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In British maritime law and custom, an ensign is the identifying flag flown to designate a British ship, either military or civilian. Such flags display the United Kingdom Union Flag in the canton (the upper corner next to the staff), with either a red, white or blue field, dependent on whether the vessel is civilian, naval, or in a special category.
A British Red Ensign defaced with the Coat of arms of Colonial Jamaica within a white disc. 1957–1962: Jamaica: A British Blue Ensign defaced with the Coat of arms of Colonial Jamaica within a white disc. 1957–1962: Jamaica (Civil Ensign) A British Red Ensign defaced with the Coat of arms of Colonial Jamaica within a white disc. 1962: Jamaica
It is one of the British ensigns, and it is used either plain or defaced with either a badge or a charge, mostly in the right half. It is the flag flown by British merchant or passenger ships since 1707. Prior to 1707, an English red ensign and a Scottish red ensign were flown by the English Royal Navy and the Royal Scots Navy, respectively ...
A Union Jack defaced with the coat of arms of the British Antarctic Territory: 1990–present: Flag of the commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory: A design based on the Blue Ensign with a Union Jack in the union and wavy white lines going horizontally along the field, defaced with the coat of arms of the British Indian Ocean ...
Prior to the reorganisation of the Royal Navy in 1864, the plain blue ensign had been the ensign of one of three squadrons of the Royal Navy, the Blue Squadron.This changed in 1864, when an order in council provided that the Red Ensign was allocated to merchantmen, the Blue Ensign was to be the flag of ships in public service or commanded by an officer in the Royal Naval Reserve, and the White ...
The term "war flag" is used irrespective of if a given country is at war. Large versions of naval ensigns called battle ensigns are used when a warship goes into battle. The ensign differs from the jack, which is additionally flown from a jackstaff at the bow of a vessel if they are at the port.
Warships wear it at all times when underway, and when engaged in battle, wear the "battle ensign" or multiple ensigns. Tradition dictated that if a ship lowered its ensign it was deemed to have surrendered. Masts were targets of gunfire, and the second and subsequent ensigns were worn in order to keep the ensign flying even after a mast hit.
Commissioned ships and submarines wear the White Ensign at the stern whilst alongside during daylight hours and at the main-mast whilst under way. When alongside, the Union Jack is flown from the jackstaff at the bow, but can be flown under way on only special circumstances, i.e. when dressed with masthead flags (when it is flown at the jackstaff), to signal a court-martial is in progress ...