Last modified: 2008-08-16 by rob raeside
Keywords: ufe | unidentified flags |
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by Rob Raeside
I saw a flag that looks exactly like the Palestinian flag- same colors
and shapes, except the base of the triangle is situated along the length of the
flag (instead of the width part) and the point of the triangle reaches to the
other side of the flag (unlike the Palestinian flag where it just goes about 1/4
of the way in). Someone had it in New York City.
John Ether, 7 January 2006
by Flavio C.
I live in the L.A. area, and saw a flag on a sticker on the back of someone's
car. I did not recognize it at all, I was hoping you or somebody else may know
it offhand. (I tried using the flag identifier, but couldn't find it.) The flag
had a black hoist, with 3 horizontal stripes (red, white, and blue). In the
black area, there was some sort of design in yellow. I have attached an
illustration (without the yellow design). The car sped past me, I really didn't
get a very good look at that yellow design.
Flavio C., 18 January 2006
I would be almost certain that this flag is a version of the unofficial 'Benelux'
flag. The unidentified yellow design in the hoist would then be the yellow
rampant lion. Compare this described design with the design under 'Benelux' on
the FOTW site and you will see what I mean. I have also seen a similar flag
design used in the shipmate flagchart to indicate Dutch/Flemish? language (black
lion rampant on yellow field).
Peter Bradley, 20 March 2006
I have recently acquired this stickpin featuring a very nice looking enamel
red and white flag. I believe it may be an American nautical flag of some kind
but I cannot find anything about it on any website. If you could identify it for
me it would be much appreciated.
Brian Brecker, 21 March 2006
Isn't the stickpin with the S and the stripes an old flag of
Sheraton Hotels or Stauffer foods?
John Udics, 24 June 2006
This is the stickpin of sport club "Slavia"
(Czech Republic)
Victor Lomantsov, 18 December 2006
I came across this striking and beautiful UFE displayed in a storefront in
Atlanta. I suspect it's the flag of those African-Americans (and others) who
identify with the concept that the ancient Egyptian civilizations were black
African in origin. The store owner explained some of the symbolism, but I can't
find any other provenance.
Don Macnaughtan, 2 June 2006
The rings and fringe makes it sound like a unit colours. With the horn
and the fact that Reichpost apparently used blue as a distinctive
colour for their post box and uniform, could it be the flag used by
post office employees on parade?
Marc Pasquin, 23 June 2006
I am trying to locate information about a house flag with the letters BH on
it. This flag is depicted on scrimshaw that may be pre-civil war. It is carved
flying on a tall ship and does not have a straight side (similar to < on the
edge). Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Virginia Willard, 9 July 2006
by
Thomas Ostrognai, 8 August 2006
I live in Worthing, West Sussex, England, and just recently, on a flag pole,
under the union jack, a black flag with a white central disc has appeared. Do
you know what this signifies?
Tony Burnett, 14 August 2006
by
Shawn Goodwin, 22 September 2006
I have become, in the last year, the Branch President of a Navy League Corps.
NLCC Ark Royal, Toronto, ON, Can. (
www.arkroyal.ca ). And for the record I luv it! Our NL Corps. was granted,
Oct 31/44, but prior to that Ark Royal was a Sea Cadet Corps. comprised of two
other that joined together (Haida and Illustrious). In '44 the NL and Sea split
up, with the S.C. part taking the name of RCSCC Vanguard, who now meet at HMCS
York.
In my last year, I have been counting stores and I am astounded all the time by
the things I find. Pictures, signed by Admirals, etc. of HMS Ark Royal from the
40s and up until the 80's. We have some paintings on the walls of the Duke of
York sailing HMS something (can't remember of the top), huge oil paintings. A
huge painting of HMS Ark Royal (which while researching I have found a copy of
on-line from some book). All these things I'm going to have appraised, because I
believe we are sitting on a small fortune and don't even know it. Time will
tell. Saying that, I think this ensign was more than likely presented to the
original NL Ark Royal and happened to stay with us. As you may know a long time
ago NL seemed to have carried a lot more prestige and dignitary visits were
common. Anyhow, just this Thursday someone brought me this flag (attached photo)
and said that they found it in their closet and wanted to return it to its
rightful owners (that would be our Corps.). I accepted it gracefully, but now am
searching for the time frame and where it came from.
Shawn Goodwin, 22 September 2006
[click on image for larger picture]
Possibly an Arab-Russian flag. Perhaps someone might be give more
information?
Bill Garrison, 1 September 2006
contributed by Robin
Any help on identifying the attached flag? The number at the bottom is 1919.
