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28-518: Vice Admiral James Littleton (1668–1723) was a Royal Navy officer who served as Commander-in-Chief of the Jamaica Station . Littleton was promoted to post captain on 27 February 1693 on appointment to the command of the sixth-rate HMS Swift Prize . He transferred to the command of the fourth-rate HMS Portland in January 1696, of the fourth-rate HMS Anglesea in 1698 and of

56-697: A "distinctive mark" until the newly created National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) took over control of the Survey ' s ships in 1970. Since then, commissioned ships of the NOAA fleet , which also wear the same national ensign as U.S. Navy ships, have worn the flag of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as a distinctive mark. Similarly, all ships of the United States Lighthouse Service wore

84-401: A personal flag . A vice-admiral flies a St George's cross defaced with a red disc in the hoist. The rank of vice-admiral itself is shown in its sleeve lace by a broad band with two narrower bands. Since 2001, it has been designated a three-star rank , when the number of stars on the shoulder board were increased to three. Maritime flags The ensign is the national identification of

112-401: A unit citation , for which a burgee (tapering flag with swallow-tail fly) is flown when in port. There is a system of International maritime signal flags for each letter of the alphabet, and pennants for the numerals. Each flag (except the R flag) has an additional meaning when flown individually, and they take other meanings in certain combinations. A courtesy flag (or courtesy ensign )

140-488: A mast hit. Jacks are flown on the bow and placed upon a jackstaff , and used when the vessel is in a port or dressed on special occasions, and not while being underway. The origin of the jack was on warships only. However, it became an additional flag for certain other vessels and is sometimes identical with the ensign on merchant ships , depending on the ships origin. Jacks in the Royal Navy must be run up when

168-584: A number of times during this period. In the Royal Navy, the rank of vice-admiral should be distinguished from the office of Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom , which is an Admiralty position usually held by a retired full admiral, and that of Vice-Admiral of the Coast , a now obsolete office dealing with naval administration in each of the maritime counties. Vice-admirals are entitled to fly

196-417: A ship and hoisted up in a national flag world-wide. They are required to be worn when entering and leaving harbour, when sailing through foreign waters, and when the ship is signalled to do so by a warship. Ensigns are part of seafaring traditions of private and naval forces and have their origins in the era of sailing vessels. Flag dipping is done with the ensign. Ships usually wear their ensigns between

224-421: A ship: a flag flown at the stern is always in a superior position to a flag flown elsewhere on the ship, even if the latter is higher up. The priority of hoisting locations depends on the rig of the vessel. With sloops, ketches and schooners the starboard yardarm or spreader of the highest or main mast is the second most honoured position (that is, after the ensign at the stern). Next after the starboard spreader

252-416: Is flown by a visiting ship in foreign waters as a token of respect. It is often a small (that is, smaller than the ship's own national ensign ) national maritime flag of the host country, although there are countries (such as Malta ) where the national, rather than the maritime flag is correct. The flag is customarily worn at the foremasthead of multi-masted vessels, the dockside yardarm or crosstree of

280-531: Is immediately superior to the rear admiral rank and is subordinate to the full admiral rank. The equivalent rank in the British Army and Royal Marines is lieutenant-general ; and in the Royal Air Force , it is air marshal . The Royal Navy has had vice-admirals since at least the 16th century. When the fleet was deployed, the vice-admiral would be in the leading portion or van , acting as

308-445: Is the flag worn by a superior officer on their flagship or headquarters (hence the term flag ship). The origins of this are from the era before radiotelegraphy and radiotelephony, when orders were given by flag signals. The flag denotes the ship which must be watched for signals designating orders. Such flags are also worn when leaders of the government (presidents, prime ministers or defense secretaries) are aboard Navy ships, showing

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336-404: Is the port spreader. House flags (those defining the owner) are usually flown from the mainmast truck. When a club burgee is flown, it will normally be hoisted to the truck of the most forward mast. On a sloop, then, not having a foremast, the house flag could be moved to the port spreader if the starboard spreader was in use, and a burgee was being flown. On a ketch, the house flag would be moved to

364-756: The U.S. Lighthouse Service flag until the service merged into the United States Coast Guard on 1 July 1939, and ships of the United States Bureau of Fisheries wore the Bureau of Fisheries flag until the bureau was merged into the United States Fish and Wildlife Service on 30 June 1940. the Fish and Wildlife service subsequently has flown its flag as a distinctive mark on its ships. The rank flag or distinguishing flag

392-528: The deputy to the admiral. The rank of Vice-Admiral evolved from that of Lieutenant of the Admiralty (1546–1564) that being an officer who acted as secretary to the Lord Admiral of England and lapsed in 1876 but was revived in 1901 by King Edward VII . Prior to 1864 the Royal Navy was divided into coloured squadrons which determined his career path . The command flags flown by a Vice-Admiral changed

