Last modified: 2006-07-08 by rob raeside
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This is a drawing of the Royal Navy King's Colour from the reign of
George VI. I adapted this from a black and white line drawing in
T.J. Edwards, Standards, Guidons and Colours of the Commonwealth
Forces, (1953). I assume the circlet is blue because it is the
Garter. The motto Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense is partially
concealed by the crown.
T.F. Mills, 24 January 1999
More details at Royal Navy colour.
image by Martin Grieve, 25 June 2006
Christopher Southworth prepared a construction sheet based on the illustration
by Graham Bartram in BR20. If the flag was
introduced in 1947 as we are informed, then the Colour would have contained the
Royal Cypher of George VI, ensigned with a Tudor crown of course. This would
have changed in 1953, when Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II took the throne.
Martin Grieve, 25 June 2006
More details at Royal Air Force colours.
I was recently surprised to discover that there were actually three patterns
of Union Flag used on military colours, since I naturally assumed that the RN
would use the Admiralty pattern on theirs. Wrong again, that would be far too
logical for a British flag. The QC's of the RAF and Royal Marines are the only two sets which use the
standard 'Admiralty pattern' of Union Flag, whereas those of the
Royal Navy and Army each have their own unique
variation. The Army use the Great Union of 1900 which has a counterchanged
saltire of even width with a narrow fimbriation added, and a fimbriation to the
St George of the same width as the saltire. The pattern used on the RN colour
also has a saltire of even widths and added fimbriation, but the fimbriation to
the St George is approx 1/4 the cross, whilst (as per the recent post) the
colours of the RAF and RM carry the Admiralty pattern.
Christopher Southworth, 25 June 2006