^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Belgium: Naval ensign and jack

Naval ensign
Naval jack
Masthead pennant

See also:

Naval ensign

by Mark Sensen

On 23 February 1950, the Force Navale received its own ensign, clearly different from the national, state and civil ensigns as well from the yacht ensign.

On a white field, a black-yellow-red St. Andrew's cross, with black on left and right, red on top and bottom, yellow in the middle. On first quarter, two crossed cannons below the black royal crown and in fourth quarter a black anchor.

The ensign reminds the White Ensign of the Royal Navy, from which was formed the Naval Force. The St. Andrew's cross comes from the famous Burgondian batons, which decorated the ensigns of the Belgian ships during the Burgondian rule. The three colours of the cross are the national ones, the crown is the emblem of the kingdom, the crossed cannons show the ensign is a military one and the anchors symbolize the crews. The war ensign was hoisted for the first time on 2 March 1950. The war ensign in proportion 2:3, with 2.25 x 3.375 m as largest size, flies either on the yard of the mainmast to starboard or on the Gaffel of the Besanmastes.

Source: L. Nyssen Einige Flaggen der belgischen Marine von 1815 bis heute (Some flags of the Belgian Navy from 1815 until now). Flaggenkurier (1995). Paper also available online.

Ivan Sache, 8 April 2001

I have some xerox copies of sheets which seem to come from a book (bilingual Dutch and French) containing regulations (for the Navy maybe?). For the naval ensign are given the following dimensions:

Height of the flag: 225
Length of the flag: 150
Width of the stripes: 12 (therefore, width of the saltire is 3x12=36)
Height of the guns plus crown: 33
Width of the guns: 42
Height of the anchor: 36
Width of the anchor: 30

Mark Sensen, 8 April 2001

Naval jack

by Ole Andersen

When required, a jack (square Belgian Tricolor), with a height of 1.50 m, also prescribed on 23 February 1950, flies from the bowsprit.

Source: L. Nyssen Einige Flaggen der belgischen Marine von 1815 bis heute (Some flags of the Belgian Navy from 1815 until now). Flaggenkurier (1995). Paper also available online.

Ivan Sache, 8 April 2001

Masthead pennant

by Željko Heimer

The masthead pennant of the Belgian Navy is a long, rectangular black-yellow-red pennant with split fly (indentation 1/4 of length)

Source: Album des Pavillons [pay00]

Željko Heimer, 27 February 2001