420-598: The first line is ashore when coming alongside. On 16 January 1899, commissioned ships of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey were authorized to wear their own flag to distinguish them from ships of the United States Navy , with which they shared a common ensign. Although they continued to wear the same ensign as U.S. Navy ships, ships of the Survey flew the Coast and Geodetic Survey flag as

448-416: The fourth-rate HMS Medway in 1702. He went on to receive the command the third-rate HMS Cambridge in 1705 and saw action at the relief of Barcelona and in command of a naval brigade at the capture of Alicante before taking command of the first-rate HMS Royal Sovereign in 1708. Promoted to commodore , Littleton became Commander-in-Chief of the Jamaica Station with his broad pennant in

476-451: The group or the officer of the highest rank can wear his flag. The pennant , historically called a pennon , is a long narrow flag, conveying different meanings depending on its design and use. Examples: Merchant ships often fly a flag identifying which company owns the vessel. This was formerly flown from the mainmast but is now usually flown from the jackstaff . Private signals are custom designed flags used to symbolize and identify

504-428: The mast of single-masted vessels, while the house flag would be outboard. It may be flown from the jackstaff of vessels without masts. The position of honour on a ship is the quarterdeck at the stern of the ship, and thus ensigns are traditionally flown either from an ensign staff at the ship's stern, or from a gaff rigged over the stern. The rule that the highest flown flag takes precedence does not apply on board

532-433: The masthead. Motor boats without masts should always fly the ensign from an ensign staff at the stern. Conventionally, courtesy flags are flown from the jackstaff at the bow. This seems to some landsmen as being a reversal of priorities. However, a boat is steered by the stern and this gives it pride of place. Nautical etiquette requires that merchant vessels dip their ensigns in salute to passing warships, which acknowledge

560-412: The mizzen gaff. When Bermudian sails came into general use, some skippers started to fly the ensign from two-thirds the way up the main-sail leech. Many consider this an affectation with the past. Others have taken to flying the ensign from a backstay. These are not good locations because the flag does not fly out well when hoisted raked forward. The Canadian Heritage web page states: whenever possible,

588-402: The mizzen. When in port, the ensign should always be flown from the staff at the stern. This is traditional, because in former times the gaff was then lowered along with the mizzen sail. The only ensign ever flown from the starboard spreader or yardarm is that of a nation being visited. This is known as a courtesy hoisting or a courtesy flag. At sea, it used to be that the ensign was flown from

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616-403: The morning colours ceremony and sunset when moored or at anchor. Warships wear it at all times when underway, and when engaged in battle, wear the " battle ensign " or multiple ensigns. Tradition dictated that if a ship lowered its ensign it was deemed to have surrendered. Masts were targets of gunfire, and the second and subsequent ensigns were worn in order to keep the ensign flying even after

644-400: The owner of a boat. Members belonging to a yacht club or sailing organization may fly their club's unique burgee both while underway and at anchor (however, not while racing). Sailing vessels may fly the burgee from the main masthead or from a lanyard under the starboard spreader on the mast. Power boats fly the burgee off a short staff on the bow. Warships of various navies may be awarded

672-429: The proper place for a vessel to display the national colours is at the stern, except that when at sea, the flag may be flown from a gaff; when in harbour the flag should be hoisted at 0800 hours and lowered at sunset. Another recent custom has been to fly a burgee and/or a cruising or power squadron flag from the starboard spreader. This custom has arisen because many sailboats today place a racing flag or wind indicator at

700-465: The salute by dipping their ensigns in return. Contrary to popular belief the United States Navy does dip the Stars and Stripes in acknowledgement of salutes rendered to it. Merchant vessels traditionally fly the ensign of the nation in whose territorial waters they are sailing at the starboard yard-arm. This is known as a courtesy flag, as for yachts. The flying of the ensigns of two countries, one above

728-460: The ship to hold the headquarters of highest level of authority for the Armed Forces. Today, with the progress in communications, this flag indicates the obligation of the other Naval vessels to pay the relevant honours ( Manning the rails , firing cannon salute , attention, etc.) according to nautical etiquette. In a group of naval ships all commanded by superior officers, only the commander of

756-766: The third-rate HMS Defiance , in 1710. He secured the capture of the San Joaquin in August 1711 during the War of the Spanish Succession . He went on to be Commander-in-Chief at Chatham in 1714 and, having been promoted to rear admiral on 1 February 1717, second-in-command in the Baltic Sea that year. He was promoted to vice admiral on 14 Mar 1718. Littleton served as Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis from 1710 to March 1711, when he

784-474: Was unseated by petition, and from April 1711 to May 1711 when he was again unseated by petition. He was elected for that constituency, without being unseated, in 1713 and served until 1715. He later served as Member of Parliament for Queenborough from 1722 to 1723. Vice-admiral (Royal Navy) A vice-admiral ( VAdm ) is a flag officer rank of the Royal Navy and equates to the NATO rank code OF-8 . It

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