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Gilbert and Ellice Islands

In this page:

Government Maritime flag 1937-1979
Presentation of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands
Colonial Flags
British Resident's flag
Coat of Arms
Coat of Arms on a first day cover

See also:

Government Maritime flag 1937 - 1979

by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 03 December 2002

The Government Maritime flag 1937 - 1979 was also the Civil Flag 1969 - 1979.

"Government-owned vessels of the Gilberts flew the British Blue Ensign defaced in the fly with a flag badge - in this case the shield of the arms - prior to independence. The custom arose in various British colonies of using this as the civil flag, representing the colony in international sport events, regional meetings, etc. That practice was given legal sanction in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands as of 28 August 1969."
Page 117, "Flags and Arms Across the World", Whitney Smith.
David Prothero, 30 August 2004

Presentation of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands

A British colony, the territory consisted of several island chains:

Gilbert Islands - 16 coral atolls, presently Kirabati. The Gilbert Islands were discovered by the British in 1764 and made a protectorate in 1892. In 1915, it was made a colony with the Ellice Islands. In 1975, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands were separated and given internal self government. These islands became the nation of Kiribati.

Phoenix Islands - these islands became a part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony in 1937.

Ellice Islands - Sighted in 1568 by Alvaro de Mendenña de Neira, the Ellice Islands became a British protectorate in 1892 and annexed with the Gilbert Islands in 1915. These islands became Tuvalu.

Colonial Flags

by Martin Grieve, 30 August 2004

The Gilbert and Ellice Islands did not have a governor until 1972, but the "governor's flag" was probably used by the Resident Commissioners. Earlier in the 1930s the Presidential Administrator of St Christopher and Nevis had not been allowed a Union Jack flag, but a Colonial Office minute of 28 April 1938 noted that a Union Flag for an Administrator was probably a precedent set by the Resident Commissioners of Gilbert and Ellice Islands.
[National Archives (PRO) CO 323/1575/13]
David Prothero, 30 August 2004

The flag used by Gilbert and Ellice Islands was the British Blue Ensign with the arms in the fly inside a white circle.

Those arms were different to the current Kiribatian arms just because of the motto.

After Tuvalu were separated from Gilbert Islands, It adopted a new flag, or said better, a new arms in the fly. Those arms were put into a white circle.
Juan Manuel Gabino, 05 January 2000

The Blue Ensign of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands from 1937 to 1976, was without the white circle. Source: Amendment 6 (1941) to 1930 Admiralty Flag Book.
David Prothero, 19 January 2000

British Resident's flag

by Clay Moss, 10 August 2004

Flag used on the Gilbert Islands (not Ellice Islands) from 1895 to 1916.
David Prothero, 10 August 2004

In 1895 a Blue Ensign defaced with a royal crown flanked by the initials B R on a white disc became the flag of the Resident Commissioners in the Cook Islands, Gilbert Islands and British Solomon Islands. Cook Islands were annexed to New Zealand in 1901, Solomon Islands had their own badge in 1910, but Gilbert Islands, which were combined with Ellice Islands in (probably) 1916, when the Protectorate became a Colony, still, in 1930, had the unspecific BR badge.
David Prothero, 28 August 2004

On this website in New Zealand, the role of a British Resident is described: "The principle [sic] task of the British Resident, outlined in instructions from Governor Richard Bourke in New South Wales, was to protect settlers and traders, prevent outrages by Europeans against Maori, and to apprehend escaped convicts. In short, he was to provide a British presence. However, the Resident had no legal powers, and was not entitled to troops. His role, in effect, was that of mediator only." This is, of course, in New Zealand. The details are different elsewhere.
Ole Andersen, 11 August 2004

Coat of Arms

by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 02 December 2002

The motto reads: 'Maaka te atua, karinea te uea; mataku i te atua, fakamamalu ki te tupu' (Fear God and Honour the King) in both Gilbertan (Kiribatian) and Tuvaluan languages.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 02 December 2002

The bureaucratic process, involving nine government departments or agencies, took nearly six years to agree on the design of arms and a flag badge for the Gilbert and Ellice Islands (now Kiribati and Tuvalu). A further four years elapsed before the Admiralty Flag Book was amended.

images by Martin Grieve

The proposals were never more than drawings, and where necessary the images have been given a background to represent paper.

In August 1931 G&E's Resident Commissioner submitted a sketch by Mr. Compton for a flag badge. It included the following explanation.

