Various Canadian Ensigns and Military Flags

Provinces and Territories of the Dominion of Canada
  Alberta

 (30 May 1907 - 1 June 1968, in use to 1981)

Supposed red ensign

British Columbia

(9 Oct 1870 - 31 Mar 1906)

( 31 Mar 1906 - c.1950)

(c.1950 - 27 June 1960)

Unidentified British Columbia flag

Manitoba

(purported 15 July 1870 - 10 May 1905)

Glorying in Manitoba's history with its homage not only to the Canadian red ensign but to the Hudson's Bay Company ensign, this beautiful flag was given royal approval in October 1965 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and officially proclaimed on May 12, 1966. The flag of Manitoba consists of the Red Ensign with the Armorial Bearings centred in the right half. The Shield is topped by St. George's Cross on a white background, representing King George III and symbolising Manitoba's British heritage. The bison represents the once-vast herds of bison which once roamed freely throughout the province and provided food and clothing not only to the Aboriginals, but to the early settlers as well.

Manitoban flag made for me by Artelina

Sewn version from Flying Colours

Taking it from the Antrim coast in Northern Ireland...

...to Tiananmen Square in China...

...to Queensland Australia

Lieutenant Governor's Flag (1905-1984)

image by Martin Grieve

The 1880 badge was replaced by the arms, shield only, granted by royal warrant 10 May 1905. The Union Jack defaced with this badge was used as a car flag after 1956, and on Government House after 1965, until replaced by the present flag 11 May 1984. The addition of supporters, crest, motto etc., were granted by warrant of the Governor-General 23 October 1992.

David Prothero

A photo of the old flag flying from the Residence of the Lieutenant-Governor, scanned from Le Guide du Palais Legislatif du Manitoba.

A current postcard showing the former Lt.Gov's flag

Purported blue ensign (10 May 1905 - 12 May 1966)

 Apparently during the most recent floods, a specially-designed blue ensign featuring a water buffalo was used on boats; I would love to find out more about this if true.

Replica flag of the 5th Earl of Selkirk in parade size, flown for the first time at the Selkirk Highland Gathering on June 16th, 2012. The replica’s coat of arms was designed by Gary Styrchak and Claire Starling made five parade sized replicas, one of which was presented to Lord Selkirk in Scotland in August by the Lord Selkirk Boys’ Pipe Band.

New Brunswick 

(26 May 1868 - c.1950)

(1950 - 24 Feb 1965 )

Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick

http://www.gnb.ca/lg/flag-e.asp

The Union Flag still takes place of honour on the New Brunswick Legislature in Fredericton.

Newfoundland

 (28 Sep 1870 - 18 May 1904)

The Red and Blue Ensigns with the great seal in the fly were Newfoundland's unofficial flags from 1904 until 1931. The Red Ensign was to be flown by commercial shipping whilst the blue was to be flown by governmental ships. Neither ensign was ever formally adopted by the national parliament, but the red ensign gained wide enough use, both at sea and on land, to be considered the unofficial national flag. The badge in the flag consists of Mercury, the God of Commerce and Merchandise, presenting to Britannia a fisherman who, in a kneeling attitude, is offering the harvest of all the sea. Above the device in a scroll are the words ' Terra Nova ', and below the motto Haec Tibi Dona Fero or "These gifts I bring thee."

 8.3 by 4.1 feet, or 100 inches by 50 inches

Heavy canvas multi-piece stitched ensign with reinforced edging with the maker's stamp LANE & NEEVE LTD  MILLWALL  LONDON measuring approximately 51" x 102" or 4.25' x 8.5'; possibly made for military use or for flying outside a government building. The edging adjacent the Union Jack is marked 3 YRDS and "NEWFOUNDLAND  NAGLE" handwritten in black ink. The Britannia Works of Messrs Lane & Neeve, sailcloth and sacking manufacturers, operated between 1893 and 1922 at which time they went into liquidation. 

Red ensign inside Newfoundland's Government House



10 feet by 5



Glorious 108" (275cm) X 51" (130cm) 9ft x 4ft vintage flag

Newfoundland's National War Memorial being unveiled by Earl Haig on July 1, 1924.

http://www.heritage.nf.ca/greatwar/gallery/commem/national/haig/page3.html

The glorious red ensign of Newfoundland flies over Fort Amherst, at the entrance to St. John’s harbour.

