Flags of the World Past and Present Author:William John Gordon Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III FLAGS OF THE NAVY, An MY, AND PUBLIC DEPARTMENTS THE flag of the British Admiralty was introduced by James, Duke of York, afterwards James II, ... more »as Lord High Admiral and Lord General of the Navy; and in 1725 it was adopted by the Lords Commissioners. As then flown it had the cable twisted round the anchor, converting it into the seamen's horror, a foul anchor; and the anchor was not cleared until 1815, when the change was made only in the flag so that the foul anchor still appears on the buttons of our naval uniform. It should be noticed that the cable is now passed under both flukes, and not under one and over the other as occasionally figured. For years it was flown over the Whitehall front of the Admiralty where it is now replaced by the white ensign. Up to June 28th, 1707, it was the flag of the English Admiralty only, the Lord High Admiral of Scotland being a separate office ; the first Lord High Admiral of Great Britain being Prince George of Denmark, the husband of Queen Anne. The Admiralty flag does not return salutes, but when- over may be deemed necessary by My Lords orders are given by signal or otherwise for some other ship in company to return the salute of a foreign warship gun for gun. The flag is hoisted when the Lords of the Admiralty are embarked, and it is hoisted on theforemast of the Royal Yacht whenever the Sovereign is on board. The King is the head of the Navy and the Lords Commisssioners come next, so the Royal Standard flies at the main, for the main is more honourable than the fore. Next in rank in the Navy comes the flag of an Admiral of the Fleet which is simply the Union ; then comes the flag of an Admiral, which, as already mentioned, is the old English national flag—the Cross of St. George. A Vice-Admiral flies the same flag wi...« less