East African Railways and Harbours ensign (1949-1961)
In
February 1949, the Kenyan
and Ugandan Railways and Harbours Authority was
also made responsible for the railways and harbours in Tanganyika and its
name changed to East African Railways and Harbours Administration. A new
badge which combined the badges of Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika was adopted (see
below) and placed in the fly of a British Blue Ensign. Martin Grieve, 12 May 2003
East African Railways and Harbours badge
image
by Martin Grieve, 12 May 2003
According to Flags of the World by H Cresham Carr (1961 edition) [car61],
the badge of the East African Railways and Harbours comprised a royal circular
ribbon, with narrow yellow edges bearing the words "East African Railways and
Harbours", also in yellow. The area within the ribbon was divided into
three compartments containing the badges of Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika - a red
lion rampant guardant on a white field for Kenya; an East African golden-crested
crane for Uganda; and the head of a giraffe on a white field for Tanganyika.
Flanking this emblem is a landscape with palm-trees and surmounting the whole is
a Royal Crown. Martin Grieve, 12 May 2003
East African Railways and Harbours flag (1961-1977)
image
by Martin Grieve, 13 May 2003
According to EMC Barraclough in Flags of the World (1965 edition) [bar65],
since the latter half of 1961 the East African Railways and Harbours
Administration has used a royal blue ensign, proportions two to one, with
the inscription 'E.A.R. & H." within an outline panel in white. This
superseded the British Blue Ensign defaced by a unique badge on a white
disc in the fly which was adopted in February 1949. The badge
comprised a royal blue circular ribbon, with narrow yellow edges bearing
the words "East African Railways and Harbours", also in yellow. The
area within the ribbon was divided into three compartments containing
the badges of Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika. Flanking this emblem
was a landscape with palm-trees, and surmounting the whole the Royal Crown
in proper colours. Martin Grieve, 13 May 2003
It had been hoped that Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika would become independent
as the federal states of a proposed East African confederation. This was not achieved,
but it was agreed that certain services should be operated on behalf of
all three countries by the East African Common Services Organisation.
The flag was presumably used until 1977 when the Organisation was broken
up and the constituent parts of East African Railways allocated to the
respective national governments.
David Prothero, 15 May 2003
East African Railways and Harbours -
possible alternative version?
Image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 March 2014
I have a flag pin which I suspect is from the East African Railways and Harbours
but is unlike any of the flags shown on FOTW. Can anyone confirm if this
flag was used by the EAR&H and if so, when? Julia C. Morgan, 11 March 2014