Lieutenant-Governor

The British derived flags of Newfoundland differ from those of other Canadian provinces because Newfoundland did not join the Canadian confederation until 1949. Thus the garland on the flag of the governor was laurel not maple, the badges also appeared on Blue Ensigns, and the Red Ensign was a merchant ensign, and not a provincial land flag like those of Ontario and Manitoba.

From the Lieutenant-Governor's Residence

Besides the Union flag featured on the British Columbian flag and Manitoban and Ontario red ensigns, at the time it represented the province of Newfoundland, first adopted in 1931 and used until the suspension of responsible government in 1934. It was readopted as the official provincial flag in 1952, and used until 1980 when replaced by a particularly unfortunate design. According to Wikipedia the Newfoundland and Labrador branch of the Royal Canadian Legion still doesn't recognise the new Newfoundland flag, contending that during both world wars Newfoundland soldiers fought under the Union Flag of the dominion, and it displays the Union Flag at all official functions.

Although its international relations were still handled by Britain, Newfoundland had Dominion status and a National Flag Act was passed that became effective on 15 May 1931. It was originally intended that there should be three national flags, but this was amended to just one, the Union Jack. The circular badge on the governor's flag and ensigns was retained and not replaced by the shield of the arms. There was no section on penalties for misuse of flags, as the Statute of Westminster, a British Act that gave legal form to the Balfour definition of Dominion status, had not been enacted, and the British Commonwealth Merchant Shipping Agreement (1931) had not been signed. Any instances that arose would have been dealt with under the 1894 Merchant Shipping Act. [Public Record Office DO 35/130/8]. In 1933, owing to world depression and inability to meet interest charges on Public Debt, the Legislature asked the King to suspend the constitution and appoint Commissioners. They took office in 1934 thus ending Dominion status.

After the 1939-1945 war, in a referendum held to decide Newfoundland's constitutional future, just over 52 percent of those voting favoured union with Canada, and this took effect 31 March 1949. It had no immediate effect on the flags in use, and the Revised Statutes of 1952, Chapter 272 retained the Red and Blue Ensigns, and reaffirmed the Union Jack as the 'national flag'. The ensigns were discontinued in 1965, when Canada adopted its current flag, but the Union Jack continued to be the provincial flag. While this was satisfactory in Newfoundland, it caused problems when flown on the Canadian mainland. It was not generally recognised as the flag of Newfoundland, but taken to be either the flag of the United Kingdom, or the Royal Union Flag. This was also a Union Jack, that had been adopted as an official Canadian flag on 18 December 1964. The present provincial flag was chosen by the House of Assembly on 28 May 1980, given royal assent on 6 June, and first raised on 24 June, the anniversary of the discovery of Newfoundland by John Cabot in 1497. David Prothero

Fictional Royal Newfoundland Air Force Ensign

The individual selling this foolishly got duped by a spoof website: http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/222/language/en-CA/The-Pink-and-the-Black--The-Royal-Newfoundland-Air-Force.aspx  

 Northwest Territories

(c.1950 - 24 Feb 1956)

(24 Feb 1956 - 31 Jan 1969)

Nova Scotia

image by Jaume Ollé

1868-1929

Hypothetical Nova Scotia blue ensign

from http://www.clockworksky.net/cliveless_world/ah_cliveless_world_northam.html

Lieutenant Governor's Flag

images by Martin Grieve and Graham Bartram,

http://www.flags.net/CANA02.htm

Unlike most other provincial vice-regals in Canada, the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia bears a personal flag which consists of a Union Flag defaced with the shield of the Nova Scotia Coat of Arms surrounded by a circle of 18 green maple leaves. This is the last of the Canadian governors' flags to retain the original design set out by Queen Victoria in 1869.

