Sweden and Norway (1815)

In the negotiations with Sweden over the union, Norway retained the right to fly a merchant flag of its own, while accepting that the war ensign was to be a union flag. In March and April 1815 the King of Norway and Sweden decided that the union war ensign was to be the Swedish war ensign (blue field, yellow Scandinavian cross, swallowtail and tongue) with the addition of a white saltire on red in the upper hoist corner. The canton in red and white was to represent Norway. This union war ensign (also used on land as war flag) was to be used in the navies of both countries and was to be hoisted for the first time 6 June 1815. It was used until 1844 when separate ensigns were introduced for the two navies.

At the same time, a set of command flags were introduced. These were also based on existing Swedish flags, only adding the red canton with the white saltire. They were identical for both navies. Admirals had the war ensign with three dark blue disks set one over two in the centre of the cross. Vice-admirals had two disk side by side, while rear-admirals had a single disk. Commodores, as commanders of squadrons had a dark blue over dark yellow pennant (about 1:3 in the picture in the 1836 saluting instructions) with the white saltire on red set on the upper half near the hoist. Commanders of an escadrille or unit that were not commodores had a dark yellow saltire next to the white saltire on red in the commissioning pennant. The commissioning pennant was swallow-tailed, dark blue over dark yellow with the red and white emblem in the upper half next to the hoist.

The proportions differ between the two sources, the flags are much shorter in Beutlich than in the Navy instructions. I have made my images closer to the instructions. The colours are usually dark yellow and dark blue, while red is standard red.

REFERENCES:

· Salutreglement saavel for Rigets Flaader, Escadrer, Orlogsfartöier som Faestninger, Christiania, 1936
· Beutlich, F: "Flag og kommandotegn", in C. Sparre (ed): Norges sjöforsvar 1814-1914, Kristiania, 1914
· Kannik, Preben: All verdens flagg, Oslo, 1956
· Sundt, Trygve: "Norske orlogs og kommandotegn siden 1814", Norsk tidsskrift for sjövesen, Vol. 50, 1932, pp. 518-529

Jan Oskar Engene, 9 February 1997