Bermuda - The Governmental (Blue) Ensign

Last modified: 2004-08-07 by dov gutterman
Keywords: bermuda | blue ensign |
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Official version
by Antonio Martins, 4 April 2000

• The Governmental Ensign
• Variant with the Motto
• Variant with Wide Red Fimbriation

See also:

• Bermuda
• Bermuda - The Badge

The Governmental Ensign

Used by Government ships.
Antonio Martins, 4 April 2000

Variant with the Motto

by Antonio Martins, 1 April 2000

Variant with Wide Red Fimbriation

by Antonio Martins and Rob Raeside, 17 Febuary 2004

Watching a Canadian travel show on TV "Don't forget your passport" which showcased Bermuda, I note ferry boat with a blue ensign on the stern with a variant of the governmental blue ensign. The variant has wide red fimbriation around the shield (no motto).  If anything the red is even darker than the red on the union jack, although the view was brief, and I could not confirm how dark the red on the union jack was.
Rob Raeside, 17 Febuary 2004

I may have an explanation for this. The last time I was in Bermuda, I saw a large number of American made Bermuda flags flying everywhere. I literally saw dozens of them. They had mostly been made by Annin. Annin's dyed Bermuda badge is made with a broad red border. There are several reasons why this is done with the main one being that the badge blends into the red ensign a little easier. Anyway, the Annin product was much less expensive than anything the British produced, yet was of equal or perhaps superior quality.
My guess would be that the Bermuda government perhaps did business in the US as well, and ended up with Annin made blue ensigns. However, Annin forgot to trim the red trim from its badges before inserting them.
Clay Moss, 1 August 2004