The ensign is a maritime flag that is used for the national identification of a ship.^[1] The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. In ports, depending on the ship's origin, it is sometimes identical with a jack on the bow of the ship. Jacks are more common on warships than on merchant ships.

Etymology

The Middle English ensign is derived from the Latin word insignia.

Vexillology

In vexillology an ensign is differentiated between a naval ensign (war ensign) and civil ensign (merchant), which both are the original expressions of the national flag.^[2]

However, in the United Kingdom, Germany and Netherlands a separation between State and Armed ships on the one hand, and unarmed and private vessels was made earlier than in other Nations, see British ensign.

Vexillologists distinguish three varieties of a national flag when used as an ensign:

A state ensign or government ensign (usage symbol ) is worn by government vessels of official government agencies or civilian equipped auxiliary ships.

A naval ensign (usage symbol ) is used by a country's navy as a war flag for military ships, which are enlisted as such.^[3] War ensigns do not mean, that the country is at war. It is about the military use. They fall under the law of war and United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Large versions of naval ensigns called battle ensigns are used when a warship goes into battle. The ensign differs from the jack, which is flown from a jackstaff at the bow of a vessel additionally, if they are at the port.

A civil ensign (usage symbol ) is worn by merchant and pleasure vessels. The merchant maritime flag or civil ensign is therefor the specific flag for the Merchant navy of a country, unless the (private) owners are authorized to use another. The commercial flag was created to give these private individuals the opportunity to declare their nationality. Some countries have a specific yacht ensign for recreational boats without declared cargo, which differs from the regular ensign and have a specific law. Merchant flags can only be flown by ships that are not ships of war, ships of state, auxiliary ships or yachts. The special feature here is that a ship does not represent an extraterritorial area, but belongs to a private person or similar and does not represent the state itself. This means that the use of the national or even state flag is normally forbidden.

Today, some countries like the United States and France still use just one flag and also as a jack, while lacking special cantons and transparent identification. All ships of the seagoing services of the United States Government with the exception of the United States Coast Guard fly the national flag as their ensign, although the ships of some agencies also fly an agency flag as a 'distinctive mark'.

However, further countries like Ukraine, Italy, Russia, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Japan use different ensigns. Such are strictly regulated and indicate if the vessel is a warship, a merchant ship, a ship under contract to carry mail, or a yacht, for example.

Several Commonwealth countries' national flags had their origin in the ensigns of their original colonising power, the United Kingdom. Most notable of these national flags are those of Australia, New Zealand, and several smaller island nations. It is also very likely that the Grand Union Flag from which the flag of the United States developed was strongly influenced by the British Red Ensign or the flag of the (British controlled) East India Company.

Usage

In nautical use, any boat uses a specific flag of a specific Nation to indicate its organizational membership. The ensign is flown on a ship for that reason.^[2] The flag signifies the home port of the ship owner and that his tax is paid there for his income made with the ship. Flagging out always means that the relevant laws of the country apply on the ship like employment contracts, safety, stamp duty or value-added taxes.^{[citation needed]}

In most countries, especially in Europe and the countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, it is common for the ensign to display additional information as well. For example, whether it is a civil, state or military flag.^{[citation needed]}

Ensigns are usually at the stern flagstaff when in port, and may be shifted to a gaff (if available) or mast amidships when the ship is under way, becoming known as a steaming ensign.^{[citation needed]}

A boat flag is also often used as guest country flag and is flown on the boat when navigating in foreign waters or entering another country's port.^{[citation needed]}

Air ensigns

With the creation of independent air forces and the growth in civil aviation in the first half of the 20th century, a range of distinguishing flags and ensigns were adopted. These may be divided into air force ensigns (often light blue in colour,^[4] such as the Royal Air Force Ensign) and civil air ensigns.