"Flying The Union Flag On RN Ships" Topic

Do British warships ever fly the national flag from the main mast?

I confess my ignorance here, I've always believed it is only flown from the jack staff. However someone at work is adamant it can also be flown from the main mast.

Thanks everyone.

Flown from the masthead when the monarch or admiral of the fleet is on board, I think.

I may be mistaken, but isn't it customary for a foreign ship to fly the national flag of the host port at the masthead when visiting? So your friend may have seen a foreign ship flying the Union flag as a courtesy.

Dom is right. Also flown if a court martial is being conducted on board

Isn't it when flown on a ship the only time it should actually be called the Union Jack?

Yes, specifically when flown from the jackstaff at the bow of the ship rather than anywhere else, but to be honest it's a pedantic distinction at best these days – most people say Union Jack, not Union Flag, so on the basis that a term means what people mean when they use that term, that definition's probably obsolete.

Not so sure about the name of the flag Dom. I seem to recall reading that parliament had declared the flag could be called the Union Jack at any time and under all circumstances.

[Insert sound of Googling.]

Hmm, interesting, ta.

link

To further muddy the waters, the blue United States jack is also called a "Union Jack".

link

Ron

"It is often stated that the Union Flag should only be described as the Union Jack when flown in the bows of a warship, but this is a relatively recent idea. From early in its life the Admiralty itself frequently referred to the flag as the Union Jack, whatever its use, and in 1902 an Admiralty Circular announced that Their Lordships had decided that either name could be used officially. Such use was given Parliamentary approval in 1908 when it was stated that "the Union Jack should be regarded as the National flag"."
link

So a warship is flying the Union Jack from the main mast, then what happens the White Ensign?

Does it fly from the same mast but below the Union Jack, or is it moved to another jack?

The White Ensign doesn't fly from the mainmast – it belongs at the stern.

I didn't know that Dom, I always thought the White Ensign was only flown from the flag staff when the ship was in harbour.

Thanks for clearing that one up.

Oh good point. The default position remains the stern whenever practical at sea, but it can vary:

"All H.M. ships in commission wear the White Ensign. It is worn at the ensign staff when in harbour; it is also worn at the ensign staff at sea whenever possible, but in bad weather, or when cleared for action, or during war, it is worn at the peak of the gaff on the mainmast, or on a suitable staff mounted in the after part of the ship."

I guess if the ensign staff is "unavailable" and they have occasion to fly the Union at the masthead, they'd resort to the "suitable staff" option.

I thought that was all to do with only when going into battle! Like Hood at Denmark Strait. The giant White Ensign, as Battle flag, at mainmast….but what do I know? I am a Napoleonic modeller, here by mistake and fascinated by what I have read so far today.

Is the White Ensign not flown from the mainmast halyard as a battle flag?

yes…..that is what I thought……but I paint Waterloo figures and should not even be here!

In USN usage, the jack and flag are flown when in port (jack at the bow, national flag at the stern), while the flag is flown from midships when under way.

I forget the other specifics, because I didn't have to deal with them as a submariner!

" isn't it customary for a foreign ship to fly the national flag of the host port at the masthead when visiting? "
Not the US Navy. I was on board Com Seventh Fleet for 2 years, stationed in Yokosuka. I think I would have noticed any of the ships around me were flying a Japanese flag.

Oh good point. The default position remains the stern whenever practical at sea, but it can vary:

"All H.M. ships in commission wear the White Ensign. It is worn at the ensign staff when in harbour; it is also worn at the ensign staff at sea whenever possible, but in bad weather, or when cleared for action, or during war, it is worn at the peak of the gaff on the mainmast, or on a suitable staff mounted in the after part of the ship."

I guess if the ensign staff is "unavailable" and they have occasion to fly the Union at the masthead, they'd resort to the "suitable staff" option.

From my experience in the Royal Navy I can say that very rarely was the ensign worn on the ensign staff at sea (note that ensigns are worn, ordinary flags are flown). Soon after leaving port the order was given to transfer the ensign to the sea position and it would be lowered at the stern while being raised at the mainmast.

Additional ensigns are worn during battle (battle ensigns) so if one is shot away another is still displayed. Otherwise it might be though a ship had surrendered and hauled down her colours. Battle ensigns were usually the largest size and were sometimes of higher quality material than normal. I believe HMS Sheffield had a silk ensign presented by the city of Sheffield that was worn in battle.

The Jack is worn on the jackstaff when alongside or at anchor; also while underway, if in sight of land when ships alongside are dressed overall, or when carrying out certain royal duties. I have a photograph of HMS Alfriston with a jack, masthead ensign and stern ensign while on Royal yacht escort duty.

The Jack has three meanings in the RN: as above when alongside or at anchor, at the fore masthead as the personal flag of an Admiral of the fleet, at the main masthead to indicate a court martial is sitting. There is a case of HMS Victory with three Jacks when CinCNavHome was an Admiral of the Fleet and a court martial was in progress.

Correctly the courtesy flag for the UK is the Red Ensign, the country's merchantile ensign. This should be worn on the starboard outer yardarm of the foremast.

Thank you Pontius for a most interesting and informative post.

I never knew a flag is flown while an ensign is worn, and all the rest info you shared is really very much appreciated.

Thanks to everyone who has taken their time to comment so far.

On a slightly different note… tonight is the anniversary of one of the most infamous incidents of WW2. At 12.58am on the night of 13/14 October 1939, torpedoes fired by U47 commanded by Gunther Prien, slammed into the battleship HMS Royal Oak. The battleship quickly sank, taking 834 – some sources say 833 – of her gallant crew to their death on the seabed of Scapa Flow.

"Lest We Forget".

When I served aboard a USN aircraft carrier we always played the national anthem of the host country at morning colors while in a foreign port followed by the US national anthem. We never flew foreign flags.

Also in the USN, a soon as the ship is underway the message "Underway, shift colors" is passed over the 1MC. (PA system) At that precise moment the jack on the bow and the national colors at the stern are lowered and the national colors are raised "at the truck" (main mast)

I don't know if the Royal Navy does something similar, but it would be interesting to know.

I must confess my ignorance here bwanbill, but I have no idea what the ensign of the US Navy looks like! Every time I see a photo of a US warship, she's flying your national flag.

I have seen photos of a flag or ensign made up of stripes (thirteen?) and a snake, is that it?

And then I read above about the US Blue Jack..?

The jack is just the blue part of the national flag (50 stars)
The National ensign is the national flag (50 white stars on blue field, 13 stripes alternating white and red)
The flag with the snake on it is the "Don't tread on me" flag. The Navy shows it when they're ready to kick someone's ass.

The flag with the snake on it is the "Don't tread on me" flag. The Navy shows it when they're ready to kick someone's ass.

The "Rattlesnake Jack" used to be awarded to the oldest ship in service that wasn't the Constitution.

Then it was ordered to be flown by the entire US fleet after 9/11/01.

As far as I remember, courtesy flags are only flown by Merchant vessels. Then the Merchant Ensign of the country being visited is flown, as was noted above. The Union Jack is only flown from the jack staff whilst along side or at anchor. On Merchant vessels the "Pilot Jack" is flown there, as pictured link

In deference to Pontius above, his post may explain this photo:

The Union Jack being flown under way on HMS Sheffield

Jonesey