Greece: Evolution of the national flag. II - 1828-1970

Last modified: 2005-01-22 by ivan sache
Keywords: civil ensign | war ensign | naval ensign | war flag | state flag | jack | cross (white) | crown (yellow) |
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• Two national flags for Greece
  • Flag used at sea and at the coast
  • Flag used on land
• Flags of the Kingdom of Greece (1832-1924: 1935-1970)
  • War ensign
  • State and war flag
  • Naval ensign (1858)
  • Naval jack

See also:

• Greece
• Greece: Historical overview
• Greece: Evolution of the national flag. I - 1822-1828
• Kingdom of Greece: Laws on the flags
• Greece: Evolution of the national flag. III - 1970 until today

Two national flags for Greece

From 1828 to 1970, Greece had two national flags. The cross and stripes flag was used outside the country, including at the coast. whereas the plain cross flag was used inside.

Roy Stilling, 4 February 1997

Flag used at sea and at the coast

by Željko Heimer

The flag used at sea and on the coast had nine horizontal stripes, alternatively blue and white, and a white cross on a blue square field in canton. This flag is today the Greek national flag.

The former flag of the merchant navy was abolished in 1828, when it was decided that merchant ships would henceforth use the same flag as the Navy.

Source: Hellenic flags. Insignia-Emblems [kok97]

Norman Martin, 26 February 2000

Flag used on land

by Ivan Sache

The flag used on land was blue with a white cross.

Flags of the Kingdom of Greece (1832-1924; 1935-1970)

The use of the two national flags of Greece shown above remained unchanged from 1832 to 1970. However, additional flags with a crown were used by the Kingdom of Greece. The adoption date of these flags is unknown and they were most probably not used during the First Republic (1924-1935). All the flags shown below were abolished in 1970.

Iconographical source: Flaggenbuch [neu92]

War ensign

by Tom Gregg

The war ensign was the civil ensign with a yellow crown placed in the midle of the cross.

State and war flag

by Tom Gregg

The State and war flag was the flag used on land with a yellow crown placed in the middle.

Naval ensign

by Željko Heimer

The naval ensign was prescribed in 1858 by royal decree. It is similar to the national flag used at sea, with the Wittelsbach arms added in the middle of the cross. It was probably changed when the Oldenburg dynasty succedeed the Wittelsbach dynasty

Ivan Sache, 27 December 2004

Naval jack

by Tom Gregg

The naval jack was a square version of the war flag.