Last modified: 2012-09-30 by pete loeser
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![[Naval Reserve Officers' Civil Ensign 1893-1919 (Germany)]](../images/d/de~nr893.gif)
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by Jaume Ollé and António Martins
The "Merchant Flag with Iron Cross" (Handelsflagge mit Eisernem Kreuz) was similar in design to the jack but with the cross touching the hoist edge of the flag. Height of cross is 5/9 of that of the flag. Adopted 1st July 1893. Flown by merchant ships commanded by Reserve or retired naval officers.
Sources: Illustrated in Crampton 1990 [cra90i] p. 42 (which is a copy of Meyers Konversationslexikon 1912 [mkl12], vol. 4, facing p. 799) and National Geographic 1917 [gmc17] p. 367, no. 1012.
Norman Martin, 1998
On 1 July 1896, a special merchant ensign for ships commanded by retired and reserve naval officers entitled the Handelsflagge mit Eisernem Kreuz was decreed. It consisted of the black-white-red merchant flag with at center of the hoist an iron cross whose height was 5/9 that of the flag. It was replaced by another design by the Flag Ordinance of 1921.
Sources: my series [of contributions to FOTW] on the flags of the German Empire of 1998, much material from the article I wrote with Rüdiger Dreyhaupt (Martin and Dreyhaupt 1999) and some other material.
Illustrations: (only major vexillological sources) Martin and Dreyhaupt 1999 [mdh99], no. 47; Crampton 1990 [cra90i] p. 42 (which is a copy of Meyers Konversationslexikon 1912 [mkl12], vol. 4, facing p. 799) no. 18.
Norman Martin, 26 January 2001