KINGDOM OF NORWAY

NAVAL ENSIGNS & JACKS  •  1814-1905

In 1814, the union between Norway and Denmark came to an end and the country adopted as its war ensign the forked version of the Danish Dannebrog with the Norwegian arms in the canton. This ensign did not last long since in 1815, Norway joined with Sweden in a personal union under the Swedish crown. The Swedish war ensign, with a canton displaying a white saltire cross on a red field (the Danish colors differently arranged) became the new Norwegian war ensign. Both the 1814-15 and 1815-44 war ensigns also served as naval jacks. Norway enjoyed a good deal of autonomy during the period of personal union with Sweden, and a distinctive civil ensign was formally adopted in 1821. It was based on the Dannebrog but with a blue cross superimposed on the white one. This ensign was not approved for use at sea beyond local waters until 1898, but in 1844 rectangular and forked versions with a Swedish-Norwegian "union mark" in the canton were adopted as the Norwegian civil ensign and war ensign respectively. The union mark, which combined the crosses of the Swedish and Norwegian flags, also appeared in the canton of Swedish flags and ensigns, and served as both nations' naval jack. As illustrated, corresponding commissioning pennants were introduced with each ensign.

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