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Royal Yugoslavia (1918-1941): Law on the flags at sea, 1937

Last modified: 2004-11-13 by ivan sache
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Presentation of the law

The 1937 law on the flags at sea, Zakon o zastavama jugoslavenskih brodova, was published as a booklet by the Naval Staff Printing House (Štamparija Kraljevske mornarice). The full text of the law is given below.

The 1937 flag law is apparently not known in the international vexillologic literature. It is presented in detail in the Gazette of the Serbian Heraldic Society by D. Acović, as Zakon o zastavama jugoslavenskih brodova iz 1937., Glasnik SHD, volume V, 8 August 2001. pp. 5-6.
The article by Acović is followed by images of almost all flags from the law, as well as what appears to be the front page of the booklet issued by the Royal [Yugoslav] Navy publishing the law.
Some of the flags defined by the 1937 law are exactly the same as those defined by the 1922 law.

Željko Heimer, 1 August 2004


Text of the law

Law on the Flags of Yugoslav Ships

Article 1.

This Law prescribes: the types, shapes, colours and ratios of those flags hoisted by ships of Yugoslav nationality, according to the special tables (1 though 7) that form an integral part of this law.

Article 2.

The flags [ensigns] which identify the nationality of Yugoslav ships are:

a) Naval Ensign, figure 1, hoisted by units of the Royal Navy;
b) Merchant Ensign, figure 2, hoisted by ships of the merchant marine;
c) Financial Control Units (Customs Service) Ensign, figure 3;
d) Harbour Police Units Ensign, figure 4;
e) Reserve Naval Officer's Ensign, figure 5;
f) Honour Naval Ensign, of the same shape as the naval ensign.
The recipient is permitted to deface it [the Honour Naval ensign] with his coat of arms or his emblem in an unobtrusive place, preferably on the blue field (and) as close to the hoist as possible.

Article 3.

Those flags indicating the presence of the Highest and of High (Ranking) persons on ships are:

A) Standards:

a) HM the King, figure 6;
b) HM the Queen, figure 7;
c) Prince Regent as a Member of the Royal House, figure 8;
d) HRH the Crown Prince, figure 8a;
e) Members of the Royal House, figure 9;

B) Official Flags:

a) Royal Regents, figure 10;
b) Chairman of the Ministry Council, figure 11;
c) Ministers - Members of the Government, figure 12.

Article 4.

Those flags indicating the presence of senior officers of the Army and of the Navy on ships are: