KINGDOM OF BELGIUM

CURRENT NAVAL ENSIGNS & FLAGS

Up to 1940 the naval ensign of the Kingdom of Belgium was a rectangular (2:3) version of the national flag with a crown over a rampant lion, both black, on the central yellow stripe. The naval jack was a square version of the national flag, with no additional charges, while the commissioning pennant was striped in the national colors. Senior officers afloat flew a square flag like the jack, charged with a black crown over a foul anchor on the yellow stripe. The Belgian Navy of 1940 was a small service consisting of patrol boats, tugs, requisitioned fishing trawlers, etc., operating mostly as an adjunct to the Army. The German invasion in 1940 and the wartime occupation that followed left nothing of the Belgian Navy when the country was liberated in 1945. Gradually, however, the fleet was rebuilt with surplus vessels obtained from Britain and the United States. Most of the ships obtained were minesweepers, and mine warfare became the Belgian Navy’s primary focus during the postwar period. Since the end of the Cold War, the Navy (now called the Naval Component of the Belgian Armed Forces) has been substantially reduced in size. In 1950, Belgium adopted a new naval ensign, quite distinct in design from the national flag: white with a saltire cross in the national colors and a crown, crossed cannons and a foul anchor in black. The jack and commissioning pennant, however, were not changed. Also adopted was a range of naval rank and appointment flags and command pennants. Note that the highest Belgian naval flag rank is vice-admiral. Usually there is only one officer of that rank on the active list at any time. Flag Proportions: The naval ensign is made in 2:3 proportions. The jack and the appointment flags are made square.

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