Flying gloriously outside Province House in Halifax

Ontario

Flag of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario

 Flying in Hamilton – January 7, 1939

1959-1965  

 Niagara's flag

Prince Edward Island

(23 Sep 1905 - 24 Mar 1964)

Governor's Flags

Blas Delgado

Martin Grieve

Quebec

  (1868 - 21 Jan 1948)

Montreal Red Ensign

Saskatchewan

 (25 Aug 1906 - 22 Sep 1969)

Purported Saskatchewan Red Ensign

According to Mr. Tim Novak, archivist at the Saskatchewan Archives Board,

It is my opinion that no such flag has ever existed for Saskatchewan, officially or unofficially. The use of the Red Ensign with the Saskatchewan arms in the fly was likely created from the imagination of the postcard artist or publisher. Postcard collectors may know of similar cards from this series for other provinces. The postcard probably dates from the early 1900s to 1910s.

http://www.fahnenversand.de/fotw/flags/ca_sk-h.html

Vancouver Island

(22 Dec 1865 - 6 Aug 1866)

Vancouver Island (officially known as the Island of Vancouver and its Dependencies), was a crown colony of British North America from 1849 to 1866, after which it was united with British Columbia. The united colony joined the Canadian Confederation in 1871. The colony comprised Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands of the Strait of Georgia.The British colonial flag of Vancouver Island today used as a local representative flag.

Distinctive device (a beaver, Neptune’s trident, a caduceus of two serpents and a bunch of pine cones) from the Seal of the Colony of Vancouver Island on a Blue Ensign.

According to David Prothero in The Colours of the Fleet, this is a "modern replica of an ensign which almost certainly never existed. The Colonial Office Circular introducing defaced Blue Ensigns was not issued until 22 December 1865, and Vancouver Island merged with British Columbia in October 1866. The process of having a design approved by the Colonial Office and the Admiralty would not have been completed in ten months, even if had been thought worth doing."

Yukon

(1934 - 5 Nov 1956)

(5 Nov 1956 - 1 Dec 1967)

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Various Canadian Companies and Organisations
Hudson's Bay Company

The Hudson's Bay Company Flag dates from July 21, 1682.

Glorious rare 1920-30's HUGE Canada Hudson's Bay Company sewn ensign by Leckie Toronto

Dates to the 1920s and flown at various premises belonging to the Hudson’s Bay Company including outside Hudson Bay House in Lime Street in London from 1924. It was also flown in Fenchurch Street , Great Trinity Lane ( on Garlick Hill ) and Bishopgate Street, also in the City of London as the premises moved over the years. It measures 12 feet 70 inches by 5 feet 10 inches and bears the label of John Edgington and Co Ltd of 108 Old Kent Road, London.

 

Flag appears to be made of a satin type fabric with "HBC" sewn on but Union Jack printed. Dates before 1969) but looks the same (& same fabric) as the one the UK National Maritime Museum has on its website:

The flag is made of nylon fabric and it is machine sewn with the design printed. A rope and toggle is attached.

The flag on the left is at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre

Left: Hanging in Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria, B. C., Canada. It is the flag that flew from many of the Hudson Bay trading ships that arrived in Victoria Harbour, and was the flag that flew over Fort Victoria.

Hudson's Bay Company, Fort Vancouver, Washington. Image taken August 27, 2006.

http://www.iinet.com/~englishriver/LewisClarkColumbiaRiver/Regions/Places/fort_vancouver.html

Flag held at the Glenbow Museum (Alberta) used at the Hudson's Bay Company's 250th anniversary pageant, Lower Fort Garry, 1920 and featured in the online exhibition Mavericks: An Incorrigible History of Alberta.

Hudson's Bay Company Flag flying above Nanaimo Bastion, Nanaimo, British Columbia

HBC Flag flies over Fort Umpqua near Elkton, Oregon and Fort St. James, British Columbia
 

Taken June 20, 2013

 An authentic HBC flag on display at Lower Fort Garry, near my hometown of Winnipeg, Canada.

 Supposed flag for Nunavut

North West Company

The North West Company was a fur-trading business started in 1779 in Montreal. After operating for 40 years in the Canadian North-West, it merged with the Hudson Bay Company in 1821. In 1987, a group of investors (including 415 employees) purchased the Northern Stores Division from the Hudson Bay Company and took back its historical name and flag. With 300 years of history under its belt as a provider of food and everyday products and services to remote communities across northern Canada and Alaska, the North West Company is now the oldest retailer on the continent.

http://www.loeser.us/flags/canada.html

Grand Portage National Monument in northern Minnesota.

