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

Command and Rank flags until 1956 (The Netherlands)

Commando- en onderscheidingsvlaggen (Nederland)

Last modified: 2018-12-15 by rob raeside
Keywords: rank flag | army | navy |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors


See also:

Introduction

In the Dutch navy there is a distiction between command flags (indicating a function) and rank flags (indicating a rank). The designs are similar, but the former have proportions 1:1, the latter 2:3. Until 1956, when the present set of command and rank flags was adopted, the stars were rotated 90 degrees. According to Neubecker's Flaggenbuch, 1939 [neu92] the imaginary circle circumscribing a star was 9/20 of the height of the red stripe. I don't know when this set was adopted.
Mark Sensen, 28 Jul 2002

Command flags

Admiral (Admiraal)

[Command flag Admiral] image by Mark Sensen, 24 Jul 2002

The flag for admiral was the same as present.
Mark Sensen, 28 Jul 2002

Lieutenant-Admiral (Luitenant-Admiraal)

[Command flag Lieutenant-Admiral] image by Mark Sensen, 28 Jul 2002

Vice-Admiral (Vice-Admiraal)

[Command flag Vice-Admiral] image by Mark Sensen, 28 Jul 2002

Rear-Admiral (Schout bij Nacht)

[Command flag Rear-Admiral] image by Mark Sensen, 28 Jul 2002

This function has a very distinctive name in Dutch not comparable to a term in any other language (at least as far as I know): "schout-bij-nacht" (literally: "sheriff at night" or "looks out at night")..
Mark Sensen, 24 Jul 2002

Commodore (Commodore)

[Command flag Commodore] image by Mark Sensen, 28 Jul 2002

Neubecker's Flaggenbuch, 1939 [neu92] doesn't show flags for a commander, but Kannik's Vlaggen, standaarden en wapens [kan59a] mentions it. I assume flags for this rank, or maybe even the rank itself, were created only after WWII.
Mark Sensen, 28 Jul 2002

Rank flags (Onderscheidingsvlaggen)

Admiral or Field Marshall (Admiraal of Veldmaarschalk)

[Rank flag Admiral or Field Marshall] image by Mark Sensen, 24 Jul 2002

The flag for admiral was the same as present.
Mark Sensen, 28 Jul 2002

Lieutenant-Admiral or General (Luitenant-Admiraal of Generaal)

[Rank flag Lieutenant-Admiral or General] image by Mark Sensen, 28 Jul 2002

Vice-Admiral or Lieutenant-General (Vice-admiraal of Luitenant-generaal)

[Rank flag Vice-Admiral or Lieutenant-General] image by Mark Sensen, 28 Jul 2002

Rear-Admiral or General-Major (Schout-bij-nacht of Generaal-majoor)

[Rank flag Rear-Admiral or General-Major] image by Mark Sensen, 28 Jul 2002, see above.

Commodore

[Rank flag Commodore] image by Mark Sensen, 28 Jul 2002

Neubecker's Flaggenbuch, 1939 [neu92] doesn't show flags for a commander, but Kannik's Vlaggen, standaarden en wapens [kan59a] mentions it. I assume flags for this rank, or maybe even the rank itself, were created only after WWII.
Mark Sensen, 28 Jul 2002