Last modified: 2005-07-16 by rob raeside
Keywords: board of ordnance | army council | cannons |
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![[Army Council 1905-1945]](../images/g/gb^ac1.gif)
by Martin Grieve
The shield, without the red border, was also used in the centre of the Union
Jack as the flag of the Army Council, authorised in 1905. Although a drawing was
sent to the Admiralty it was not put into the Admiralty Flag Book. On 31st
October 1919 the War Office wrote asking that it should be included in the Flag
Book. The Admiralty "supposed that it may occasionally be flown at sea" and
agreed to the request. Authorised by Naval Law Branch letter 34291/19, and added
to the 1916 edition in 1920.
David Prothero, 20 September 2004
![[Army Council 1945-1964]](../images/g/gb^ac2.gif)
by Martin Grieve
The badge was modified 30th October 1944. Naval Law Branch letter 725/45
authorised an amendment, which was included in errata 7 (1947) to the 1930
edition of the Admiralty Flag Book. I have not seen the details of this
amendment. It was probably to make the badge the same as the shield from which
it was derived; cannon pointing dexter on a pale blue background. In Gresham
Carr's "Flags of the World" (1953 and 1961) the cannon are reversed to point
towards the hoist, and the background colour is pale blue. However in BR20,
volume II, 1958, although the cannon are pointing to the hoist the background is
still dark blue.
David Prothero, 20 September 2004
In Campbell and Evans "The book of flags" (5th edn.,1965) on pages 30-31, we
are informed:
"The Army Council - the committee of high ranking officers and civilian
organizers headed by a Cabinet Minister which controls the army - has its own
flag, the Union, charged in its centre by a shield bearing the arms of the old
Board of Ordnance: three old-fashioned cannon arranged one above the other, gold
on a
blue field; above them are three old-fashioned cannon balls, side by side,
white, but shaded so as to appear round, on a white field. The Ordnance and
Royal Artillery fly the Blue Ensign with a similar shield, with or without a
yellow border, in its fly. "
There is a black and white illustration of the badge at the top of page 31,
which shows the thick fimbriation around the shield with a vertical hatching
pattern, and this most certainly represents that this is red in colour as
vertical lines are red, horizontal lines, blue etc.
What is of great curiosity here is why the text mentions *yellow border* - I
presume this to be a misprint as it is in conflict with the illustration, but it
may just be the case that the authors were referring to the possibility of a
variant. I would therefore, never rule out the light-blue bordered shield, but
my first instincts here tell me that, with respect, Clive perhaps, is confusing
the background colour of the shield with the fimbriation (i.e., light blue?)
Martin Grieve, 11 June 2005
