Last modified: 2011-06-10 by pete loeser
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Hello, I am trying to identify a flag I saw recently. Although it looks
like a country flag, I have not been able to find it. The flag is yellow with
one narrow green stripe on the right and left edges and 3 vertical narrow red
stripes in the center. The flag was seen as a decal on a truck here in Tucson
yesterday and, being interested in flags, I began to look it up when I got home.
I could not find it in international flags, military flags nor religious flags.
Rhonda Thompson, 30 July 2009
It's very common, specially among US War Veterans to have medal-related flags
or flags designed after a ribbon of a given Order, Decoration or Medal. In this
case, the flag is based on the ribbon of the Vietnam Service Medal. The flag is
based on the ribbon of this medal (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vietnam_Service_Ribbon.svg ). For more
information on this medals please see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_Service_Medal.
Esteban Rivera,
31 July 2009
by Char
I was wondering if you would be able to help me identify this ocean
liner/ships logo. I appreciate any help that you would be able to provide. [The
file name was b137.jpg, in case anyone can find that in a listing.]
Char, 28 June 2005
This looks to be the old marking for the Columbia
Transport Company out of Cleveland, Ohio, a company that sailed ships on the
Great Lakes. This marking was phased out a few years ago and replaced with a new
marking when the company consolidated its operations under the parent company:
Oglebay Norton. The coloring of the new logo remained the same though. One very
famous ship that sailed under the Columbia marking was the Edmund Fitzgerald.
This boat sank in a terrible gale on November 10, 1975, will all 29 sailors
lost. I have attached sketches of both the Columbia Transport logo and the newer
Oglebay Norton logo for comparison.
David Marvin, 5 August 2005
In line with David's suggestion this was
the funnel of Columbia Shipping Co. which later became Columbia Transportation
Co being a subsidiary of Oglebay Norton & Co. with the group merging into the
single entity of Oglebay Norton Co. in 1957. Their flag is shown under Oglebay
Norton Co. on the page House Flags of US Shipping Companies: O.
Neale
Rosanoski, 25 October 2008
image provided by Anita Russell, 12 November 2007
I am trying to identify some shipping line flags but 2 are being very
elusive.
Anita Russell, 12 November 2007
The 1st is N.J. Goulandris Ltd. being one of the "London Greeks". Most
sources do not show an edging to the pennant but US Navy 1961 does except none
at the hoist. I presume that the black look to the china image indicates a dark
blue.
The 2nd is Odd Godager & Co. of Oslo shown Brown 1958 & 1978.
Neale Rosanoski, 18 October 2008
image submitted by Howard Martin, 19 July 2007
Can you give me any idea as to what this flag may be? I have reason to link it
to civil war survivor Reuben C Eldridge, Second Sargeant, 12th Iowa Volunteer
Infantry, Company F. He was also a native of Ohio.
Howard Martin, 19 July 2007
The Puerto Rico-like flag with six stars and five stripes submitted by Howard
Martin is the Industrial Honor Flag of the Third Liberty Loan, as in the latest
NAVA News.
David, 27 July 2008
image by Željko Heimer, 26 November 2006
A visitor of my FAME pages asked a question on which I need help. Here is my condensed translation of Maurizio's question:
... a photo showing a steamship in front of Rijeka (Fiume) harbour
around 1910 or so. On the funnel one can clearly see the flag, as
attached. Could you identify the ship or at least the company it
would belong...
It is not quite clear from the question whether the flag is an actual
flag flying or something painted on the funnel, but it may not be of
big difference for the identification.
I would guess that colours might not have been interpreted correctly
by Maurizio, black being to so common choice in the house flags (as
it seems to me), but this is just my guess.
Željko Heimer, 26 November 2006
Stewart's Flags & Funnels of 1963 shows a
flag of similar design but different colours; a red bend sinister charged with
three white stars on a blue flag. It is listed as Pittaluga, Ditta Luigi, Vapori
of Genoa.
David Prothero, 27 November 2006
by
Maurizio Grbac, 10 December 2006
[click on image for larger picture]
Maurizio has sent me a scanned photo, showing the flag clearly.
There the rectangular flag is clearly visible with white (falling!)
diagonal with three stars. The background colour of the flag might as
well be red or blue... The funnel shows the same flag (but with
rising the diagonal, but this may well be because this is the starboard side of
the ship, the other side might have the proper flag).
The Austro-Hungarian merchant ensign is clearly visible at the stern.
