List of Polish naval and maritime flags explained

This is the list of naval and maritime flags of Poland.

Jack

FlagDateNameNote
28.08.1919 – circa 1946Jack (proporzec marynarki wojennej)Formally it remained in force until 31.12.1955
c. 1946 – 31.12.1955Jack (proporzec marynarki wojennej)Early People's Republic of Poland period. No precise date of introduction nor legal source can be found
31.12.1955[1] – 28.12.1959Jack (proporzec marynarki wojennej)According to some sources, not used in practice[2]
28.12.1959[3] – 30.04.1993Jack (proporzec marynarki wojennej)People's Republic of Poland period. Basically the same, as 1919-1946
from 30.04.1993[4] Jack (proporzec marynarki wojennej)

Naval ensign

FlagDateNameNote
1919[5] – 1928Naval ensign and land war flag (bandera wojenna i flaga wojenna lądowa)Aspect 8:5
1928 – c. 1946Naval ensign (bandera wojenna)Formally it remained in force until 31.12.1955, but apparently a flag with the crownless eagle was introduced after WWII. Aspect 5:10½ (1:2.1)
c. 1946 – 1993Naval ensign (bandera wojenna)People's Republic of Poland period. Formally from 31.12.1955.
Aspect 1:2.1
From 1993Naval ensign (bandera wojenna)Basically the same, as 1928-1946.
Aspect 1:2.1

Ensigns of auxiliary vessels of the Navy

FlagDateNameNote
31.12.1955 — 14.03.1996Ensign of auxiliary naval vessels (Bandera pomocniczych jednostek pływających)Introduced in People's Republic of Poland period (the crownless eagle).
From 14.03.1996Ensign of auxiliary naval vessels (Bandera pomocniczych jednostek pływających)

Flags of ships of Border Guard

FlagDateNameNote
24.04.1953[6] – 19.11.1990Ensign of vessels of the Border Defence Army (Bandera jednostek pływających Wojsk Ochrony Pogranicza)In addition to People's Republic of Poland naval ensign[7]
from 03.03.1992[8] Flag of the Polish Border Guard
(Flaga Straży Granicznej)
In addition to state ensign

Ensigns of civilian ships

FlagDateNameNote
1783 — c. 1864So-called Polish merchant ensignUsed on ships of Cherson Trade Company 1783-1793 and on Congress Poland's vessels on the Vistula in the first half of the 19th century, under Russian protectorate
28.08.1919 — 29.03.1928Merchant and foreign representatives ensignAspect 8:5
29.03.1928 — c. 1946Merchant ensign and state flag with a coat of armsAspect 8:5
c. 1946 — 22.02.1990Merchant and state ensignFormally from 31.12.1955
From 22.02.1990Merchant and state ensignThe same, as 1928-1946
currentRiver craft ensignAt least from 29. 03. 1928
1920-1930State water administration flagnot in use

Other Navy flags

width=100px Imagewidth=20% English name
Polish name
Use
Commissioning pennant
Znak dowódcy okrętu
Ship commanded by a navy officer in a campaign
Detailed description in List of Polish flags
Navy flag
Flaga Marynarki Wojennej
Ceremonial flag used on military holidays, visits of high civilian or military authorities, or representatives of foreign countries, as well as other ceremonies.[9]
Detailed description in List of Polish flags
Naval aviation flag
Flaga lotnictwa wojskowego Marynarki Wojennej
Naval airports and heliports, 28.12.1959 — 14.03.1996
Flag of naval aviation of the Border Defence Army
Flaga lotnictwa morskiego Wojsk Ochrony Pogranicza
Naval airports and heliports, 28.12.1959 — 1991 (formally until 30.04.1993)
Naval airport (heliport) flag
Flaga lotnisk (lądowisk) Marynarki Wojennej
Naval airports and heliports, from 14.03.1996
Detailed description in List of Polish flags
Naval ensign of the river fleet (Flaga wojskowych statków żeglugi śródlądowej)1930-1938
Naval ensign of the river fleet (Flaga wojskowych statków żeglugi śródlądowej)1938-1939

