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![[RAF ensign]](../images/g/gb-raf.gif)
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by Martin Grieve
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The British Royal Air Force Ensign is in light "Air Force" blue
with the Union Jack in the canton and the Royal Air Force roundel,
concentric rings of red-white-blue (from the inside out) in the middle
of the fly.
Roy Stilling, 18 December 1995
Before 1918 the Royal Naval Air Service used the White Ensign and I presume that the Royal Flying Corps used whatever flags were appropriate for a corps of the army, perhaps just the Union Jack? An interim flag was produced to represent the Royal Air Force at the armistice celebrations; a 'white ensign' with an overall dark blue St George's Cross, the Royal Air Force eagle in the centre of the cross, and a royal crown above it on the vertical arm of the cross. Rather more attractive than the roundel ensign, but not to the liking of the Admiralty who thought it looked too much like a naval flag. Between the armistice and 26 July 1920 when the present ensign was approved, the Royal Air Force was supposed to fly the Union Jack, but some former Royal Naval Air Service units flew the White Ensign, or the white ensign with a blue St George's Cross, but without the eagle and crown.
During World War II there was a Royal Air Force ensign with a black, yellow and red roundel - the ensign of the Belgian Section of the Royal Air Force.
David Prothero, 11 November 1998
Above the main entrance of the Ministry of Defence building in Whitehall are
three flagpoles with the Royal Navy's White Ensign, the British Army flag,
and the Royal Air Force ensign flying in that order (from the observer's left to
right).
Joseph McMillan, 23 September
The Royal Air Force Ensign was approved without difference as the ensign of
the Royal Australian Air Force on 24 July 1922 (AIR 2/211), and was not changed
until 1949; but Canada and New Zealand had their own Air Force ensigns during
WW2.
The Royal Canadian Air Force was granted the right to use the Royal Air Force
Ensign on 12 October 1921 (AIR 2/211), but replaced the central red disc with a
red maple leaf in March 1940 (AIR 2/6141).
The Royal New Zealand Air Force applied to change its ensign in August 1939. The
new ensign was described as, "the Ensign of the Royal Air Force defaced by
the addition of the letters N Z superimposed in white upon the red roundel of
the ensign" (AIR 30/140).
References are Public Record Office documents at Kew.
David Prothero, 2 June 2002
This flag was introduced in 1918, and was concurrent with the founding of the
Royal Air Force as a separate fighting unit.
Christopher Southworth, 4 December 2003
The RAF have always referred to their flag as the RAF Ensign. It may possibly
be by analogy with the White Ensign, particularly as the RAF originally wanted
to have a White Ensign without the cross as their flag (they also tried a White
Ensign with a blue cross, which they referred to as a St. Michael's cross). The
Admiralty, on the other hand, stubbornly referred to it as an RAF flag, refusing
to admit that the RAF had any right to fly an ensign.
The RAF flag/Ensign was flown by the various launches and tenders that were part
of seaplane squadrons in the 1920s and 1930s, and then by the vessels of the Air
Sea Rescue Service, formed in 1939. Later renamed the Maritime Section, it was
civilianised in 1986. The craft then flew a Blue Ensign, defaced by a badge of
an RAF eagle above an anchor, all in yellow. That has since been wound up, and
ASR services passed over to RAF helicopter squadrons (plus the RNLI and
Coastguard).
It remains open to question whether they actually had permission to fly the RAF
Ensign as an ensign, however. The original Order in Council
gave permission for the flag to be used whenever and wherever the Air Council
saw fit, but the Admiralty did not think that the Order superseded the
provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act. In 1947, an RAF vessel was seized at
sea by Customs, on the grounds that it was flying an illegal ensign (the RAF
one), instead of the Red Ensign. The ASR launches got round the problem by the
flying the flag from the mast, and flying nothing at the stern. In any case, as
high speed vessels, the stern almost disappeared under the water when travelling
at speed, so the ensign might not have properly visible anyway.
Air bases have always been referred to as 'stations', and individually by name
with the prefix 'RAF', e.g. RAF Finningley. The service would certainly have
inherited a tradition of flying a flag at each station from the Royal Naval Air
Service (which went to part form the RAF in 1918).
Sources: PRO ADM 1/19970, 1/21665.
Ian Sumner, 4 December 2003
The RAF flag is definitely an ensign. It's been labelled that way in BR20 for
years. In Britain "ensign" is traditionally just another word for "flag", but
has come to mean a flag with the national flag in the canton. And it will be
called the RAF Ensign in the next edition of BR20 too, along with the rest of
the RAF flags.
