Australian White Ensign

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War flag at sea? Australian White Ensign
Australian sailor in front of the White Ensign

The Australian White Ensign , also known as the Royal Australian Navy Ensign , is the official flag of the Royal Australian Navy . It has been used as a naval war flag and jack on the ships of the Australian Navy since 1967 .

layout

The White Ensign is based on the Australian national flag and the White Ensign of the Royal Navy . It has an aspect ratio of 2: 1, in the upper left corner is the Union Jack , which goes back to the history as a British colony. On a white background, there is a blue seven-pointed star, the Commonwealth Star , in the lower left corner . The right half is occupied by five stars that symbolize the Southern Cross . One star is five-pointed, the other four are seven-pointed.

history

Since its inception in 1911, the Royal Australian Navy has led the Royal Navy's White Ensign. Proposals for an Australian naval flag of their own were made early on, but the British Admiralty rejected them on the grounds that it would make sense for all Commonwealth navies to fly the same flag. It was not until 1965 that the then Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Sir Alan McNicoll, proposed the introduction of a separate Australian naval flag, especially with regard to Australian participation in the Vietnam War , where Australian warships flied the flag of a non-war country. On January 21, 1966, the Australian Government's Naval Board proposed the introduction of a new flag. After this draft was approved by both the government and the Queen , the Naval Board announced on December 23, 1966 the introduction of the new flag on March 1 of the following year. The first ship to enter service under the new flag was the utility HMAS Boonaroo .

Web links

Commons : Australian White Ensign  - collection of images, videos and audio files