Bank of Montreal

Red ensign showing the arms of the Bank of Montreal (thanks to Dean McGee for identifying it for me)

Grand Orange Lodge of Canada

Canadian Yacht Club Ensigns

Royal Hamilton Yacht Club

 

The privilege of flying a defaced Blue Ensign is a valued part of the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club’s heritage requiring its need to apply for, and carry on its boats at all times, warrants from the Admiralty in London, and to observe the rules on when, where, and how the special ensign may be flown.

Royal Lake of the Woods Yacht Club

Prince Michael of Kent was present as Patron, when the Royal Lake of the Woods Yacht Club in Kenora, one hundred miles east of Winnipeg, celebrated its centenary in 2003. In July 1914 the club, on the northern shore of The Lake of the Woods, had been visited by the Governor General of Canada, the Duke of Connaught, who said that he would approve an application for the club to use the title Royal. This was delayed due to the outbreak of World War One, and the formal procedure was not completed until 1924.
The club then applied for a Warrant for a Blue Ensign with the badge of the club in the fly. This was refused by the British Admiralty because The Lake of the Woods was an inland lake, not connected to the sea, and the yachts of the club members were unregistered. The Colonial Office suggested that the Canadian Government could issue a warrant for a special ensign. Ottawa pointed out that there was no procedure for the Dominion Government to give yachts permission to fly the Blue Ensign, and suggested that this power should be given to the Canadian Minister of National Defence. When this was opposed by the Admiralty, the Colonial Office suggested that a warrant might be issued by the King.
In October 1924 the Colonial Office wrote to the Governor-General saying that it was important that the Blue Ensign was not used even on inland waters without authority, and that therefore the Admiralty would issue a warrant. Details of the club were forwarded to the Admiralty and a warrant dated 17 March 1925 was issued. The warrant was unique in that it permitted use of the special ensign by yachts that were not registered as British vessels, and without any further warrant from the Admiralty. If any vessel wanted to fly the club Blue Ensign in other waters, a separate warrant would have been necessary.

David Prothero

Miscellaneous Canadian Flags and Ensigns

The following are images that don't suggest themselves to any particular section

Mysterious Canadian Ensign

The flag shown above does not match any known description. It is obviously old and measures 8' long by 5' wide. The main colour is red but the unique thing is the presence of a Union Jack in the upper corner in which all the blue has been very carefully removed and replaced with white linen. This very nearly resembles the flag shown in Lord Selkirk's drawing of Fort Douglas.

A newspaper report describes this flag as being used by Sheriff Inkster at the unveiling of a cairn in 1927 and mentions that it was made by Canadian soldiers and flown over Fort Garry when they occupied it after the uprising. It is obviously a home-made flag, but the removal of the blue triangles remains a mystery.

James B. Stanton, Director, Human History Division, Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature.

Manitoba Pageant, Spring 1971, Volume 16, Number 3

Fenian Raids flag

Many Canadian militia units were called-up to active duty during the Fenian raids and it is possible that the flag shown here belonged to one of them. The Canadian units involved included the Royal Canadian Rifles, Whittey Rifles, Brockville Rifle Company, Hemmingford Company, Toronto Field Battery, Montreal Garrison Artillery, Montreal and Ottawa Garrison Artillery, Ottawa and Carleton Rifles, Quebec Rifles - and several Canadian Indians who acted as boatmen.
Manitoba saw many flags flying over it, and it is possible that this flag could have been brought out with one of the regiments that came here in 1870. It appears to be of the right age and is the sort of thing regiments often carried with them.

Manitoba Historical Society

Supposed Metis flag 

  
Canadian Military Flags

Canadian regimental flags

Regiment de Meuron

The Regiment de Meuron was a regiment of infantry originally raised in Switzerland in 1781 named for its commander, Colonel Charles Daniel de Meuron, born in Neuchatel in 1738. It served the Dutch East India Company in Ceylon and Cape Town. When the Dutch East India Company went bankrupt in 1795, and were unable to pay the regiment, they entered British service, with the understanding that the British would enrol them at the same rate as regular British soldiers and give them the back pay owed by the Dutch East India Co.

