^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Civil Ensign (Gibraltar, United Kingdom)

1:2
image by Martin Grieve, 02 Apr 2005
adopted 19th Mar 1996

Introduction
Description
Construction Sheet
Badge Detail

See also:

Government Ensign (Gibraltar)
Gibraltar (United Kingdom)

Other sites:

Gibraltar Red Ensign at the World Flag Database

Introduction

Yesterday at Haifa I saw the container ship M/V Sea Leader whose ensign was white with a narrow red stripe on the bottom and a device at the center (it was a bit dark). My first thought was "Gibraltar," and checking it in the net, there it was....the ship is registered in Gibraltar. However, IIRC, Gibraltar has a red ensign. Is it another case of not following the rules ?

Dov Gutterman, 17 Sep 2003

I should think that the Master of the MV Sea Leader was trying to make some sort of political statement by flying the city flag? A defaced Red Ensign for Gibraltar was, as we know, adopted by 'The Merchant Shipping (Gibraltar Colours) Order of 14 February 1996. Before then the proper colours for a ship registered in Gibraltar was an undefaced British Red Ensign.

Christopher Southworth, 17 Sep 2003

I have always been under the impression that a flag of convenience is not just a ship register but also a flag; not a special flag as such, but the flag of that particular country or territory. However, in spite of Gibraltar having a ship register of this kind, Gibraltar vessels obviously use the undefaced British red ensign, as seen by me not far from my home in Hässelby outside Stockholm.

Elias Granqvist, 16 Dec 2007

Vessels registered in Gibraltar may (of course) fly a defaced red ensign, but (in common with all other British Overseas Territories with a defaced ensign) they still retain the option of flying an undefaced red ensign instead as their proper colours.

Christopher Southworth, 16 Dec 2007

Description

Gibraltar does have a red ensign for ships registered in Gibraltar. The ensign has the arms of the colony in a shield centered on the fly half, with the motto Montis Insignia Calpe in black on a gold scroll beneath the arms. This flag was only introduced recently (maybe this year).

Graham Bartram, 27 Sep 1996

The red ensign is quite new, because it was adopted on the 19th March 1996, with an Order in Council dated 14th February 1996. Source: Flagmaster no. 082, 1996, Sorting out the colonies, new flags for old possessions, which gives information about Gibraltar, as well as on other British Dependencies.

Pascal Vagnat, 30 Apr 1997

There is a colour difference between the red used for the city flag and that for the red ensign. As far as I know they just use Union Jack's red for the arms when they are displayed in the fly, and only use the more magenta shade for the stand-alone flag. Incidently this flag can be seen flying outside the Gibraltar Government Offices in the Strand, London. There is a blue ensign version for use by Gibraltar Government vessels.

Graham Bartram, 30 Apr 1997

The Order in Council regarding the Gibraltarian merchant ensign is on-line here; a b/w picture is appended on the second page (click "continue").

Jan Mertens, 28 May 2009

I have a copy of the original Order in Council which is detailed as follows: Royal Order in Council No. 281 "The Gibraltar Shipping (Gibraltar) Colours Order 1996" made on 14 February 1996, laid before Parliament on 26 February 1996 (in accordance with Article 2(3)(b) of the Merchant Shipping Act of 1995) and effective 19 March 1996. The construction details given by Martin are based upon the attached Schedule, bearing in mind Article (2), wherein it is stated that: “The positioning and proportions of the defacement shall be in accordance with the illustration in the Schedule hereto.” The Schedule attached to this Order shows a flag with the conventional ratio of 1:2 and this illustration is an integral part of a legal document, is referred to in it and so is definitive. The image contained in the schedule attached to the Order differs from that in the current Edition of BR20 (shown on Graham Bartram's site) by showing a differently shaped shield (narrowing from top edge to point), is slightly differently detailed, and is centred in the fly half, is 5/11 of flag height overall, with the shield itself 4/11 high in proportions of 40:38.

My spec based on the Schedule shows the shield at 38/110 across with the scroll and motto at 50/110 and centred in the fly half.

Christopher Southworth, 02 Apr 2005 and 17 Dec 2007 and 29 May 2009

Does it not seem odd that the ratio is not mentioned anywhere and also that the flag in the black and white drawing appears to not be in the usual 1:2 ratio?

Mattias Hansson, 29 May 2009

I believe that the distortion away from the 1:2 ratio is due to the scanning/image-handling process, as it seems that the letters around the flag are just as well squeezed along the horizontal.

Željko Heimer, 29 May 2009

Construction Sheet

image by Martin Grieve, 02 Apr 2005
Badge Detail

image by Martin Grieve, 02 Apr 2005