Chapter XXVI: The Jacks in Red, White and Blue Ensigns

In its single form the Union Jack has these special duties, which have been noted, but combined in the upper corner of a larger flag it creates a general flag of the nation, and thus environed becomes a Union Ensign.

Although usage has sometimes used the name, yet it is a misnomer to call a flag of this larger combined form a Union Jack, this being the proper name solely for the flag containing only the three island crosses.

The distinction in the names arises from the early days when a smaller flag--bearing a national emblem or the crest or coat-of-arms of a liege lord--had been inserted in a larger flag. This larger flag, bearing the emblem or insignia of its wearers, was termed an "Ensign."

Place our smaller union flag in the upper corner of a larger flag, and it there becomes the sign of identity, of allegiance, and of the union of British patriotism with the special story which is told by the colourings and form of the other parts, or fly, of such Ensign.

1

RED ENSIGN

2

WHITE ENSIGN

3

BLUE ENSIGN]

The Union Jack was first quartered in the upper canton of three flags, the Red, White and Blue ensigns. These flags have arisen from the flags which were used of old to distinguish the ships of the respective squadrons into which British fleets were divided.

Lord Lisle, in the time of Henry VIII., divided his fleet at Shoreham in 1545 into three squadrons, the _Vanwarde_, _Battle_ and _Wing_, corresponding in their position to the _van_, _centre_ and _rear_.[179] These were the germ of the _red_, _white_ and _blue_ squadrons of the seventeenth century.

[179] Hakluyt.

There were at that time only two distinguishing flags used in the navy, the Royal Standard and the St. George Jack.

The admirals hoisted their flags in accordance with their rank upon their flagships, in 1545, in the following order:[180]

Squadron. Admirals.

1. BATTLE { Royal Standard at main.
{ St. George at fore.

2. VANWARDE { St. George at main.
{ St. George at fore.

3. WING St. George at mizzen.

The other ships of their respective squadrons displayed:

Squadron. Ships.

1. BATTLE St. George at main.
2. VANWARDE St. George at fore.
3. WING St. George at mizzen.

[180] Hannay: "Short History of the British Navy."

Eighty years afterwards, in the time of Charles I., we learn of another change, when in 1627 the Duke of Buckingham divided his fleet into squadrons at the Island of Rhe, each designated according to the flag it carried:

"Himself ye admirall and general in chief and admirall particular of the bloody colours," the "vice-admiral of ye fleete bearing a blew flag in his main top and was admiral of the blew colours," and the "rear admiral bearing a white flag in the main top and was admirall of ye squadron of white colours."[181]

The admirals' flags were, in 1627:

ADMIRAL Red flag.
VICE-ADMIRAL Blue flag.
REAR-ADMIRAL White flag.

[181] Extract from Pepys' Diary.

It was into the upper corner of these red, blue and white flags of the squadrons that the single-cross St. George's English Jack was placed, in 1649, when the "Commonwealth Ensign" (Pl. IV., fig. 1) was formed and the red, white and blue ensigns of the navy first appeared.

Difficulties must have been caused by the fact that from the "Restoration," in 1660, the English merchantmen were, without authority, using the Ensign Red at the stern in exactly the same form as the flag of the red squadron, and still more when the general use of the Red Ensign on all ships had been officially authorized by Queen Anne in 1707.

At first the admirals holding the highest position had carried the red, but afterwards the seniority had been changed.

A rank of admiral, vice-admiral and rear-admiral was appointed for each colour. Promotion was made from the rank of captain to that of rear-admiral of the blue, which was the lowest, and upward through the red to admiral of the white, which had become the highest rank.

There were then nine ranks of admirals carrying the three ensigns:

ADMIRAL OF THE WHITE White ensign.
VICE-ADMIRAL OF THE WHITE White ensign.
REAR-ADMIRAL OF THE WHITE White ensign.

ADMIRAL OF THE RED Red ensign.
VICE-ADMIRAL OF THE RED Red ensign.
REAR-ADMIRAL OF THE RED Red ensign.

ADMIRAL OF THE BLUE Blue ensign.
VICE-ADMIRAL OF THE BLUE Blue ensign.
REAR-ADMIRAL OF THE BLUE Blue ensign.

As merchant ships, which were all flying the red ensign, increased in size, it became increasingly difficult for foreigners to distinguish these from the ships of the Royal Navy--a difficulty which was further intensified for them by the fact that a squadron of the Royal Navy might be sailing on one coast under the blue ensign, while another squadron was sailing under the red, and yet another under the white, according to the rank of the admirals of their respective squadrons.

