Defaced Blue Ensign
‘Ensign’ has a couple of meanings. In the British army it used to be the lowest ranked commissioned officer, now known as a second lieutenant. In the US navy an ensign is the lowest commissioned officer.
The ensign referred to here is a flag.
In the 17th century, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the English fleet was organised in three squadrons for more efficient deployment. In order of precedence, they were plain unadorned flags ranked red, blue, and white.
In the mid-nineteenth century, the Royal Navy standardised its flags. The White Ensign was assigned to RN warships, the Red Ensign was reserved for merchant ships, and the Blue Ensign was allocated to ships commanded by Royal Naval Reserve officers. This change meant that the Blue Ensign became a symbol of official service.
The Blue Ensign is deep blue with the Union Flag in the top left corner. It can be flown by British government ships, merchant ships under the command of RN Reserve officers, and some privileged yacht clubs, like the Royal Yacht Squadron.
When an ensign is defaced, it is not vandalised or despoiled. It simply has been modified with an emblem added to it to signify which organisation is using it. Below are some examples of defaced Blue Ensigns.
Defaced Blue Ensign of Metropolitan Police
Defaced Blue Ensign of Bermuda
Our national flag seems to be a defaced Blue Ensign. How unfortunate.
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