)
Civil ensign - Image by Vincent Morley, 3 March 2001
The civil ensign is a rectangular Belgian tricolor flag.
This flag is still in use as the civil ensign.
Ivan Sache, 3 March 2001
Brown's Flags and Funnels of British and Foreign Steamship Companies (1926) [wed26] shows this flag with the caption: Belgian Government Mail Steamers, Brussels.
Jarig Bakker, 11 January 2005
![[Naval service ensign, 1936]](../images/b/be~nav36.gif)
Naval ensign - Image by Željko Heimer, 3 March 2001
The naval ensign is a rectangular Belgian tricolor flag with a crowned lion in the yellow stripe. The lion is black, with red tongue and claws, the crown is black. The height of the lion is one third of flag heigth. The width of the lion is 8/45th of the flag width. The height of the crown is one sixth of the flag heigth. The width of the crown is 7/45th of the flag width.
L. Nyssen, in Vexillacta [vxl] #3 (March 1999), says:
The State's Navy ensign was prescribed by Royal Order of 28 October 1936, but its real use was postponed until winter 1937/1938. The crews then tinkered with ensigns by using cardboard stencils of the crown and the lion, and in several cases the lion was fully black.
Ivan Sache, 3 March 2001
![[Special merchant ensign]](../images/b/be~navrs.gif)
Special civil ensign - Image by Željko Heimer, 3 March 2001
L. Nyssen (loc. cit.) and M. Lupant [lup98] mention another ensign regulated by the same 1936 order, which has apparently never been used. It is the State's Navy ensign without crown. It should be hoisted on ships not belonging to the State Navy but commanded by an officer registered in the Roll of Navy and with at least 1/3rd of the crew also registered in the Roll of Navy. The Roll of Navy is the naval reserve, to be armed only in case of general mobilization. This particular ensign is quite similar in use to the British Blue Ensign. This flag is not mentioned in Album des Pavillons [pay00], but was shown in Flaggenbuch [neu92].
Ivan Sache, 9 August 2000
![[Masthead pennant]](../images/b/be~wp.gif){kind=small}
Masthead pennant - Image by Željko Heimer, 3 March 2001
The masthead pennant is a thin rectangular Belgian tricolor flag with a forked red tail.
The tail has the same width as the three other stripes (1:1:1:1). The
heigth of the flag shall be no more than 15 cm. The caption says: Twice wider than the other ensigns hoisted.
This flag is still in use.
Ivan Sache, 3 March 2001
![[Yacht ensign]](../images/b/be~yc1.gif)
Yacht ensign - Image by Željko Heimer, 3 March 2001
The yacht ensign is a Belgian tricolor flag with a yellow crown in canton.
This flag is still in use (with a variant).
Ivan Sache, 3 March 2001