Unfortunately, the ship's name is not readable.
According to David's finding there was a Genoese company that
afterwards used a similar flag although in blue with red diagonal and
white stars. It may be that this latter flag is based on flag of some
earlier company that the Vapori Ditta Luigi Pittaluga of Genoa
inherited in some way.
Željko Heimer, 10 December 2006
I received the following from Maurizio Grbac:
I'd like to inform you that with a help of a friend of mine Marijan Zuvic from
Split we manage to identify a ship and a company. Ship name is Etelka and was
first and only Austro-Hungarian oil tanker in Adriatic. The shipping company
name is Photogen Transport Co. Ltd., Fiume, AT-HU, 1896-1909.
David Prothero, 13 December 2006
Now we have to find out more about this Photogen - I am more and more
convinced that the flag is not black. For some reason I envision that the flag
might be red with white diagonal and maybe blue stars, but this is just a
"feeling".
Željko Heimer, 14 December 2006
The company is not in any of the Flag Institute Library material. Red seems
more likely - the kind of emulsion that was used on photographic plates at that
time had the effect of darkening yellows, bright reds and bright greens, so that
they appear as dark grey, or even black in the finished print.
Ian Sumner, 14 December 2006
The
Lloyds (1912) House Flags and Funnels at
the
The
Mystic Seaport Foundation website, lists Pittaluga as being a company
with no house flag in 1912, and
does
not have an illustration of a house flag that resembles the one in the
photograph.
Pittaluga was the Italian company that had a red diagonal bearing white stars
on a blue flag in 1957.
David Prothero 14 December 2006
This can possibly be put to bed. See a colour picture of "Etelka" at
http://www.ina.hr/UserDocsImages/CRUDE_OIL%20_PROCESSING_RI.pdf. Apparently
relates to her arrival 12.12.1892 which means the B&W photo showing the same
design in 1910 means no change and therefore the markings belong to the owners
Mineral Oil Refinery Co. formed 7.10.1822 as a Rothschild subsidiary. Photogen
Transport Co. Ltd. were only managers given as starting in 1896 and were
possibly connected with Nederlandsche Petroleum Maatschappij Photogen Co. of
Amsterdam and who seem to be connected it some way as well. From the picture the
flag is red, the diagonal band white and whilst the stars are not clear black
would seem likely.
Neale Rosanoski, 27 July 2008
image by Richard Hall, 29 June 2008
I spent the last 4 hours trying to locate the house flag on this lighter I
have. No such luck...can you please help? It is marked to: "AUSTRALIA-SOUTH
AMERICA LINE" which I cannot find either.
Richard Hall, 29 June 2008
Flag on lighter: the Australia-South America Line was a trade name registered
6.2.1969 by the Melbourne company of Heine Brothers (Australasia) Ltd. [no
longer operating] though according to The Log of 2/1986 the line was trading in
the early 1960s using chartered Norwegian tonnage. The principal of the firm at
that time was Walter Heine hence the initials.
Neale Rosanoski, 26
July 2008
image by Rob Raeside
I am trying to identify a flag that is rectangular
with equal sized white
blue yellow vertical stripes top half then red
yellow red equal sized
horizontal stripes bottom half. Can you help?
Albert Kirsch, 16 May 2007
This seems to be a mix of Canary Islands' flag
(top) and Spain's flag (bottom). Notice that Canary
Islands is part of Spain.
José Luis González, 10 October 2007
This is a mix between the Canarian and
Spanish flag, used by people against Canarian
independentism.
Alejandro Salamanca, 8 July 2008
I was sailing in the San Francisco Bay when we saw a ship at dock flying a
flag the looked very much like the French national flag, except one of the
stripes was a very distinct black, rather than blue. The ship had two flags
(large on in stern, small one in bow) and they were both the same so it wasn't a
case of us mistaking a dark navy blue for black; it was distinctly black.
So... the inevitable, what flag was it?
Nathaniel Meyers, 20 April 2005
image provided by Al Cavalari, 23 July 2007
Someone was told that the flag on the right is a Christian flag. Can anyone tell
me from what sect, group or church it derives?
Al Cavalari, 23 July 2007
The wheel of life used by Indian tribes in the USA is identical to the Celtic
cross used by right wing groups, given the white on red I would say this usage
is native American, however the photo is not perfect if the cross sections are
not equal than I would say this might be a one-time-type religious flag from
some small Christian sect.
Rick Prohaska, 29 January 2008
