Hi all, I know there's a few ex-RAN on here so thought I'd ask a question.

Let me preface this by saying it's been many, MANY years since I've had anything to do with the RAN, and that was through cadets, so there's a good chance my memory's just wrong.

My lunchtime walk usually takes me around Mrs Macquarie's Chair and into Wooloomooloo Bay, and I've noticed all the ships with a blue ensign on the bow and a white ensign on the stern. My memory was white ensigns front and back?

Was it confusing too many people as to what country the while flag was from or do I have it totally wrong?

While alongside Commissioned RAN vessels fly the Aus National Flag at the bow and the Australian White Ensign at the stern

I know very little about the navy, I'm an army man.

I have wondered about the difference between the red and white ensign?

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Mike367 said..
I know very little about the navy, I'm an army man.

I have wondered about the difference between the red and white ensign?

White Ensign is only flown on Commissioned Navy vessels (prefix HMAS) and up until the 60s we flew didn't have our own.

Red Ensigns are able to be flown by any civilian Australian Registered vessel.


Strange that something so significant is actually not widely known.

Hope the (brief) explanations help

Australia changed from the RN white ensign to the Australian white ensign mid 1966, middle of the night with no fanfare The rules for the red ensign are a little casual. Commercial vessels and people in Royal yacht clubs could fly them though pretty much anyone who wants to can fly them can. I have one. If you do fly one the courtesy rule still applies and you should dip them as a warship passes. If you don't want to dip them don't fly one!

I love to fly the Red Ensign, Wapiti had British registration when I bought her but she is Australian registered now. When I bought the Red Ensign the lady in the Chandlery asked if the boat had Australian registration and went on to explain the rules around flying it.

My Ensign is set up to dip, can't wait to cross a Warships path, my daughter is on the HMAS Brisbane right now somewhere on deployment, turned 21 today. I told her if I see her on water one day I am going to try and get the Brisbane to dip the Ensign in reply.

Picture of us on the bridge of the Brisbane the day they deployed.

PS she has been trying to get on the Navy yacht to do the S2H, just told me she has missed that opportunity but could still get on the delivery back. Fingers crossed she gets on.

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cammd said..
I love to fly the Red Ensign, Wapiti had British registration when I bought her but she is Australian registered now. When I bought the Red Ensign the lady in the Chandlery asked if the boat had Australian registration and went on to explain the rules around flying it.

My Ensign is set up to dip, can't wait to cross a Warships path, my daughter is on the HMAS Brisbane right now somewhere on deployment, turned 21 today. I told her if I see her on water one day I am going to try and get the Brisbane to dip the Ensign in reply.

Picture of us on the bridge of the Brisbane the day they deployed.

PS she has been trying to get on the Navy yacht to do the S2H, just told me she has missed that opportunity but could still get on the delivery back. Fingers crossed she gets on.

Good on her. Proudly serving her country! 27 years RAN, 22 RANR.

Thanks for the answers regarding the red and white ensign, is the british navy the same with their ensigns?

Well done to your daughter cammd, my son applied but he has a small blind spot in his left eye that disqualified him.

Actually, the Red Ensign was the people's flag and only government organizations, including the military, could fly the Blue Ensign.

That changed around 1953 when the Blue Ensign became the official Australian flag for all of us.

Of course, small ships can still fly the Red Ensign.

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cammd said..
I love to fly the Red Ensign, Wapiti had British registration when I bought her but she is Australian registered now. When I bought the Red Ensign the lady in the Chandlery asked if the boat had Australian registration and went on to explain the rules around flying it.

My Ensign is set up to dip, can't wait to cross a Warships path, my daughter is on the HMAS Brisbane right now somewhere on deployment, turned 21 today. I told her if I see her on water one day I am going to try and get the Brisbane to dip the Ensign in reply.

Picture of us on the bridge of the Brisbane the day they deployed.

PS she has been trying to get on the Navy yacht to do the S2H, just told me she has missed that opportunity but could still get on the delivery back. Fingers crossed she gets on.

Hey Cammd,

I was a radio operator submariner. My harbour station was up on the fin, on the radio to harbour control, tugs etc., and on the flags. We'd genuinely love it when a boat would dip its flag, and we would do so in return. Used to be kept pretty busy coming into Sydney Harbour especially if on a weekend.

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Mike367 said..
Thanks for the answers regarding the red and white ensign, is the british navy the same with their ensigns?

Well done to your daughter cammd, my son applied but he has a small blind spot in his left eye that disqualified him.

RN has a white ensign, with the Union Jack in the usual corner position, with the cross of St George.

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duncansayers said..

cammd said..
I love to fly the Red Ensign, Wapiti had British registration when I bought her but she is Australian registered now. When I bought the Red Ensign the lady in the Chandlery asked if the boat had Australian registration and went on to explain the rules around flying it.

My Ensign is set up to dip, can't wait to cross a Warships path, my daughter is on the HMAS Brisbane right now somewhere on deployment, turned 21 today. I told her if I see her on water one day I am going to try and get the Brisbane to dip the Ensign in reply.

Picture of us on the bridge of the Brisbane the day they deployed.

PS she has been trying to get on the Navy yacht to do the S2H, just told me she has missed that opportunity but could still get on the delivery back. Fingers crossed she gets on.