Rank flags used in all branches of the Armed Forces

width=100px ImageEnglish name
Polish name
width=33% Designwidth=33% Use
Jack of the President of the Republic of Poland
Proporzec Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej
Red flag emblazoned with the white eagle of the arms of Poland and bordered with a white wężyk generalski, an ornate wavy line used in the Polish military as a symbol of general's rank
Proportion 5:6
On Navy vessels when the President is on board. On land when the President is present.
Flag of the Minister of National Defence
Flaga Ministra Obrony Narodowej
Swallow-tailed horizontal bicolor of white and red defaced in the white stripe with the arms of Poland and in the red stripe with a white anchor entwined with an S-shaped rope and a yellow cannon barrel in saltire
Proportion 5:8
On Navy vessels when the Minister is on board. On land when the Minister is present.
Flag of the Marshal of Poland
Flaga Marszałka Polski
Red flag with a double white border emblazoned with the Eagle of the Marshal of Poland holding two hetman's batons (buławy) in saltire
Proportion 5:6
On Navy vessels when the Marshal is on board. On land when the Marshal is present.
Flag of the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces
Flaga szefa Sztabu Generalnego Wojska Polskiego
Red flag with a double white border emblazoned with the Generals' Eagle
Proportion 5:6
On Navy vessels when the Chief of the General Staff is on board. On land when the Chief of the General Staff is present.

Rank flags

width=100px Imagewidth=20% English name
Polish name
Use
Flag of the Commander of the Navy
Flaga dowódcy Marynarki Wojennej
On naval vessels when the Commander of the Navy is on board
Detailed description in List of Polish flags
Admiral's Flag
Flaga admirała
On naval vessels when an admiral is on board
Admiral of the Fleet Flag
Flaga admirała floty
On naval vessels when an admiral is on board
Vice Admiral's Flag
Flaga wiceadmirała
On naval vessels when a vice admiral is on board
Rear Admiral's Flag
Flaga kontradmirała
On naval vessels when a rear admiral is on board
General's Flag
Flaga generała
On naval vessels when a general is on board

Rank pennants

width=100px Imagewidth=20% English name
Polish name
Use
Pennant of the Chief of the Naval Staff
Proporczyk szefa Sztabu Marynarki Wojennej
On naval vessels when the Chief of the Naval Staff is on board
Detailed description in List of Polish flags
Flotilla Commander's Pennant
Proporczyk dowódcy flotylli
On naval vessels when a flotilla commander is on board
Division Commander's Pennant
Proporczyk dowódcy dywizjonu
On naval vessels when a division commander is on board
Group Commander's Pennant
Proporczyk dowódcy grupy
On naval vessels when a group commander is on board

Special state service vessels

width=100px ImageDatewidth=20% English name
Polish name
Use
1996Police flag
Flaga Policji
Police vessels (from 2 May 1996)[10]
Special state service flags (below) are used by state-employed civil special-purpose ships while on duty, from 16 December 2005. These flags all follow the same basic design; a white flag with a horizontal stripe 1/5 the width of the flag's width. In the middle, each flag is emblazoned with the national coat of arms superimposed on a golden or yellow anchor whose height is 3/5 of the flag's width. The middle stripe is broken in the middle and does not touch the anchor or the arms. The type of special service performed by the ship is indicated by the color of the middle stripe. Proportion 5:8.[11] From 1967 there were basically similar flags carried, but with PRL coat of arms (eagle without a crown)[12]
2005Hydrographic survey and Maritime Office flag
Flaga statku hydrograficznego i dozorczego urzędu morskiego
Hydrographic survey vessels and vessels of Maritime Offices (blue stripe)
Rescue ship and pollution-control flag
Flaga statku ratowniczego oraz specjalnego statku do zwalczania zanieczyszczeń
Lifeboats and pollution-control vessels (orange stripe)
Icebreaker flag
Flaga statku używanego wyłącznie do łamania lodów
Vessels used exclusively for breaking ice (violet stripe)
Pilot boat flag
Flaga statku pilotowego
Pilot boats (ash-grey stripe)
Fireboat flag
Flaga statku pożarniczego
Fireboats (red stripe)
Training ship flag
Flaga statku szkolnego
Training ships (black stripe)
Customs ship flag
Flaga statku celnego
Customs ships (green stripe)
Hospital ship flag
Flaga statku sanitarnego
Hospital ships (yellow stripe)
Telecommunication ship flag
Flaga statku telekomunikacyjnego
Telecommunication ships (brown stripe)
Flag / ensign of the Maritime Search and Rescue ServiceFlaga / bandera / znak armatorski: Morska Służba Poszukiwania i Ratownictwa (MSPiR)Flag of the service
1967Hydrographic survey and Maritime Office flag
Flaga statku hydrograficznego i dozorczego urzędu morskiego
Hydrographic survey vessels and vessels of Maritime Offices (blue stripe)
Rescue ship and pollution-control flag
Flaga statku ratowniczego oraz specjalnego statku do zwalczania zanieczyszczeń
Lifeboats and pollution-control vessels (orange stripe)
Icebreaker flag
Flaga statku używanego wyłącznie do łamania lodów
Vessels used exclusively for breaking ice (violet stripe)
Pilot boat flag
Flaga statku pilotowego
Pilot boats (ash-grey stripe)
Fireboat flag
Flaga statku pożarniczego
Fireboats (red stripe)
Training ship flag
Flaga statku szkolnego
Training ships (black stripe)
Customs ship flag
Flaga statku celnego
Customs ships (green stripe)
Hospital ship flag
Flaga statku sanitarnego
Hospital ships (yellow stripe)