By 1798, this had all been straightened out, and the Regiment de Meuron were fully entered into British service. They served in the Mysore Campaign of 1799, the Mediterranean and Peninsula Campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars 1806 to 1812, and finally went to Canada to serve in the War of 1812 and the Red River Colony. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regiment_de_Meuron

His Majesty’s Royal Newfoundland Regiment of Foot

A Newfoundland regiment was first established to serve in the British Army in 1795. It was disbanded and refounded several times under different names, including His Majesty's Royal Newfoundland Regiment of Foot, The Royal Newfoundland Veterans Companies and The Royal Newfoundland Companies. The regiment dates its origin to 1795, when Major Skinner of the Royal Engineers stationed in St. John's at Fort Townshend, was ordered to raise a regiment.
The regiment was significantly involved in the War of 1812. Soldiers of the regiment fought aboard ships as marines in battles of the Great Lakes, as infantry in Michigan, and in the battle to defend York (Toronto). It was largely distributed throughout the zone as attached sub-units and not as a formed battalion. It was disbanded in 1816. A monument depicting a soldier of the 1813 Royal Newfoundland Regiment standing over a fallen American infantryman was unveiled in Toronto in November 2008.

http://www.signalhilltattoo.ca/Grenadiers.htm

Lachlan Macquarie: Regimental Colours

And I am the extraordinary regimental flag that marked the victory of the Hemmingford militia who marched against their foes on a cold November day in 1838. I never saw the battlefield but I saw the pride in the eyes of the men who defended the Crown in the Battle of Lacolle and Odelltown when I was presented to their Colonel. - See more at: http://100objects.qahn.org/content/drum-and-flag-rebellion-1838#sthash.T1JeeaHy.dpuf

The regimental flag that marked the victory of the Hemmingford militia who marched against their foes on a cold November day in 1838 defending the Crown in the Battle of Lacolle and Odelltown when presented to their Colonel.

Calgary Highlanders

The Colours of the Tenth Battalion at Knox Presbyterian United Church in Calgary, officially deposited 26 April 1953.

The first stand of Colours belonging to The Calgary Highlanders, presented 28 December 1927 on the left and the new stand of Colours presented in 1967 with the Tudor crown replaced with the St. Edward's crown, HRH Princess Alexandra of Kent.

As it now appears at the Cathedral of the Redeemer.

Saskatoon Light Infantry
Regimental Colours of New Brunswick

Colours of the 78th Fraser Highlanders

Death of General Wolfe

The 78th Regiment, (Highland) Regiment of Foot otherwise known as the 78th Fraser Highlanders was a British infantry regiment of the line unit raised in Scotland in 1757, to fight in the French and Indian War.

His Majesty's Canadian Regiment of Fencible Infantry 1803-1816
Royal Westminster Regimental Colours
Colours Of The Thirteenth RegimentCanadian Military Flags in the 20th Century

Canadian red ensign

Canadian blue ensign
Royal Canadian Navy

Royal Canadian Air Force

Canadian Army Battle Flag (Canadian Active Service Force Flag 1939-1944)

In the Second World War, which Canada entered after Britain declared war on Germany, they used the Canadian Red Ensign as their national flag, but also in use was a lesser known battle flag. Canada wanted its army to be distinguishable among the great mass of British troops, and so provided it with, not the Canadian Red Ensign, but this new battle flag.

