Last modified: 2013-01-19 by rob raeside
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Recently I received an inquiry with attached images from a guy
in the UK who'd inherited some old flags from his late
grandfather, a WW II veteran of the Italian campaign. His
question concerned four items:
(1) An Italian Naval Ensign (with crowned
shield) about 15 inches square, with yellow fringe. On the hoist
end are three cloth loops to fit over a staff.
(2) An Italian Naval Jack (bannner of arms of
Savoy)--otherwise, same size and discription as (1).
(3) Two pennants. One is striped green-white-red with the crowned
shield (crown toward the hoist) on the white stripe. The other is
blue, inscribed with what looks like "2 squadriglia
motosiluranti."
My guess is that the above items were used by a motor torpedo
boat squadron of the Royal Italian Navy--ensign, jack,
commissioning pennant and squadron pennant. The guy said that his
grandfather obtained them at Taranto, which was one of the
Italian Navy's major wartime bases
Tom Gregg , 5 February 2000
I find these two links to the "Sacrario delle Bandiere al
Vittoriano":
<www.marina.difesa.it/storia/musei/musei001.htm>
and <www.marina.difesa.it/storia/musei/musei002.htm>
with some nice images of historical ensigns, such as: <museo007G.jpg>
and <museo009g.jpg>.
It is noteworthy that some ensigns dating from the late Kingdom
of Italy era, such as this one from submarine "Ettore
Fieramosca" 1929-1941: <museo034g.jpg>
use an unspecific royal crown, rather than the Italian one.
Santiago Dotor, 27 June 2003
The Regia Marina was born on march 17th, 1861 with the merging
of the Royal Sardinian Navy, the Neapolitan Army of the Sea and
the Navy of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. The Pontifical Navy would
be added in 1871. At the date of its creation, the Regia Marina
adopted the flag for all warships and merchant ships as
originally set for the Royal Sardinian Navy in 1848.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>
image by Miles Li, 3 December 2004
The national flag/civil ensign had the Savoy arms, uncrowned,
while the naval ensign (Bandiera da Guerra) had crowned arms.
James L. Woods and Tom Gregg ,15 January 1998
Here is a source about
the Royal Ensign and if you want included measurments. it is from
Annuario 1972 dell'Enciclopedia dei Ragazzi Ed.Arnoldo
Mondadori Editore. The naval pennant is there also .
Bozeni Manuel, 18 October 2000
At "Nouveau Petit Larousse Illustre" (1926), the
Italian flag appears to be with the shield of red with a white
cross, a blue border around them, and above the shield a golden
crown.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 29 October 2000
It is similar to the present ensign but with the shield and
crown of Savoy in the centre. A white rectangular cross, on
a blue bordered, red shield. This was below a red and
yellow crown.
David Prothero, 26 December 2001
There are some mistakes in Željko Heimer's image
. The naval flag has a green that is too light, and the shape of
the crown is wrong. The Italian royal crown had its shape, you
can see Here.
Guido Abate, 6 December 2002
Simplified Version
image by Jorge Candeias , 29 October 1999
Another episode on the "Old flag plate" series. This
italian flag is only interesting due to the Coat of Arms. It's
probably a simplification of the Coat of Arms in actual use,
since it lacks the blue border. it has, however a curious shape
and I wander if this shape could reflect real flags. Finally the
crown: it's practically not worth mentionning, because it seems
to be simply outlined in the original.
Jorge Candeias , 29 October 1999
image by Miles Li, 3 December 2004
This is also the national flag.
Miles Li, 29 November 2004
image by Željko Heimer, 1 March 2010
Instituted by Royal Decree dated April 22nd, 1879 and
hoisted at the bowsprit of every ship at anchor. It was
used at sea only if the ship was full dressed.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>
This 1879 - 1947 jack of Italy - Flaggenbuch (1939) shows the
jack as having proportions of 5:6 (40 x 48 units) and the cross
at 1/8 the flag (5 units wide) with the border (whilst not
defined) as being shown as being the same width as the cross.
Christopher Southworth, 22 February 2010
In 'Flagmaster', the magazine of the British Flag Institute, in an
article on Italian flags, superbly illustrated by Roberto Breschi, is the
original form of the naval jack in use from 1879 - 1893. This is essentially the
same as the 1893 - 1946 version we show, that is a banner of the arms of Savoy,
but it is square in format with a border and cross about one-fifth the flag.
Christopher Southworth, 28 October 2011
image by Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>
Instituted by Royal Decree dated September 20th, 1882 and
flown at the foremast by craft belonging to the Pilot Service.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>
image by Miles Li, 3 December 2004
Pilot flag from the National Geographic 1917 depictions (NGM)
and the Webster's New International Dictionary (WNID), circa 1924
plates. The difference: the NGM image shows the arm of the
cross slightly higher than in WNID.
Phil Nelson , 3 January 2000
The pilot flag is wrong: it was simply a reduced state flag
with a white border. When I say "reduced" I mean that
the flag had the same proportions (same shield, crown, etc.), but
it was smaller.
Guido Abate, 6 December 2002
Instituted by Royal Decree dated September 20th, 1882 and
flown at the Foremast by warships requiring a pilot.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>
image by Miles Li, 3 December 2004
Instituted by Royal Decree dated September 20th, 1882 and
flown at the Foremast by merchant ship requiring a pilot.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>
image by Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>
Instituted with a general order dated August 2nd, 1908 and
flown at the foremast of all auxiliary ships belonging to the
Regia Marina.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>
image by Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>
Instituted with a general order dated August 27th 1926 and
flown at the foremast of all ships belonging to the Royal Finance
Guard (similar, but not like the Coast Guard)
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>
image by Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>
Instituted with a general order dated February 27th 1913 and
flown from the foremast of all ships belonging to the service.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>
image by Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>
Instituted by Royal Decree dated July 2nd, 1891 and flown from
the foremast of all ships carrying Mail.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>
image by Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>
Instituted with a general order dated August 21st, 1926 and
flown from the foremast of all racing craft belonging to the
Regia Marina.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>
image by Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>
Instituted by Royal Decree dated September 20th, 1882 and
flown at the foremast as a sign of neutrality by Hospital Ships.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>
image by Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>
I have an Italian flag with the Arms of Savoy on the middle
white stripe. It has a yellow crown over the Arms with a red
anchor and red accent devices on each side of the anchor.
Could you tell me the years this was in use and by what special
branch of government if any? Any other detail you can give
me on the flag would be appriciated.
Truman Pope (Secretary NAVA), 5 September 2000
image by Jaume Ollé, 7 November 2003
No. 1137 - Italy - Merchantmen.
Source: [stb62]
Jaume Ollé, 7 November 2003
image by Jaume Ollé, 7 November 2003
No. 1142 - Italy - Merchantmen.
Source: [stb62]
Jaume Ollé, 7 November 2003
image by Jaume Ollé, 7 November 2003
No. 1143 - Italy - Merchantmen.
Source: [stb62]
Jaume Ollé, 7 November 2003
image by Jaume Ollé, 7 November 2003
No. 1144 - Italy, Navy and War.
Source: [stb62]
Jaume Ollé, 7 November 2003
image by Jaume Ollé, 7 November 2003
No. 1150 - Italy, Navy - Broad Pennant.
Source: [stb62]
Jaume Ollé, 7 November 2003
