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British Arctic Territory Royal and Vice-Regal flags

(British Arctic Territory Flag Hoax)

All "British Arctic Territory" flags are hoaxes, developed by Clay Moss et al. on April Fools' Days

Queen's standard
Governor General
Governor's flags
- Former Governor's flag
Lieutenant Governor's flag
- Former Lieutenant Governor's flag
Ambassador's & Consul's flag
- Ambassador's ensign, jacked

See also:

British Arctic Territory

Queen's standard

by Clay Moss

We're hopeful Her Majesty will visit the territory soon for a little Arctic eco-adventure. We want to be ready, so we came up with a suitable personal standard in 1998. It was modified slightly just last week to move the bear defacement back slightly towards the hoist, so the crown would be centered with the flag. Her Majesty's staff approved the adjustment.
Clay Moss, 6 April 2005

Governor General

by Clay Moss, 1 April 2009

In the last year, the Office of Governor General has been created for the BAT and this is the Governor General's flag. This is a thoughtful piece designed to be used for a very long time. The flag starts off being ratioed 1:2 but can be hemmed all the way back to 3:5 as the flag frays over time. Coincidentally, yours truly is the Governor General.
Clay Moss, 1 April 2009

by Clay Moss, 2 April 2009

Here's an alternate British Arctic Territory Governor General's flag. The kid who designed the blue version and this "Moss" green background flag presented it to me as a special (OV approved) flag that I can use as BAT Governor General.
Clay Moss, 2 April 2009

Governor's flags

by Clay Moss

May I enquire why the flag of the Governor (strictly speaking, I believe he should be a Commissioner) has no garland surrounding the badge? The only other examples of such an absence which spring to mind are the Union flag flown by the Governor of Southern Rhodesia and those flown by the British South Africa Company and the British North Borneo Company. Very puzzling.
Peter Johnson, 1 April 2005

I am advised that, although holding the nominal rank of "Governor", there was some confusion in Government circles (in view of prior international agreements) with regard to the exact diplomatic status of the post, and a compromise was, therefore, decided upon whereby the Administrator of the territory would hold consular rank and his flag adjusted accordingly.
Christopher Southworth 3 April 2005

The idea for BAT's union flag was directly inspired by Rhodesia's Union flag, thus the lack of a wreath. Besides, garland won't grow naturally in the BAT, and we didn't want to confuse the citizenry.
Clay Moss, 4 April 2005

by Clay Moss, 1 April 2013

British Arctic Territory mock government has been restarted here in Mississippi. We recently elected new government officials, and our new Governor is an avid sailor and seaman. This being the case, the territory's Office of Vexillology immediately saw the need to adopt an ensign for the Governor when he/she is afloat. For several years of course, there has been such an ensign for the Lieutenant Governor, but a governor's version had never been authorized until now.
Clay Moss, 1 April 2013

I think you'll find that the British Arctic Territories already had a Governor's Ensign authorized by an Admiralty Warrant dating from 1st April 1928 and the first period of BAT settlement (of which, of course, I have a copy), happily however, the authorized design was practically identical (differing only in the size of defacement) from the one you kindly forwarded for our information.
Christopher Southworth,1 April 2013

Former Governor's flag

by Clay Moss, 1 April 2014

Former BAT Governors and Lieutenant Governors were collectively wondering if there might be a flag/ensign proposed for the use of those who once served the afore mentioned posts. The end result was the two attached Red ensigns. Former Governors and Lieutenant Governors may fly these as land flags or as ensigns on their private sea going vessels.

Each former Governor or Lieutenant Governor has permission to deface either ensign with a personal badge. At this point, that hasn't happened.

In creating these special ensigns, British Arctic Territory, is working to be the first territorial entity in the history of the world to have more official flags and ensigns than it does people. As of today, the population of the colony is 111 folks. On the flag front, we're getting there:-)
Clay Moss, 1 April 2014

Lieutenant Governor's flag

by Clay Moss

by Clay Moss, 2 April 2006

Our new Lieutenant Governor will be sworn in soon after 1 April 2006. He is an avid sailor and has requested a special ensign be adopted for maritime purposes. The BAT's office of Vexillology approved the request and authorized the blue ensign design.
Clay Moss, 2 April 2006

The BAT Office of Vexillology may have approved it, but has a request for the appropriate Warrant been sent to the Minister of Defence or to Her Majesty? I foresee a veritable plethora of vituperative memos, and (as the self-appointed representative of HMG) feel it incumbent upon myself to register the strongest possible protest at this appalling use of an unauthorised flag.
Chris Southworth, 2 April 2006

Since the inception of the BAT, the territory has had an arrangement with Her Majesty and the MoD that is unprecedented in British history. All of our ensigns and flags come with automatic warrants from both of the above mentioned parties. It's a nice tidy arrangement that cuts through a tremendous amount of red tape. The secret is that we formed an Office of Vexillology. Both Her Majesty and the MoD were so impressed, that they fell over themselves to see who would be the first to grant this special privilege.
Clay Moss, 3 April 2006

Former Lieutenant Governor's flag

by Clay Moss, 1 April 2014

Ambassador's & Consul's flag

by Clay Moss, 1 April 2009

The BAT ambassador's and consul's flag is the blue ensign with a bear on the fly carrying a crown.
Clay Moss, 6 April 2005

Variant with emblem in lower fly

by Clay Moss, 1 April 2009

The BAT Ambassador's/Consular's flag is the most produced of all BAT flags. Many of these flags are displayed on poles placed on the side of a buildings, angled at 45 degrees. A quartered badge is easier to see under these circumstances. So, the BAT's Office of Vexillology approved the variant. When ordering a flag, said Ambassador or Consular simply states which one they prefer.
Clay Moss, 1 April 2009

Ambassador's ensign, jacked

image by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 1 April 2013

The ambassador's ensign can be "jacked" when an ambassador or consular is afloat.
Clay Moss, 21 October 2008

image by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg and Pete Loeser, 1 April 2014

Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg was gracious enough last BAT Day, 2013 to submit several BAT jacks. These were initially approved by the OV, but a problem with Peter's basic idea soon became apparent. One of the BAT's Ambassador's was on a diplomatic tour up and down the Gambia River. It was quite windy during the tour and the newly acquired BAT Ambassador's jack that flew affront his vessel began to fray quite quickly. To everyone's horror, because of the size of the polar bear that Peter suggested for the BAT jack, the Ambassador's crowned bear began mooning all viewers soon after the jack frayed.

We don't have an actual photo because Gambian officials confiscated all such images, considering them risqué and offensive. However, I have enclosed this image based on eyewitness testimony. The light blue represents the sky. Also attached is the new version of the Ambassador's jack. From this point forward, a ratio of 2/9 will be used when defacing any BAT jack. The bear in the new jack is in horizontal width, 2/9 the height of the jack....and length for that matter.
Clay Moss, 1 April 2014

I've recently read about DIT flags (Do-It-Themselves) of expeditions and people travelling up rivers etc.. I definitely can't be held responsible for BAT ambassadors who brings along an old flag (or is it an ensign?), and while under way try to shorten it and than re-sew the badge on it according to their recollection of my reconstructions. And I'd say that any ambassador who might be expected to do stuff like that anyway, should be tested on her, or his, ability to hem a fly edge properly.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 1 April 2014