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United Kingdom: Army Flag Stations

Last modified: 2006-04-22 by rob raeside
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Flag Stations

In 1963 the Australian Army Head Quarters, Canberra, asked the War Office for information about the origin, tradition and names of Flag Stations in London. It
was understood by them that Flag Stations were the only locations at which the National Flag was flown officially, and that they were normally Forts, Barracks
etc., implying that these official sites were protecting the nation's flag.

The War Office replied that the Flag Stations List was first published in Queen's Regulations in 1873. "The following is a list of Stations at which the National Flag (Union Jack) is authorised to be hoisted. (a) On anniversaries only, or when specially required for saluting purposes. (b) On Sundays and Anniversaries. (c) Daily."

It was thought that it was issued in 1873 to give formal authorisation to an existing practice. The only variation since 1873 was that almost all stations listed flew
the flag daily. There was no firm criterion as to what Residencies, Stations or Head Quarters were put on the List. It depended upon their military status and
importance. As Army Stations disappeared, they were deleted from the list, and fresh ones added as they arose.

There was nothing historical or traditional in having a List of Flag Stations. It was purely utilitarian. The Army's flag was the Union Jack, and those places listed
in the appendix were issued with it. Those places who wished to fly it, and were not listed, had to purchase it.

In the 1996 Queen's Regulations sixty-three Flag Stations are listed, ten of them outside the United Kingdom. Two sizes are specified 12ft x 7.5ft and 6ft x 4 ft,
(3.66m x 2.29m and 1.83m x 1.22m) the larger size being for Sundays and anniversaries.

The quotation from the 1873 Regulations is perhaps the earliest official reference to the Union Jack as the National Flag?

David Prothero, 30 July 2004

The British Army Flag Stations in 1873

The 1873 Queen's Regulations, Section 3. Honours and Salutes, combines the three types of Flag Station in one list. Here they have been made into three separate lists, Daily, Sundays and Anniversaries.

Daily Flag Stations

"The following is a list of stations at which the national flag (Union Jack) is authorised to be hoisted daily. The Royal Standard is only to be used on Royal anniversaries and State occasions at the stations marked with an asterisk."

Home Stations.

Eastern District.
Landguard Fort

S.Eastern District.
Dover, Castle Keep*
Dover, Drop Redoubt*

Chatham District.
Sheerness*

Western District.
Plymouth Citadel*
Devonport Lines*
Pendennis Castle
Pembroke Defensive Barracks

Woolwich.
Gun Park*
Royal Arsenal*

North Britain.
Leith Fort*

Alderney.
Fort Albert*
Fort Tourgie
 

Jersey.
Fort Regent*
Elizabeth Castle*
Government House

Ireland.
Curragh

Foreign Stations

Bahamas.
Flags are in the charge of the colony.

Barbados.
St Anne's Fort*

Bermuda.
Fort Victoria*

Cape of Good Hope.
Cape Town Castle
Fort Napier, Natal

Cape Coast.
Castle*

Ceylon.
Colombo*

Gibraltar.
Rock Gun*
Montagu Cavalier*
Europa Flagstaff *

Hong Kong.
Head-Quarter House*

Halifax.
Citadel Fort George*
Head-Quarter House

Jamaica.
Port Royal*

Malta.
Palace*
Fort St Elmo*
Fort St Angelo*

Mauritius.
Fort George

St Helena.
Ladder Hill*

Sierra Leone.
Tower Hill

David Prothero, 10 February 2005

Sunday Flag Stations

Queen's Regulations 1873. Section 3. Honours and Salutes.
The following is a list of stations at which the national flag (Union Jack) is authorised to be hoisted on Sundays and anniversaries. The Royal Standard is only to be used on Royal anniversaries and State occasions at the stations marked with an asterisk.

Home Stations.

Northern District.
Liverpool North Fort
Perch Rock Battery
Paull Point Battery
Tynemouth Castle

Eastern District.
Harwich Redoubt
Yarmouth, N.Battery
Yarmouth, S.Battery
Office of G.O.C. Camp, Colchester

S.Eastern District.
Newhaven
Eastbourne

Chatham District
Tilbury Fort*
New Tavern Fort
Fort Amherst*

Southern District.
Portsmouth Lines*
Southsea Castle
Lump's Fort
Eastney Fort
Fort Cumberland
Fort Monkton
Fort Block House
Fort Brockhurst
Fort Gomer
Fort Grange
Fort Elson
Fort Rowner
Fort Victoria
Cliff End Fort
Warden Point
Needles
Sandown
Freshwater
Littlehampton
Hurst Castle
Portland
Verne
Flags in Portsmouth Lines and Gosport Forts specially hoisted
during the stay of the Queen in the Isle of Wight.
Woolwich.
Royal Military Academy
Royal Dockyard

Aldershot
Divisional Head-Quarters

Royal Military College

The Tower of London.

North Britain.
Edinbro' Castle*
Stirling Castle*
Fort George*
Torry Point, Aberdeen
Broughty Castle
Dumbarton Castle
Fort Matilda

Ireland.
Athlone
Camden Fort
Carlisle Fort
Carrig Fort
Carrickfergus
Charles Fort, Kinsale
Duncannon Fort
Enniskillen Castle
Greencastle Fort
Kingston
Magazine Fort*
Magilligan Tower
Ned's Point Fort
Pigeon House Fort*
Scattery Fort
Spike Island*
Tarbert Island
Foreign Stations

Barbados.
Queen's House, H.Q.
Charles Fort
Office of G.O.C.

Bermuda.
Fort Catharine
Fort Cunningham
Ordnance Island
Boaz Barracks

Cape of Good Hope.
King William's Town
Simon's Town

Cape Coast.
Fort William

Ceylon.
Galle
Trincomalee

Honduras.
Belize

Malta.
The Arsenal
Palace Tower
Fort Ricasoli
Fort Tigne
Saluting Battery

Mauritius.
Citadel*

David Prothero, 10 February 2005

Anniversary Flag Stations

Queen's Regulations 1873. Section 3. Honours and Salutes.

"The following is a list of stations at which the national flag (Union Jack) is authorised to be hoisted on anniversaries only, or when specially required for saluting purposes. The Royal Standard is only to be used on Royal anniversaries and State occasions at the stations marked with an asterisk."

Home Stations.

S.Eastern District
Dover, Archcliff Fort
Folkestone*
Sandgate Castle*
Shoreham
Blachington
Deal Castle
Walmer Castle
Rye
Langley Fort

Western District
Bull Point

Woolwich
Practice Range, Plumstead
Parade*

Alderney
Fort Clonque
Fort Chateau l'Etoc
Guernsey
Castle Cornet*
Brehon Tower
Fort George

Ireland
Dunree Fort
Enniskillen Redoubt
Knockalla Fort
Portobello*


Foreign Stations.

Hong Kong.
Saluting Battery
Hospital Ship
Halifax.
Fort Cambridge
Fort Charlotte
Fort Clarence
Fort Ive's Point
Fort Ogilvie
Tambro Island
York Redoubt

Jamaica
Head-Quarter House
Ordnance Store

Malta
Gozo

Mauritius
Fort William
Mahebourg

David Prothero, 10 February 2005