Yachting

FlagDateNameNote
1956-1990Polish Yachting AssociationEnsign
Since 1990Polish Yachting AssociationEnsign
Since 1990Polish Navy Yacht Club Kotwica Ensign
Since 1990Yacht Club of PolandEnsign

References

  1. Decree of 9 November 1955 on insignia of the Armed Forces (Dekret o znakach Sił Zbrojnych), Dz.U. nr. 47 of 1955, pos.315
  2. Kazimierz Madej, Polskie symbole wojskowe 1943-1978, Warsaw, 1980,, p.74
  3. Law of 10 December 1959 amending Decree of 9 November 1955 on insignia of the Armed Forces (Ustawa o zmianie dekretu z dnia 9 listopada 1955 r. o znakach Sił Zbrojnych), Dz.U. nr. 71 of 1959, pos.447
  4. Law of 19 February 1993 on insignia of the Polish Armed Forces (Ustawa o znakach Sił Zbrojnych Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej), Dz.U. z 1993 r. Nr 34, poz. 154
  5. Law of 1 August 1919 on Coat of Arms and Colours of the Polish Republic (Ustawa o godłach i barwach Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej), Dz.U. 69 of 1919, pos.416
  6. Decree of 23 April 1953 on ensign of vessels of the Border Defence Army (Dekret o banderze jednostek pływających Wojsk Ochrony Pogranicza), Dz.U. nr.23 of 1953, pos.94
  7. Web site: Polen Marineflagge der Grenztruppen . 2007-07-01 . Volker Preuß. de.
  8. Ordinance of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of 20 December 1991 on flag of the Border Guard, conditions of flying a flag and markings of vessels and aircraft (Zarządzenie Ministra Spraw Wewnętrznych z dnia 20 grudnia 1991 r. w sprawie wzoru flagi Straży Granicznej, okoliczności i warunków jej podnoszenia oraz sposobu oznakowania jednostek pływających i statków powietrznych, a także znaków rozpoznawczych używanych na nich przez Straż Graniczną w nocy), Monitor Polski nr.5 of 1992, pos.29
  9. Zarządzenie Ministra Obrony Narodowej z dnia 29 stycznia 1996 r. w sprawie szczegółowych zasad używania znaków Sił Zbrojnych Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej oraz ustalenia innych znaków używanych w Siłach Zbrojnych Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (Ordinance of the Minister of National Defence on Detailed Rules for the Use of the Insignia of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland and Establishment of other Insignia Used in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland, 29 January 1996), Monitor Polski z 1996 r. Nr 14 poz. 178
  10. Ordinance of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration on the Flag and Markings for Police Vessels and Aircraft, 18 April 2005, Dz.U. 2005 Nr 84 poz. 724
  11. Rozporządzenie Ministra Infrastruktury z dnia 21 października 2005 r. w sprawie wzorów flag dla statków morskich na oznaczenie pełnionej specjalnej służby państwowej oraz okoliczności i warunków ich podnoszenia (Ordinance of the Minister of Infrastructure on Flags for Special State Service Vessels), Dz.U. 2005 Nr 235 poz. 1998
  12. Zarządzenie Ministra Żeglugi z dnia 4 stycznia 1967 r. w sprawie określenia wzorów flag dla statków morskich pełniących specjalną służbę państwową (Ordinance of Shipping Ministry of 4 January 1967), M.P. 1967 Nr. 8 Pos. 46

See also