Commissoning Pennants

[Dobbs]

I have been equipping my ships with commissioning pennants. It occurred to me that the modern British pennant is white, but were they always that way? Since they had red and blue naval flags in this time period, did they also have red and blue pennants?

[TexaS]

Yes. There's an English flag at the base of the pennant of all three too.

[Bligh]

The Pendant in its present form was certainly introduced (along with red and blue versions) in March 1653 by order of the Navy Commissioners, and most probably predates this by at least 20 years? A tricolour (or "common") Pendant was introduced in 1662 but had fallen out of use by the 1850's, whilst the red and blue pendants were abolished in general Naval service by an Order in Council of 9 July 1864, leaving only the white.

Commissioning Pendant (Masthead Pendant)

https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/g/gb'mhp.gif (https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/g/gb'mhp.gif)

Length 864 = A
Hoist 5 + 6 + 5 = B
Fly 6 = C
Cross arm length 57 = D
Cross width 6 = E

Rob.

[Dobbs]

Yes. There's an English flag at the base of the pennant of all three too.

I don't understand you, Jonas. Could you restate this?

[Dobbs]

The Pendant in its present form was certainly introduced (along with red and blue versions) in March 1653 by order of the Navy Commissioners, and most probably predates this by at least 20 years? A tricolour (or "common") Pendant was introduced in 1662 but had fallen out of use by the 1850's, whilst the red and blue pendants were abolished in general Naval service by an Order in Council of 9 July 1864, leaving only the white.

Commissioning Pendant (Masthead Pendant)

https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/g/gb'mhp.gif (https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/g/gb'mhp.gif)

Length 864 = A
Hoist 5 + 6 + 5 = B
Fly 6 = C
Cross arm length 57 = D
Cross width 6 = E

Rob.

What I'm getting from your post, Rob is that in our time period, there were blue and red pennants. Did they have a white field where the cross of St George is (measurement D)?

[Bligh]

Yes Dobbs.
Rob.

[TexaS]

That white field with the red cross is what I meant. That is the flag of England.

[Dobbs]

That white field with the red cross is what I meant. That is the flag of England.

Got it! The flag of England, not the flag of Britain.