Last modified: 2026-10-10 by rob raeside
Keywords: british virgin islands | red ensign |
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image by Martin Grieve, 7 February 2004
See also:
At United Kingdom - Colonial Flags
it is noted that a red ensign is authorized for the British
Virgin Islands.
Theodore Leverett, 9 September 2000
Al Kirsch asked: "Is it actually used, as
opposed to just authorized? The few times I saw a defaced red
ensign in the Caribbean I assumed the vessel was from Bermuda. Hard to make out the emblems at a
distance."
My answer is: Yes, it is used! I saw one BVI red ensign in
Saint-Tropez one month ago.
Olivier Touzeau, 9 September 2000
Last summer I saw a pleasure craft, which was registered in
the British Virgin Islands, flying the BVI Red Ensign while
docked at a pier on Long Island.
Ned Smith, 10 September 2000
The British Virgin Islands Red Ensign has been authorized
since 2001.
See British Virgin Islands (BVI) Merchant Shipping Act, 2001 (No.
13 of 2001), accessible on BVI
Ship Registry website.
Section 70 thereof, states as follows:
(1) The red ensign bearing the Virgin Islands’ coat of arms
usually worn by merchant ships, or without the coat of arms, is
hereby declared to be the proper national colours for all Virgin
Islands ships, except in the case of Her Majesty's ships, or in
the case of any other ship for the time being allowed to wear any
other national colours in pursuance of a warrant from Her Majesty
or from the Admiralty.
(2) If any distinctive national colours, except the red ensign or
the Union Jack with a white border or any colours usually worn by
Her Majesty's ships or resembling those of Her Majesty, or the
pendant usually carried by Her Majesty's ships or any pendant
resembling that pendant, are or is hoisted on board any Virgin
Islands ship without warrant from Her Majesty or from the
Admiralty, the master of the ship, the owner if on board the
ship, and every other person hoisting the colours or pendant,
each commits an offence and for each such offence is liable on
summary conviction to a fine not exceeding
twenty-five housand dollars.
James T. Liston, 11 January 2010
image by Clay Moss and Martin Grieve,
22 September 2005
I had seen the same type practice as in Bermuda in the British Virgin
Islands, only with the colors reversed. This style of BVI red
ensign is fairly common in and around the islands. Often times,
said BVI red ensigns will be manufactured in the US. Just about
every US flag maker who is printing BVI badges makes them up as
single units and trims everything in blue. When defacing red
ensigns, they use the same badge intended for blue ensigns.
Clay Moss, 22 September 2005
image by Jean-Marc Merklin,
18 September 2026
based on photo
I have seen a red version of the British Virgin Islands of 1956 posted on
Facebook by Greg Koll with the following information:
"British virgin island
Red Ensign 1956-1960, found in Victoria, British Columbia. The federation of the
Leeward Islands was dissolved on July 1, 1956, separating the British Virgin
Islands into its own administrative unit, but the territory was not officially
granted its own distinct coat of arms and Blue Ensign until November 15, 1960.
Between 1956, when the federation of the Leeward Islands was dissolved, and 1960
when the arms of the Virgin Islands were granted, some flags may have been
produced with the shield but no motto. First example of this version that I’ve
come across."
link:
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10162736059307714
Jean-Marc Merklin,
18 September 2026
based on photo