Designed by Colonel Archer Fortescue Duguid, Director of the Historical Section of the National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, the flag of the Canadian Active Service Force, generally known as the "Battle Flag of Canada," was approved by the War Cabinet December 7 1939.

http://www.loeser.us/flags/canada.html

Upon entering the Second World War, Canada wanted its army to be distinguishable among the great mass of British troops, and so provided it with, not the Canadian Red Ensign, but a new battle flag. Designed by Colonel A. Fortescue Duguid, Director of the Historical Section, National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa, the flag of the Canadian Active Service Force, generally known as the Battle Flag of Canada, was approved by the War Cabinet on December 7, 1939.
The Battle Flag not only appeared on the Canadian headquarters overseas, it appeared on all manner of promotional material on the home front: pins, postcards, posters, magazine covers, and advertisements. Sometimes it appeared alone, sometimes with the Union Flag to emphasize our solidarity with Britain, and sometimes with the flags of the other services, the RCAF ensign and the White Ensign of the RCN, to tell of our many-sided support for the war.
"The flag," comments historian George F.G. Stanley, "was new. It was distinctive. It contained something to please everybody and represented all aspects of Canada's history. But it was cluttered and never won the affection of the officers and men of Canada's army. Eventually it ceased to be seen."From the chapter entitled Flags of National Defence from the book The Flags of Canada, by Alistair B. Fraser.

Produced by Flying Colours

Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps

 

Remarkable example from the George Curtis collection

The Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps does not have colours in the military meaning commonly associated with that of the Cavalry and Infantry, but has the unique distinction of flying a flag which embraces the Union flag in its upper canton next to the flag staff.

The Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps is the only Corps in the Canadian Army that has had this singular privilege bestowed upon it and which traditionally commenced through its parent corps, the royal Army Ordnance Corps, as far back as 1694 when the seal of the board of Ordnance was added to and flown with the red ensign of its day to mark the authority in matters pertaining to it.

The design was submitted by the Director of Ordnance Services on 23 April 1947 for approval and was promulgated in CAO 54-3 on 1 December 1952. A later amendment made to Canadian Army Orders in 1964 defines the flag as follows:

On a blue field, the Union Flag in the upper left hand corner; on the fly end a green maple leaf 12 inches high; superimposed on the maple leaf, in full colour, the royal Canadian Ordnance Corps badge in the design approved by the Sovereign in December 1963, height of badge 6 ½ inches.

The proper size of this flag is 6 ft by 3 ft.

http://www.rcocassn.com/history.htm

Royal Canadian Army Services Corps ensign

WWII Canadian blue naval ensign division flag for the Royal Canadian Army Services Corps.  featuring stitched golden crossed swords in the field, the division symbol for the RCASC. Made for use on small ships and landing craft used for carrying the RCASC.  Notably, the RCASC served Canada in the Dieppe raid as well as on D-Day in WWII.


Royal Canadian Sea Cadets

The first Ensign of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets (RCSC) was a white flag with a Union Jack Canton with the insignia of the RCSC at the fly. Christophe T. Stevenson (Ex-Coxswain of the RCSCC 223 Longueull)

Royal Canadian Air Cadets

Queen's York Rangers Cadet Corps Flag

British Empire Service League (Canadian Legion)

Displayed at the Flag Day and Open House at the XII Manitoba Dragoons / 26th Field Regiment Museum in the Brandon Armoury.

Royal Canadian Legion branch flag

This artefact was originally used by the Canadian Legion in Pouch Cove. The flag is made from a very heavy wool material and has been constructed by the cutting, application, and sewing together of individual pieces of fabric. The main field of the flag is blue with a yellow horizontal strip running through it. Stamped in black ink on the yellow stripe is the text "Canadian Legion B.E.S.L Pouch Cove (NFLD No.4) Branch." In the upper right hand corner is the red, white, and blue British Union Flag. The flag is bordered on three sides by a heavy yellow wool fringe. The fourth side is made by folding over of material to form a loop through which to slide the flag pole. A hole has been worn in the upper centre of the flag.

Group of Canadians in Belgium with Royal Canadian Legion branch flag.

The Canadian Legion was formed in my hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba in November of 1925. The official name of the organization was the Canadian Legion of the British Empire Services League. The main goal of the Legion was to act as an advocate for the veterans of the Great War and to advise Government on issued relating to veterans. The Legion expanded to encompass the Canadian veterans of successive 20th century wars. On October 14 1949 the Canadian Legion amalgamated with the Newfoundland Great War Veterans association, itself a member of the British Empire Services League. The aim of the Great War Veterans Association was very similar to that of the Canadian Legion. In 1960 Queen Elizabeth II granted the Canadian Legion the prefix of Royal and their name changed to The Royal Canadian Legion.

