blue ensign
by Chrystian Kretowicz, 7 Febuary 2003
Last modified: 2003-06-14 by dov gutterman
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blue ensign
by Chrystian Kretowicz, 7 Febuary 2003
blue pennant
by Chrystian Kretowicz, 7 Febuary 2003
white ensign
by Chrystian Kretowicz, 7 Febuary 2003
See also:
According to Dr. Henning Henningsen (Flag Bulletin # 207,
Sept-Oct 2002) there were distinctive flags flown by the Danish
in West Indien (Dansk i Vestindien) Dr. Henningsen provides
documentation of the usage of those flags in the period between
1798 and 1842 (at least). There were three flags: blue, white and
blue pennant. Also, in 1914 the Coat-of-Arms was designed, but
because of the World War I, it was never implemented. And in
1917, the little Danish paradise in the Caribbean was sold to the
Americans, who promptly renamed it United States Virgin Islands.
Chrystian Kretowicz, 7 Febuary 2003
I would appeal for some caution here before proclaiming this
set of flags to be ensigns and pennants of the Danish West
Indies. It is by no means certain that all of them are connected
with the Danish West Indies and there is great need to be
specific about what kind of flags they were, or in other words
what kind of function they had. Labelling the blue and white flag
with the Dannebrog in canton as ensigns of the Danish West Indies
may be interpreted to the effect that they were used instead of
the normal Danish ensign, which was almost certainly not the
case.
I was a bit surprised to see this short article appear in The
Flag Bulletin. The reason is that neither the author (who will be
92 later this year) nor the editor seems to be aware of the most
thorough scholarly treatment of these flags. I am thinking of the
article "Dannebrog i blått på danske og norske skip"
by Jan Henrik Munksgaard published in Sjøfartshistorisk årbok,
Bergen, 1985 (in Norwegian, but with captions and a summary in
English) [mun85]. I would be very
surprised if Henningsen does not know this work and it makes me
wonder when the short article in The Flag Bulletin was actually
written.
The white flag with the Dannebrog in the canton is the one with
the weakest connection to the Danish West Indies. As connected
with the Danish West Indies it is only known from the flag book
by Gabriel Hesselberg (by Munksgaard dated by the contents to
have been made sometime between 1802 and 1808, Henningsen in The
Flag Bulletin gives the date 1805). However, the white flag with
the Dannebrog canton and the word "LODS" added in the
fly was authorized for use on Norwegian pilot boats in 1805.
As for the blue pennant with the Dannebrog, Munksgaard has found
more than 30 illustrations of it in Norwegian sources alone,
covering the period 1798 to 1833. It was used on larger ships in
foreign waters, some marine paintings show its use on vessels in
Mediterranean ports, the pennant flying from the tallest mast.
However, it was also used on smaller boats in Norwegian costal
waters. From available sources, it is difficult to see in what
way the pennant is associated with the Danish West Indies.
According to Munksgaard, the varied use makes it difficult to
identify any particular purpose or function for this pennant.
As for the blue flag with the Dannebrog canton I might mention
that I already reported this one in April 1997. First of all, it
is important to note that no official legal description
authorized the flag. It is known from illustrations in paintings
or drawings and from a limited number of flag books or
manuscripts. Munksgaard investigated the available sources, ten
paintings/drawings and three flag books/manuscripts, showing this
flag. He points out that the flag is usually shown flying on the
foretopmast of the ships and that is does not fly at the stern as
an ensign. This place is reserved for the Danish ensign. The
foretopmast position was usually, Munksgaard tells us, reserved
for ship owner flags or for flags showing the destination of the
ship. As most of the paintings are of ships either in
Danish/Norwegian waters, or of ships depicted in ports elsewhere
in Europe, it does not appear correct to say that this was a flag
used by the Danish in the West Indies. Munksgaard's conclusion is
that the blue flag with the Dannebrog canton was possibly used as
a courtesy ensign used by ships sailing for the Danish West
Indies.
Also note that this 1914's CoA proposal was a private one, never
an official project.
Jan Oskar Engene, 9 Febuary 2003
I wouldn't argue at all with the educated facts presented by Jan
Oskar, but I want to add to the confussion with a story I
recalled from the visit to the islands in 1968. Browsing in the
old books' store in Charlotte Amalie I spotted a painting showing
the ship flying the white flag but with the Danish Naval Jack
(swallowtailed)in the canton. I had asked the store owner what
that flag represented (and he seemed to be well read in the
history of the islands), to which he answered it used to be an
unofficial flag (or ensign, I don't remember clearly) of the
Danish West Indies. I made the hand drawing of that flag for my
collection and it is still in my files. Granted, I doubt the man
was an authority on the subject, but,otherwise, he did impress me
with his knowledge of the local history and the great enthusiasm
for it.
Chrystian Kretowicz, 9 Febuary 2003
This combination - the Danish war ensign (which is also used
as the jack) in the canton of a white flag - is not mentioned in
any of the sources known to me, so it is indeed a new flag as
Chrystian says. It would be very interesting to know the name of
the ship, the location, the date the painting was made, the
artist, etc. so that the flag can by analyzed further. Until more
is known, I for my part will not pass any conclusions.
Jan Oskar Engene, 10 Febuary 2003
by Jaume Ollé, 16 March 2003
No. 371 - Danish Antillas.
Source: [stb62]
Jaume Ollé, 16 March 2003