Hey Cammd,

I was a radio operator submariner. My harbour station was up on the fin, on the radio to harbour control, tugs etc., and on the flags. We'd genuinely love it when a boat would dip its flag, and we would do so in return. Used to be kept pretty busy coming into Sydney Harbour especially if on a weekend.

I think showing your respect to the people who have or are serving is a great thing to do.

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duncansayers said..

cammd said..
I love to fly the Red Ensign, Wapiti had British registration when I bought her but she is Australian registered now. When I bought the Red Ensign the lady in the Chandlery asked if the boat had Australian registration and went on to explain the rules around flying it.

My Ensign is set up to dip, can't wait to cross a Warships path, my daughter is on the HMAS Brisbane right now somewhere on deployment, turned 21 today. I told her if I see her on water one day I am going to try and get the Brisbane to dip the Ensign in reply.

Picture of us on the bridge of the Brisbane the day they deployed.

PS she has been trying to get on the Navy yacht to do the S2H, just told me she has missed that opportunity but could still get on the delivery back. Fingers crossed she gets on.

Hey Cammd,

I was a radio operator submariner. My harbour station was up on the fin, on the radio to harbour control, tugs etc., and on the flags. We'd genuinely love it when a boat would dip its flag, and we would do so in return. Used to be kept pretty busy coming into Sydney Harbour especially if on a weekend.

When were you at PLATS?

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MorningBird said..

duncansayers said..

cammd said..
I love to fly the Red Ensign, Wapiti had British registration when I bought her but she is Australian registered now. When I bought the Red Ensign the lady in the Chandlery asked if the boat had Australian registration and went on to explain the rules around flying it.

My Ensign is set up to dip, can't wait to cross a Warships path, my daughter is on the HMAS Brisbane right now somewhere on deployment, turned 21 today. I told her if I see her on water one day I am going to try and get the Brisbane to dip the Ensign in reply.

Picture of us on the bridge of the Brisbane the day they deployed.

PS she has been trying to get on the Navy yacht to do the S2H, just told me she has missed that opportunity but could still get on the delivery back. Fingers crossed she gets on.

Hey Cammd,

I was a radio operator submariner. My harbour station was up on the fin, on the radio to harbour control, tugs etc., and on the flags. We'd genuinely love it when a boat would dip its flag, and we would do so in return. Used to be kept pretty busy coming into Sydney Harbour especially if on a weekend.

When were you at PLATS?

1994-95ish

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Ramona said..
Australia changed from the RN white ensign to the Australian white ensign mid 1966, middle of the night with no fanfare

After the English directed us to stop flying their flag in the Vietnam war on our ships.

And as to those who fly the Red Ensign upside down ; Don't get me started !!!!!!!!!!!!!

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EastCoastSail said..

Ramona said..
Australia changed from the RN white ensign to the Australian white ensign mid 1966, middle of the night with no fanfare

After the English directed us to stop flying their flag in the Vietnam war on our ships.

Can you show me a reference for that?

By 1965, Australian forces were fighting in the Vietnam War, a war which did not involve the British, and a member of parliament questioned the appropriateness of using the ensign of another country. At the same time, it was reported in parliament that the Navy were looking for a distinctly Australian ensign. On considering the matter on 1966-01-21, the Naval Board recommended to the Government "that the Royal Australian Navy should have its own unique white ensign", a "white flag with the Union Flag in the upper canton at the hoist with six blue stars positioned as in the Australian flag". The new ensign was granted Royal Assent on 1966-11-07 and announced by the prime minister on 1966-12-23. The introduction of the ensign was brought forward from the originally planned date, 1966-05-01, to 1 March, when HMAS Boonaroo became the first ship to be commissioned under the Australian white ensign.
Source: Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_White_Ensign (Accessed: 30 January 2006)
Australian White Ensign. Sea Power Centre - Australia site. (Accessed: 4 August 2005)"

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Bananabender said..
By 1965, Australian forces were fighting in the Vietnam War, a war which did not involve the British, and a member of parliament questioned the appropriateness of using the ensign of another country. At the same time, it was reported in parliament that the Navy were looking for a distinctly Australian ensign. On considering the matter on 1966-01-21, the Naval Board recommended to the Government "that the Royal Australian Navy should have its own unique white ensign", a "white flag with the Union Flag in the upper canton at the hoist with six blue stars positioned as in the Australian flag". The new ensign was granted Royal Assent on 1966-11-07 and announced by the prime minister on 1966-12-23. The introduction of the ensign was brought forward from the originally planned date, 1966-05-01, to 1 March, when HMAS Boonaroo became the first ship to be commissioned under the Australian white ensign.
Source: Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_White_Ensign (Accessed: 30 January 2006)
Australian White Ensign. Sea Power Centre - Australia site. (Accessed: 4 August 2005)"

Yep, the British did not ask us to stop using it. It was an Australian decision.

We all knew it was about to occur. I came on deck for the morning watch and the new ensign was flying at the masthead. Later that morning we were steaming along in the Malacca Strait and the full size flag was on the flag staff on the quarterdeck and the Australian flag at the bow, unusual rig for at sea. The buzz about the British not being happy about the Vietnam business was certainly doing the rounds at the time.