Canadian Victory Loan Flags

From the Great War

Victory Loan Flag - Fifth Campaign

The Canadian government issued flags for two of the campaigns during World War I. The fifth campaign was the first to issue a flag bearing the 9-province arms. The five blue diagonal stripes represent the campaign - in this case the 5th. The sixth campaign used in lieu of the stripes the British Union flag and coincided with a visit by HM the Prince of Wales to Canada.

The 6th Victory Loan Campaign of the Great War

Victory Loan Flags were designed to reward those communities that made significant contributions to the Victory Bond campaigns. The population of a city, town or district must have purchased a certain value in Victory Bonds and upon reaching that target the citizens were rewarded with the presentation of a Victory Loan Honour Flag.In 1919 a new flag was commissioned for that year's campaign and it was decided to incorporate the heraldic arms of Prince of Wales, the future Edward the VIII, into the flag's design. The Prince visited Canada in September 1919 and raised the flag at Parliament on Labour Day weekend. The Prince’s remark "I hope every City and District will win my flag” became part of the poster campaign as seen in the image to the right.

http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/English/exhibits/posters/bonds.htm

I have sent regulation size drawings in to FOTW some time ago of all of the WWI and WWII Canadian Service and Honor flags as well as the US ones, but so far none have appeared on the web site. Here is attached also a new full-size drawing I did based on the photo on your web site of the Prince of Wales Honour Flag with two crests. As far as I can gather from the newspaper articles of the day, the additional badge for exceeding your quota could be any one of the Prince's three crests. However all I ever see mentioned are the "plumes" as they are referred to, which is exactly what appears in your photo. Dave Martucci, http://www.vexman.net/ and http://www.midcoast.com/~martucci/neva/

Raising the flag in 1919

World War II Victory Loan Flags

 

During the Second World War, the nine Victory Loan campaigns used pledge flags, honour pennants, victory flags, investor pins, honour certificates, slogans, and considerable hoopla, all to great effect. The major change was the transformation of the honour flags of the First World War, awarded only upon attainment of the financial goal, into the pledge flags of the Second World War, awarded at the beginning of each campaign as a token of the community's commitment to fulfil its pledge. Of the same design as the 1919 honour flag, the pledge flags had a white field, a broad red border, the Union Flag in the canton, and a badge, which changed with each campaign, on the fly. The badge was also placed upon the honour pennants. These were awarded when the community or canvassing unit reached its quota. An additional honour pennant was given each time the quota was over subscribed by 25 percent. The first pennant showed the badge on a plain blue field; thereafter, the badge appeared on a white field with a red border. Each campaign lasted for twenty days [sic]. The beginning date, badge description, and slogan for each is as follows:

Loan	Date	Badge	Slogan
1	1941 Jun 2	blue torch	Help Finish the Job
2	1942 Feb 16	blue maple leaf	Nothing Matters Now but Victory
3	1942 Oct 19	blue dagger on a shield	Come on Canada
4	1943 Apr 26	IV above four maple leaves on a shield	Back the Attack
5	1943 Oct 18	winged V on a shield	Speed the Victory
6	1944 Apr 24	winged VI on a shield	Put Victory First
7	1944 Oct 23	flaming sword over a 7 on a shield	Invest in Victory -Buy One More Than Before
8	1945 Apr 23	laurel around an 8 on a shield	Invest in the Best
9	1945 Oct 22	9 over a pen on a shield	Sign Your Name for Victory

1st Campaign

This was a Canadian flag of the early from June 2, 1941 connected with raising money for the war effort. It was the first in a series of nine Pledge Flags, each with a different badge, that were used in promoting the Victory Loan campaign. David Prothero, 27 September 2001

2nd Campaign

image by Dave Martucci

3rd Campaign

This WW II Canadian Victory Loan pledge flag with the Union Jack, blue shield and dagger on the white field, is from the 3rd campaign of WW II in Oct 1942 to raise funds for the war effort. The slogan for this campaign was "Come on Canada." It was the 3rd in a series of nine Pledge Flags, each with a different badge, that were used in promoting the Victory Loan campaign.

