United Kingdom: Sledge Flags

Last modified: 2005-08-11 by rob raeside
Keywords: royal navy | united kingdom | sledge flags |
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• Introduction
• Flags of 1850 Expedition (search for Franklin)
• Flag of 1852 Expedition (search for Franklin)
• Flags of 1857-59 Expedition (search for Franklin)
• Flags of 1875 Expedition to North Pole
• Robert Falcon Scott's First Antarctic Expedition, 1901 - 1904
• Shackleton's Expedition (1907-1909)
• Scott's 1910 Expedition
• Shackleton's 1914-1916 Antarctic Expedition
• Recent expeditions

• Royal Navy
• United Kingdom

Introduction

Sledge flags were the idea of Captain Horatio Austin. He was in charge an expedition, mounted by the Royal Navy in 1850, to look for signs of Sir John Franklin's expedition of 1845. There had been no news of Franklin, who set out to find a North West Passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, since the summer of 1847. The search was in the general area of Prince of Wales Island and Lancaster Sound, and included some journeys over the ice using sledges hauled by seamen. "To retain esprit de corps, and a naval atmosphere, each sledge was given a name, motto and flag."

"It was a grand sight to see the whole fifteen sledges, loaded and manned, marching in two long lines over the ice morning after morning, with the frowning cliffs of Griffith Island as a background. There was Captain Ommanney's Maltese Cross on a red field, the blue cross of McClintock, the St George's Cross of Bradford, Osborn's white cross on blue, the arm with a pierced heart of Mecham, the sawn tree of Hamilton, and many more."
[Life of Sir Leopold McClintock by C.R.Markham]

The flags were two feet by three feet (60cms x 90cms).

Details of these flags are derived