The official Pantone shade of the RAF Ensign is 549, which looks too dark when
printed on paper but works in fabric. The illustrations in the printed BR20 used
Pantone 292 as and alternative, but I'm not happy with it and am looking at
alternatives, such as a tint of Pantone 549 to simulate the fabric flag. A grey
pale blue is a good description.
Graham Bartram, 5 December 2003
The RAF ensign is flown from gaffs. Because of their descent from RNAS
stations, RAF stations, like naval shore stations, are pseudo 'ships', flying
their ensigns as if from the spankers of sailing ships.
Stephen Fletcher, 12 August 2004
The original Order in Council was made on 24th March 1921:
"24 March 1921. Buckingham Palace.
Present : The King's Most Excellent Majesty in Council.
Whereas it is expedient that the Royal Air Force shall use and employ a
distinguishing ensign:
Now therefore, His Majesty is pleased, by and with the advice of his Privy
Council, to Order, and it is hereby ordered as follows.
Curiously, it is dated after the Air Ministry Order (Weekly Order 1130 of
11th December 1920) that contains the flag-flying instructions.
Ian Sumner, 5 December 2003
Based on current practice (rings 0.714 x height):
![[RAF ensign]](../images/g/gb'raf.gif)
values
provided by Graham Bartram
BR20 (produced by the MoD) used to give Pantone equivalents for the "Shades
of Naval Bunting and Nato Stock Colours". These were deleted in Change No. 2,
however, the details given for the RAF Ensign are 'NATO stock
no.8305-99-130-4578, Pantone 549C, which accords with my memory of the flag
(having seen it flying over an RAF Station) being a slightly greyish light blue.
Christopher Southworth, 5 December 2003
That colour appears to be 26-179-179 (10%,70%,70%) in RGB, which I suspect is
a problem. Closest are 0-153-153 (too dark) and 0-204-204 (too light).
Changing the 0 to 51 doesn't help. Certainly having the B value at 255 is way
off-beam.
James Dignan, 5 December 2003
Based on official figures (rings 0.764 x height of flag):
![[RAF ensign]](../images/g/gb'raf2.gif)
by Martin Grieve
The construction details given on Martin Grieve's illustration
are taken from an annotated drawing in Admiralty file ADM/12493, and are (in
essence) confirmed by an illustration in the 1939 Edition of the German
Admiralty flag book - the Flaggenbuch - and by that published by the Ministry of
Defence in the current edition of BR20. The colour of the flag's field is
officially described as "Air Force Blue", but is not otherwise defined. It is
flown at RAF airfields, by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Attaches and
Advisors, and also by the Heads OF RAF Missions abroad.
Christopher Southworth, 4 December 2003
Having been in contact with Graham I can confirm that the original
specifications (shown here) are the only official specifications extant, and
that the five-sevenths referred to by him (and used for the upper construction
diagram here) is, in fact, based on 'custom and practice'.
Christopher Southworth, 29 January 2004
image by Martin Grieve and António Martins-Tuválkin, 2 March 2016
The RAF website has a section on the
RAF Ensign. In a nutshell, in 1920, the Air Council decided that it was to have its own flag. The
Admiralty opposed the move at first, but later conceded, stating that the flag should be the Union Jack with a badge.
The Air Council did not like the
idea, suggesting a plain White Ensign without the cross. This infuriated the Admiralty, for the White Ensign was (is)
reserved for the Royal Navy. King
George V wanted the matter to be resolved by the cabinet, but nothing materialized.
Meanwhile, the public were sending in their own designs. None was adopted, but there was one
suggestion which impressed the parties concerned. This was to use the RAF roundel. Before the final decision was made, Air
Vice Marshal
Salmond added a Union Jack in the canton of the new flag, symbolizing British authority. The RAF Ensign was then adopted in
December 1920, and
authorized by the King's Order in Council on 24 March 1921.
Miles Li, 25 January 2002
I recently acquired a most curious RAF Ensign, curious in that it has a white background. I've tried researching it and during my attempts to gain further information I came across the "Flags of the World" website. The Ensign measure 48" x 24", and made from what I have been informed is a heavy silk. I have had it the Ensign closely examined and confirmed that the background is, and always was, white. There is also substantial age to it.