I was given a gift of a paper flag, it is dated 1919, it has a big red
cross in the center, a wide dark blue outside border, then a thin white border
then a narrow blue border, when you lay it flat in front of you to the left of
the red cross there are three little red crosses. Someone suggested that it
might be a quarantine flag that appeared on the houses at that time, others have
said maybe on a Red Cross ambulance. Any help you could give would be
appreciated I would just like to know more about it.
Robin, 2 September 2006
image by Ivan Sache, 3 September 2006
This flag was found on a plate. My father, who owned the plate, did not have
any direct connection with the sea, although he did buy similar plates that had
been used on ships, so it is still possible that it is a house flag.
Valerie Marsh, 3 September 2006
by Chris
and Ellie McIntire, 10 September 2006
We were wondering if you might know anything about this pennant.
Chris and Ellie McIntire, 10 September 2006
The white pennant with two black crosses is very reminiscent of, but not
identical to, a signal flag used by the Royal Navy c1928. I suspect it is
possibly a yacht pennant, possibly even the personal burgee of a club Commodore.
Lesley Prince, 9 February 2008
I visited this website called http://www.peacekeeper.ru/ on Russian Peacekeepers
and there is an image showing what seems to be a NATO - Georgian flag (
http://www.peacekeeper.ru/media/11_1001158930934.jpg ).
Esteban Rivera, 27 September 2006
More knowledge of the context in which the image is shown seems to be
required before calling this graphic representation a flag. The images appears
here:
http://www.peacekeeper.ru/index.php?rub=8. It relinks to an article that
does not show the "flag":
http://www.peacekeeper.ru/index.php?mid=2154.
Ivan Sache, 28 September 2006
Not quite directly related, but close...
I received a table flag from a friend who was a member of the UN peace-keeping
mission in Georgia. The flag is based on the UN flag, light blue with the white
UN emblem, and defaced with dark blue inscription:
UNOMIG to the hoist of the emblem
MOONNG (in Cyrillic) to the fly of the emblem
and below in two rows full name of the mission in English and Russian:
United National Observer Mission in Georgia
Missiya OON po Nablyodeniyo v Gruzii (in Cyrillic)
Željko Heimer, 1 October 2006
image
supplied by Ray Weinmann, 8 October 2006
I'm going nuts trying to identify a WW2 Flag brought back with German war
stuff and Japanese. Most items were German, all real. The flag looks a bit like
a U-boat flag. Has red rays to 4 corners with something in center or flag. Is
white field, red rays to 4 corners and has a black H in blue circle in center of
flag. Stitching is similar to Kreigsflag edge. unmarked about 5ft. x 31/2 ft. I
attach a picture. Any help would be appreciated.
Ray Weinmann, 8 October 2006
This is a long shot, but... the colours and design of this flag are similar
to Polish military flags. And, maybe coincidentally, deep bluish violet was the
colour the Nazis used to identify Poles. At a much, much longer shot, if I had
to make a complete guess (which would be little more than a stab in the dark)
I'd suggest that it was the flag of Poles fighting alongside the Russians on the
eastern front ("H" might then be the cyrillic N, possibly for "The people").
Unfortunately I've no idea whether such a flag ever existed, or - indeed - how
many if any Poles did fight on that front (most free Polish military was based
in the U.K.)
James Dignan, 9 October 2006
image
by Jon "Manatee Manatee", 24 October 2006
I cannot find any information about this pennant - any help appreciated.
Jon "Manatee Manatee", 24 October 2006
images provided by David Prothero, 9 October 2006
Two similar unidentified English flags - St George's cross on a blue flag.
1. At left above: at the masthead of a 17th century warship.
2. At right above: on the ensign staff of a ship at Londonderry 1689.
1. In a painting of a ship built in 1637 as 'Sovereign of the Seas', re-built in
1660 as 'Sovereign', re-built in 1685 as 'Royal Sovereign', and destroyed in
1697. The right half of the painting is a portrait of Peter Pett who built the
ship, while the left half is a stern view of the ship. A red flag with a small
St George canton is at the stern. A poor reproduction of the whole painting can
be seen at
http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/portrait.asp?search=ss&sText=peter+pett&LinkID=mp03526&rNo=0&role=sit
James Taylor in "Marine Painting" wrote that Sir Peter Lely (1610- 1670) painted
the portrait and the landscape, while the ship may have been by Lely, or done
separately by Issac Sailmaker (c1633-1721). The National Portrait Gallery now
describe it as "possibly after Sir Peter Lely, probably 18th century." Marks in
each quarter of the flag might be emblems, or might be shading.