Sea. Represents spaces of ocean in which colony is isolated.
Sun. Close to 180 degree meridian. Sun is either rising or setting.
Bird. Fregat Aquilla. Symbol of power, poise and freedom. To natives is sign of sovereignty and kingly birth and highly regarded as such.
Crown. Position of crown over frigate bird is intended to convey idea that all power and freedom granted to people of the colony emanates from and are protected by the sovereign.
A.G. (Possibly Arthur Grimble who wrote a book 'A Pattern of Islands' about his time as a District Commissioner in G&E.)

This sketch is not in the archives. It was probably similar to the image above left, but with a crown on the shield above the bird, and a consequently smaller bird and sun over a shallower sea.

This was sent to the Governor of Fiji, in his capacity as Western Pacific High Commissioner (WPHC), who forwarded it to the Colonial Office in London. A little over two years later, in December 1933, the Royal Mint Advisory Committee (Mint) who were responsible for flag badges, had considered the sketch and suggested to the Colonial Office that a motto should be added, and the crown removed. This suggestion was sent to the WPHC, and finally reached G&E in March 1934. The second image (above right) is the revised badge without the motto. The Resident Commissioner, possibly a different person by now, replied to WPHC in June that he had no comment on the Mint's recommendations with which he was in entire agreement.

In August, WPHC returned the drawings and sent the Resident Commissioner's letter to the Colonial Office, suggesting that the design should be a Coat of Arms as well as a flag badge, and that the inscription should be retained in the arms, but omitted in the badge.

In December 1934 the drawings were returned to the Mint, with a request that George Kruger-Gray, an heraldic artist, should be commissioned to prepare a rendering that would be suitable as a Coat of Arms as well as a badge. It was noted that the Mint had queried the crown on the badge, but that the Colonial Office wanted it retained. A Colonial office minute pointed out that opting for a coat of arms meant that the College of Arms would have to be consulted, and that the cost might increase.

In February 1935 a Colonial Office representative attended a meeting of the Royal Mint Advisory Committee in the Tapestry Room at St James's Palace, where Kruger-Gray's designs for a full achievement of arms (image above, left), an ensign badge (below, left) <ki!geb.gif>, and a Union Jack badge <ki!geg.gif> (below, right), were considered. It was thought that the crown should be omitted, but that if it had to be included it would be better above the shield. It was suggested that the white circle on the Union Jack should be yellow to counteract the optical effect of the apparent interruption of the cross of St George by the shield.

images by Martin Grieve

In March the Colonial Office told Col. Sir Robert A. Johnson, the Deputy Master and Comptroller of the Royal Mint, that the crown could be omitted, but that the circle on the Union Jack had to be white. It was suggested that the unwanted optical effect would be avoided if the shield did not touch the edge of the circle. The Colonial Office also contacted the Admiralty and Sir Gerald W. Wollaston, Garter King of Arms, for their comments.

In April, Garter wrote to the Colonial Office that the Arms should not be ensigned with a crown, which in any case was incorrectly drawn, and was not appropriate on a colony badge. Arms were assigned to a colony by warrant under the sign manual of the Sovereign addressed to the Earl Marshall, and counter-signed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies. The warrant was then recorded in the College of Arms. The last warrant had been for the Falkland Islands on 16th October 1925 when the fee was Twenty Pounds and Seventeen Shillings.

In the same month the Admiralty told the Colonial Office that a white circle was not necessary on the Blue Ensign and that a Red Ensign, if needed, would require a special warrant. In June the Colonial Office told the Admiralty that a Red Ensign was not necessary, and that they would be seeking the opinion of WPHC with regard to the white circle.

Later that month the Colonial Office sent a dispatch to WPHC reporting the latest developments. This was passed on to G&E in August. In September S.G. Clarke, Acting Resident Commissioner G&E wrote to WPHC, "Agree crown and smaller shield. Join Your Excellency in condemning the portrayal of the frigate bird. Its inclusion in present form seems pointless since the bird illustration is in no way symbolic of the colony. If the bird is to be symbolic of G&E it should be an accurate representation of the bird, or another symbol should be found. Original drawing of bird submitted by Mr. Compton possess a poise and gracefulness lacking in the design submitted. Gray may have taken liberties with the form of the bird so as to present a concave lower surface to accord with the convexity of the sun's rays. Suggest this is not necessary."

In November WPHC wrote to the Colonial Office, agreeing to all suggested changes, but requesti