Can you, or any of your associates help me identify the possible age/reason for such a Flag. The one theory I've had suggested is that it may be a pre-1920 RAF Ensign used briefly before the Royal Navy objected to the white background being used.
Ian Wilson, 10 August 2012
There is also a (slight) possibility that
this flag is one of a number of trial designs made up in February 1920 by a company called Edgington's, in London. The idea was to try and (finally) choose a design for the RAF flag. The three choices laid before a committee of senior officers were the RAF roundel on plain light blue, the RAF roundel on plain white, and a smaller roundel on white, but with a dark blue border around the edge of the flag. The committee went for a white flag, with the addition of a Union canton - which is what seems to be in the photo. But the final decision was of course the light blue version.
My reading of the document in the National Archives (AIR 5/333 Part II) is that the three designs made by Edgington's were plain flags, without a Union canton, and that no other trial flags were produced, but it is possible, I suppose, that further examples, with a canton were made up, and any documentary record has been lost, but I wouldn't like to put any money on that being the case.
Ian Sumner, 14 August 2012
image provided by David Prothero, 14 August 2012
[Click on image
for larger version.]
I think that this is more likely to be a c1919/20 trial flag, though I am not sure that such a flag would have been made-up in silk. Nearly all the Air Ministry's proposals were strongly opposed by the Admiralty. Many different ideas were floated. Attached is a page of some proposed from the Australian National Archives.
David Prothero, 14 August 2012
Following an article in the current April issue of Flypast magazine, I've been
contacted by serving Flying Officer Martin J Wade of 614 (County of Glamorgan)
Squadron. He sent me
the attached image showing an RAF Ensign identical in size and material to
mine. I'm now trying to establish the history of this Ensign. It is known to
have been with 614 Squadron since the late 1950s when it was presented to them.
Ian Wilson, 15 March 2019
Some extracts about flags from Air Ministry Orders.
Distinguishing Flags and Lamps were introduced by AMO 782/18 on 2 August 1918.
The flags, for use by day, were the same as the present flags, the lamps, for
use by night, were square.
Air Vice Marshall. Dark Blue, over Light Blue, over Red.
Air Commodore. Dark Blue over Red.
Group Captain. Dark Blue to left of Red.
Wing Commander. Dark Blue over Red. Tilted to make a diamond shape.
Squadron Leader. Dark Blue.
AMO 10/20. Use of White Ensign. A22216. 1 January 1920.
1. The use of the White ensign is reserved exclusively for H.M. Ships. The White
ensign is not to be flown at any Royal Air Force station or by any Royal Air
Force unit.
2. The question of a special ensign for the Royal Air Force is still under
consideration.
AMO 600/20. Signal Flags etc.. for Marine Craft. 154352/20. 1 July 1920.
For 50 foot Motor Boats and Power Driven Lighters.
International and Naval Code. No.6 size. Nos. 601 to 669. One Set.
Flags, Union. 3 breadth. 1.5 yards by 0.75 yards. One.
Seems surprising to include a Union Flag.
AMO 1130/20. R.A.F. Ensign.
Paras 1 - 3. Detail how it should be flown, and on what sort of flag staff. Para
4. Royal Air Force Ensign is to be hoisted daily at the Headquarters of the
force, Headquarters of area and independent commands, from airships, and at
stations and units given in the appendix to this Order.
Since it mentions airships, but not marine craft, it was presumably not used at
sea at that time.
AMO 599/48. Designation of Royal Air Force Marine Craft. A909870/47/S7(a). 22
July 1948.
1. H.M. the King has approved the designation His Majesty's Air Force Vessel,
for all ocean-going ships and sea-going craft of the 68 foot launch class
commanded by a RAF officer and manned by RAF personnel in uniform.
2. This designation is to be used whenever reference is made to such vessels in
official publications, correspondence etc.
3. His Majesty's Air Force Vessels will fly the RAF ensign in accordance with
King's Regulations article 156(9).
David Prothero, 11 December 2003
Does anyone know if these services are still in existence and if these
are still their flags?
Dave Martucci, 6 December 1997
6 August 1965. Air Attaché, US Embassy, London, to Ministry of Defence.
In accordance with AFM 900-2, 1 August 1961, para 28, the following policy
concerning the display of the United States flag and the Royal Air Force ensign
at United States Air Force installations in Great Britain is established.
[National Archives (PRO) AIR 2/18233]
David Prothero, 20 February 2004