2. In an unidentified painting that was used as an illustration in the
television programme about David Tennant in the series 'Who Do You Think You
Are?' (Dr. Who). The painting is a general view of Londonderry walls and the
river Foyle, and includes one of the three ships that broke the bar across the
river and thus ended the siege of Londonderry in 1689. The ships were the
warship 'Dartmouth', and merchant ships 'Mountjoy' of Derry and 'Phoenix' of
Coleraine. The cross probably has white fimbriations, and there might possibly
be something at the centre of the cross.
David Prothero, 9 October 2006
I would say that the white fimbriation [on the second flag] is definite. I
attach my capture of it, and, to complement yours, I provide the
image of the whole ship in case its
configuration can help with identification. She also flying flags at the top of
each mast which could conceivably be some sort of Red Ensign.
André Coutanche, 9 October 2006
image
provided by David Prothero, 5 December 2006
A reference to this design as a flag and as the canton of an ensign appears
in "Flags of the World" (c.1894) by F.E. Hulme.
He describes the ensign as being a curious modification of a St George's cross
Red Ensign and continues; "It is from a sea piece of the sixteenth century. It
was displayed at the poop of a vessel, while Fig.79 is the Jack on the
bowsprit." If 16th century is correct, this flag was earlier than the Union
Jack, and the ensign was the first (?) example of a plain, un-striped, ensign.
David Prothero, 5 December 2006
Concerning the images here, particularly the one on the left, I don't think
it's white on blue. I've found another picture of the same ship )http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/displayRepro.cfm?reproID=BHC3614&picture=1#content)
and it's got a red and blue flag. If you look closely at your picture you'll see
a pinkish hue. It actually looks like some sort of heraldic flag - a royal
ensign perhaps? If it's the same flag (better picture:
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/mag/pages/mnuExplore/ViewLargeImage.cfm?ID=BHC3614)
then it's the royal standard that was in use around the union of the crowns.
"wonkotsane", 31 July 2007
James VI etc. Not the same flag. The other one might be, but looking closer
at it, is this even the same ship? If the Sovereign is supposed to have a
carving of a horseman, then the ship beside Peter Pett appears to differ too
much. Note the size of the cross on the Ensign. Regarding differences, note that
the ensign in the second image looks different.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 31 July 2007
image by
Phil Dean, 1 November 2006
I think the flag shown in the attached photo is some kind of German Navy
signal flag. Can you give me any information on it?
Phillip Dean, 1 November 2006
provided by Fred
I ran into this unidentified flag. It seems to be of Scandinavian origin.
Anyone knows where it could be from?
Fred, 22 December 2006
provided by Andrew
I possess a patriotic tapestry, which bears the flags of the Allied
Powers in the First World War, at the time 1916. I have identified the flags of
Great Britain, Japan, Serbia, Italy, Belgium, Montenegro, Russia and France. I
am curious about the original purpose of the tapestry. I bought it second-hand,
and I do not know its provenance. It bears a Lion Rampant in the centre
escutcheon. It also bears oak branches tied with a purple ribbon; I am unclear
of the symbolism of these features. The background material is olive drab, which
has strong military connotations. Perhaps it was meant for a Highland regiment
in Canada or Britain.
Andrew, 26 December 2006
In a private collection are two paintings signed S. Walters, one dated 1851,
the other 1852. One represents British topsail schooner "Lanesfield" leaving the
Mersey; the painting of 1852 shows a Portuguese brig (no name visible) leaving
the Tagus. Lloyds Register for 1856 states that the "Lanesfield" belonged to G.B.
Carr of London, and traded between Liverpool and Lisbon. Both ships display what
is believed to be a house-flag -- a white triangle, bordered red, bearing a
black ball and the Union in the upper corner. What is this flag and why is it
worn by two vessels of differing nationality ?
David Prothero, 10 December 2006
Could it be that both ships belonged to G.B. Carr and therefore used the same
house flag? He might have been running a regular service between Lisbon and
Liverpool with one ship homeported in each port and therefore registered
accordingly? Perhaps Walters was commissioned by Carr to paint his ships
wherever they might be? Guessing of course.
Andries Burgers, 10 December 2006
This is probably the explanation. At least fifteen British shipping companies
incorporated the Union Jack into their houseflag, six using it as a canton.
Still the correct houseflag even on a company ship registered in Portugal.
David Prothero, 12 December 2006
Scattered throughout the site are many other unidentified flags. Here is a partial list if you want to test yourself!
