Poland: jacks

Last modified: 2002-03-08 by jarig bakker
Keywords: poland | jack | arm | cutlass |
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• Jack 1993-
• XVIIIth century jack
• Historical jack - other version
• Jack 1919-39
• Jack 1919-39 - variant #1
• Jack 1919-39 - variant #2
• Jack 1959-1993

Poland
Polish Navy flags

Jack 1993-

XVIII century jack

Image Information:

Country: Poland

Type of flag: War ensign (***/C**) or jack?

Date: late 17th c. - ?

Proportions: unknown

Sources: A. Znamierowsky "20th century polish flags" on The Flag Bulletin n. 154, 1993, A. Znamierowsky "Stworzony Do Chwaly" Warszawa 1995, "Tableau de Pavillons que la pluspart des Nations arborent a la Mer" 1756.

I'm attempting to describe the flags from the 1771 encyclopedia that I can't draw for various reasons. One of them is labelled Poland: Centered upon a red field an arm holding a cutlass.
Randy Young, 30 July 1998

This explains the Polish jack. According to Pedersen, 1971, the Polish jack is a 1:1 white-red horizontal with a cross patee red-white horizontal (red in white upper half, white on the red lower half) with a red circle centered with an arm and cutlass.
Michael Smuda, 30 July 1998

Many sources report this as a royal flag, but it should be a mistake repeated from one source to another. Most probably this was an ensign or even the jack of the Polish navy. Together this flag with the arm there were usually shown the red flag with the white eagle which is undubtely the royal flag (but with crowned eagle).
Mario Fabretto, 1 August 1998

Historical jack - other version

Jack 1919-39

Jack adopted 1 August 1919 in use until 1939 (also in use by the Polish government in London after 1939, but not retained by communist government after 1944). From 1928 to 1938 was used also as fortress flag. Here are 3 images: the first one according Znamierowski and Flaggenbuch; the second one according to a photo. The third is according to an undated example available in a Polish museum.
Notice that upper arm in Flaggenbuch is blue (light)