Confusion and possibility of mistakes in identification in action was sometimes caused by the ships of one squadron becoming intermingled with those of another. Nelson solved this difficulty by directing that only the white ensign, which was the ensign of his own squadron,[182] should be used on the ships of all the squadrons at the battle of Trafalgar.

[182] He was at the time a vice-admiral of the white and the senior officer present.

The three ensigns, with their successive one, two and three-crossed Jacks, had continued to be used in these varying ways during more than two hundred years, until 1865, when the positions of the three ensigns were separated and distinctive duties allotted to each.[183] The number of the rank of admirals was at the same time reduced to three--admiral, vice-admiral and rear-admiral. All of these were to fly, as they still do, the white ensign at the stern, their seniority being indicated by the position of the St. George Jack at the mast head.[184] These ranks are in addition to the rank of Admiral of the fleet, which confers the right to wear the Union Jack instead of the St. George.

[183] Order in Council, October 18th, 1865.

[184] In the present day, when ironclads have not more than two, and often only one mast, vice-admirals wear the St. George with one red ball in the upper corner, and rear-admirals with two red balls, to indicate their respective rank.

The ensigns were described in the Order and directed to be used as follows:

_The White Ensign_ (Pl. VIII., fig. 2).--A white flag, with a St. George cross through the whole flag and the Union Jack in the upper canton, to be used at sea only by ships of the Royal Navy or by yacht clubs to which special license has been given.

_The Blue Ensign_ (Pl. VIII., fig. 3).--A blue flag, with the Union Jack in the upper canton, to be used only by ships of the Royal Naval Reserve, or by merchantmen which are commanded by officers of the reserve, and have been duly licensed, or by yacht clubs to which special commission has been granted.

_The Red Ensign_ (Pl. VIII., fig. 1).--A red flag, with a Union Jack in the upper canton, to be used as a national ensign by all British merchantmen.

By the Admiralty Regulations, afterwards issued, instructions are given as to the relative proportions of the parts of these flags.

In the Red and Blue Ensigns the Union Flag in the upper quarter next the staff is to be "in length half the length of the flag, and in width half the width of the flag."

In the White Ensign the Red Cross of St. George, which runs through the whole of the white field, is to be "2-15ths of the width of the flag." The Union is to occupy the upper quarter next the staff, leaving the whole Cross intact. This was virtually adding the Union Jack to the original English Jack of Richard I.

By a special Act it was afterwards more particularly enacted in 1889:

"The Red Ensign, _usually worn_ by merchant ships without any defacement or modification whatsoever, is hereby _declared to be the proper national colour_ of all ships and boats belonging to any subject of Her Majesty, except in the case of Her Majesty's ships, or in the case of any other ships for the time being allowed to wear any other national colours in pursuance of a warrant from Her Majesty or from the Admiralty."[185]

[185] The Merchant Shipping (Colours) Act, 1889.

It may be that the Red Ensign, which was the common flag of all the people ashore and afloat and the admiral's flag of highest rank and worn by the merchant ships, in the time of the Dutch wars, was given to the merchantmen in recognition of their great services in winning the supremacy of the sea; that the White Ensign was given to the Royal Navy in recognition and memory of Trafalgar; and the Blue Ensign to the Royal Naval Reserve because they were the rear guard to Her Majesty's ships; but the Union Jack was the binding link between them all, and established their rank and designation as "Union Ensigns."

The Red Ensign, first with its St. George cross under Charles II., afterwards with its two-crossed Union Jack under Queen Anne, and then with its three-crossed Jack, had thus become the national ensign on all British ships at sea, and not being restricted to any particular services, as are the white and blue ensigns, and in its red form, authorized by Queen Anne for use on land, it increased in its usage, and has become the Ensign of the British people on shore as well as afloat.

"Where is the Briton's land?
Where'er the blood-red ensign flies,
There is the Briton's land."

Whether it be in the "right little, tight little islands" of the old land, or in the greater area of the colonies which stud the globe, the presence of this Union Ensign proclaims the sovereignty of the united nations and the presence and protection of the British Empire.

Thus the three crosses in the Union Jack have ceased to have solely their local meanings, for their story has become merged in the larger significance which their presence now imparts to the several Dominion Union Ensigns as being the sign of this greater British Union.