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Metropolitan Police (United Kingdom)

image by Martin Grieve, 2 October 2006

On this page:

Description of the flag
Guidon of the Mounted Branch of the Metropolitan Police Service
Thames Division Metropolitan Police Flag
Thames Division of the Metropolitan Police Flag - 1840

See also:

Description of the flag

A blue flag with a blue-white bordure, and the badge in the centre.

Guidon of the Mounted Branch of the Metropolitan Police Service

image by Herman Felani, 20 November 2006

The guidon of the Metropolitan Police Service Mounted Branch comprises a blue field and silver fringes. The Metropolitan Police Service badge is embroidered at the centre and the text "Mounted Branch" is embroidered along the base in silver. The image here is based on a photograph of the actual guidon from the Newton flags website. A photograph of a police parade with the guidon is available at the Metropolitan Police's website. The main reference page where the photograph is shown is at Metropolitan Police: Mounted Branch Duties.
Herman Felani, 20 November 2006

Thames Division Metropolitan Police Flag

image by Martin Grieve, 1 October 2006

Thames Division applied to the Admiralty for a Blue Ensign and on 21 March 1952 the 4th Sea Lord wrote that he would be very glad to issue a warrant to Thames Division, if only in recognition of the assistance rendered to Sub-Lieutenants from Greenwich who had missed the last train. Two warrants dates are recorded, one on 21 April 1952, and a second on 5 September 1952, with introduction of the ensign delayed until 1 July 1953. Possibly the original warrant was granted for an ensign with the then existing police badge, before it was realised that the death of King George VI earlier that year would require an alteration to the royal initials which were part of the badge. The second warrant would then have been for a badge containing the initials EiiR, effective on the First of the Month following the Coronation Service.
The original badge on the ensign is a single print with the letters back-to-front on the reverse side. In the centre of the current badge the colours blue and white have, compared with the first ensign, been reversed, and the crown is now in full colour. In 2001 Thames Division became known as the Marine Support Unit.
Source: National Archives (PRO) MEPO 2/9196 and MEPO 13/41.
David Prothero, 1 October 2006

Thames Division Metropolitan Police - current.

image by Martin Grieve, 1 October 2006

The current Thames Division Metropolitan Police flag is based on illustration in Graham Bartram's book "British Flags & Emblems".
Martin Grieve, 1 October 2006

Thames Division of the Metropolitan Police Flag 1840

image by Martin Grieve, 1 September 2006
based on the illustration in Graham Bartram's book "British Flags & Emblems".

The Marine Police were formed in 1798 and the Metropolitan Police in 1829. The two forces amalgamated in 1839 and the Marine Police became Thames Division of the Metropolitan Police. A blue flag with a crown in the upper hoist corner and POLICE across the lower hoist and fly was introduced in 1840 as the flag of the Thames Division. In 1938 and again in 1941 it was suggested that since ensigns had been granted to other authorities that operated vessels on the Thames, such as Customs, War Department, General Post Office and Port of London Authority, Thames Division should apply for a Blue Ensign. However nothing was done until 1951 when it was noted that a Blue Ensign had been granted to the Thames Motor Cruising Club that had been in existence for only twenty-one years. That ensign had been granted to the club in recognition of its services during the 1939-45 war, particularly at Dunkirk in 1940.
David Prothero, 1 September 2006