4th campaign

It began 23 October 1944 using the slogan "Invest in Victory - Buy One More Than Before". The flag measures approx. 8' long by 4 1/2' wide. It contains a Union Jack in the upper left-hand corner with a flaming sword over a 7 on a shield centring a white field.

Fifth Campaign

image by Dave Martucci

“Something new has been added for the Fifth Victory Loan campaign - a “V” Flag, to be awarded to Canadian plants whose employees do exceptionally well during the campaign. This flag will be awarded to those establishments where 90 per cent, or more of the employees invest 15 per cent or more of the monthly payroll in Victory Bonds or War Savings Certificates. Three stars will be affixed to the lower right hand corner of the flag. The flags were provided in two sizes 4ft.6in. by 9 ft. and 2ft.1in. by 4ft.2in. The larger size is No. 1 Admiralty bunting which will withstand outdoor conditions.”

Sixth Campaign

image by Dave Martucci

An actual unaffixed flag shield, measuring 12 1/2-inches by 18 1/2-inches, of fine quality woven cotton fabric holding a printed pattern variation of the loan’s “Winged Six” in Roman Numerals, nicely displayed within a blue bordered shield outline.

Pennant measuring 22 inches by 55 inches in length.

Seventh Campaign

The pledge flag on the right was flown in St. George during the Seventh Victory Loan. It began 23 October 1944 using the slogan "Invest in Victory - Buy One More Than Before". The flag measures approx. 8' long by 4 1/2' wide and contains a Union Flag in the canton with a flaming sword over a 7 on a shield centring a white field and a red border on three sides.

8th Campaign

David Zaborowski

9th Campaign

Approximately 4.5 x 9 feet, this flag was purchased from Vancouver, BC about a year and a half ago. The flag is soiled and stained and unfortunately lacks the badge which would have indicated which Victory Loan Drive it was originally from. Complete with faded "SS Holden Ottawa" manufacturer's tag. Originally sold on eBay by flagsofempire David Zaborowsk

In total, Canada had used 25 different flags and pennants to promote the sale of Victory Bonds during the two wars, all but two of them in the Second World War. They were very successful in accomplishing that goal, but they quickly fell into oblivion. After the wars they had outlived their original purpose and some of those which survived were turned to more prosaic uses. In the 1950s the Prince of Wales flag of 1919 was seen in Toronto being used as a counter cover, and in the town of Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, the Second World War pledge flags were tied together and strung across streets to block traffic during road construction. Sic transit gloria Canadæ

From the chapter entitled National Flags of Occasion from the book, The Flags of Canada by Alistair B. Fraser

This video clip contains footage of Ontario Premier Hepburn purchasing the first three Victory Bonds for his children. It also contains shots of a victory drive parade with floats carrying slogans such as “Let Us to the Task, Tools for Churchill” and “Help Finish the Job”, 1941. On the right, U.S. Radio stars Fibber McGee and Molly (James "Jim" and Marian Driscoll Jordan) at Victory Loan rally, Maple Leaf Gardens. Toronto, Canada with the badges of the nine Victory Loan campaigns in the background.

Canada and the Empire at War

On the other side of the Atlantic at a 1919 exhibition featuring the work of 43 artists concentrating on activities at the home front during the Great War at the Art Gallery of Toronto, John Byam Lister Shaw’s The Flag represented the sacrifice of the Canadian soldier by placing his body draped with the Canadian red ensign between the paws of the British lion and surrounded by those for whom the sacrifice had been made. The painting is used as the heading for the blog Echoes of War:

Pamphlets published in the Dominion of Canada during the Second World War
(click images to enlarge)

Flags of Empire

Eight-page booklet of WW2 Flags published by Maple Leaf Milling advertising Red River Cereal.

Canada and the United Nations

20 pages, by Gutta, Percha & Rubber Co., lithographed in Toronto, 19 countries listed with leader portraits and scenic illustrations.

The Most Blessed Work in the World

12 page pamphlet extolling Canadians to subscribe to the Second Victory Loan/Victory Bonds.

Treaty #7 flag