U.K. Red Ensign - RMS Queen Elizabeth

U.K. Red Ensign - RMS Queen Elizabeth, WWII
This red ensign was formerly part of the collection of Wall Street financier, business man and promoter of Anglo-American goodwill Calvin Bullock. His 1 Wall street offices in New York City contained the world leading collections of memorabilia pertaining to Napoleon & Lord Nelson. In the 1930s he sought to collect Confederate Flags and during World War II he acquired a representative collection of US, British, French and other allied ensigns from his many international, military and naval acquaintances. After his death in 1944 his son, Hugh Bullock kept the flags on display as a memorial to his late father.

The Red Ensign or "Red Duster" has its origins in the 17th century as an ensign flown by the Royal Navy. The precise date of its first appearance is not known, but surviving documents indicate that the Royal Navy was fabricating such flags during the 1620s.

In 1707, an Act of Union united the Kingdom of Scotland with the Kingdom of England to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, which resulted in a new red ensign. This new design of the Red Ensign was proclaimed by Queen Anne, who indicated that it was to be used by both the navy and ships owned by "our loving subjects"; and thus the civilian use of the red ensign commenced. In its present form, the Red Ensign dates from the change to the Union Flag as of 1 January 1801. Since 1824 the red ensign has been the legal national colors of a British merchant vessel and in 1854, the Merchant Shipping Act included a specific provision that the Red Ensign was the appropriate flag for a merchantman from the United Kingdom.

When Calvin Bullock acquired this red ensign from the RMS Queen Elisabeth, she was the largest passenger liner ever built. In fact the Queen Elizabeth's size would not be exceeded for fifty-six years. She first entered service as a troopship during World War II. She was named in honor of Queen Elizabeth, who was Queen Consort at the time of her launch in 1938 (and who in 1952 became the Queen Mother).

Having been launched only a year before the outbreak of World War II, the ship was still being fitted out at the start of the war. Because of her vulnerability to being bombed while still on the Clyde, it was announced that she would sail for Southampton to complete fitting out. On 3 March 1940, the Queen Elizabeth sailed. However, on opening his sealed orders, the ship's Master, Captain John Townley, found he was to take the Queen Elizabeth to New York. At the time she was due in Southampton, the city was bombed by the Luftwaffe. On arrival in New York, the Queen Elizabeth found herself moored alongside her running mate Queen Mary and the Normandie, the only time all three of the world's biggest liners would be pictured together.

Refitted for naval use in Canada, Singapore and Sydney, the Queen Elizabeth and her running mate, the Queen Mary, were used as troop transports during the war. Their high speeds allowed them to outrun hazards, mainly German U-boats, allowing them to travel without a convoy. The Queen Elizabeth stayed in New York until 13 November before setting out for Singapore via Cape Town. There, defensive armaments were fitted in accordance with its requisition by the Ministry of War Transport. The Queen sailed from Singapore to Sydney in February, arriving in only 10 days. Upon completion of the refit, she spent the next five months on troop deployments from Sydney to Suez and back carrying German prisoners of war. Upon the US' entry into WWII, the Queen Elizabeth voyaged to Esquimalt in British Colombia and transported troops to Sydney.

In the year 1942, the English Admiralty considered converting both the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary into aircraft carriers. However, they were later forced to abandon these plans due to the fact that their role as troop carriers had become essential to the war effort. In April of the same year, the Queen Elizabeth was relocated from Sydney to New York and the internal accommodation was upgraded to a capacity of 10,000. In August it began to shuttle troops between New York and Gourock, Scotland. Whilst the German press claimed that on the 11th of November in 1942 a U-boat had managed to hit the Queen with a torpedo, the Queen Elizabeth escaped the threat of the German submarines unscathed.

It was during this period that Calvin Bullock was presented with this ensign by Mr. Robert H. Blake, the Associate Director of the board of the Cunard White Star Line, the owners of the Queen Elizabeth. The Bullock documents state "From the QUEEN ELIZABETH" and place this flag in his possession after "Oct.1943" upon which it was hung in the "Lecture Room...clockwise from S.W. door..." 6th flag...on "East Wall..." The header stamp reads: "Britain 4x9".

During its naval career, Queen Elizabeth carried more than 750,000 troops and sailed some 500,000 miles. After the war the Queen Elizabeth maintained a weekly transatlantic service from Southampton to Cherbourg to New York for over twenty years. Following a fire, she was scrapped in Hong Kong in 1975.

ZFC Significant Flag

Provenance:

• RMS Queen Elisabeth, 1943.
• Acquired by Mr. Robert H. Blake, the Associate Director of the board of the Cunard White Star Line, 1943.
• Presented to Calvin Bullock, New York, New York, October 1943.
• Calvin Bullock Collection, until passing, June 1944.
• By bequest to Hugh Bullock, until passing. 1966.
• By descent in Bullock family to daughter of Hugh Bullock, until 1997
• Purchased for the Zaricor Flag Collection by private treaty from the estate of Calvin Bullock, New York City, 1997.



Sources:

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RMS Queen Elizabeth, Monsters of the Sea: The Great Ocean Liners of Time, 17 November 2011, from: http://www.ocean-liners.com/ships/queenelizabeth.asp

QUEEN ELIZABETH, The Fleet, Cunard, 17 November 2011, from http://www.cunard.com/About-Cunard-Line/Cunard-Heritage/The-Fleet/Queen-Elizabeth/

United Kingdom: history of the British ensigns, Flags of the World, 17 November 2011, from: http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/gb-enshs.html

Red Ensign, Wikipedia, 17 November 2011, from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Ensign

Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection



RTZFC

Hoist & Fly
Width of Hoist	113
Length of Fly	70

Union/Canton
Width of Union/Canton	50
Length of Union/Canton	34

Stripes
Size of Hoist	2

Frame
Is it framed?	no

Stars
Are there stars on obverse?	no
Are there stars on reverse?	no

Stripes
Has a Blood Stripe?	no

Nationality
Nation Represented	United Kingdom

Fabric
Fabric	Wool
Comments on Fabric	Bunting

Stitching
Stitching	Hand
Comments on Stitching	Corners are hand stitched, the rest is machine stitched

Attachment
Comments on Method of Attachmen	Rope with hoist with iron attachment on stick for display
Method of Attachment	Hooks

Documentation
Documents
Drawings	All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.
Research Documents	All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.
Public Copy & Signs	All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.

Condition
Condition	Fair
Damage	Some smoke stains. Rips except upper right fly corner Hole and cut piece with repair
Displayable	yes