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International Signal Flags and Signal Flags of the Navy

[Nota Bene: please click on any of the images for an enlargement]

Marryat's Commercial Code - signals

More on Commercial Codes - signals

A brief history of the International Code of Signals

Single flag [or letter] signals

 

Lloyd's

Codice Internazionale Dei Segnali, Tipografia Del Lloyd Austro-Ungarico, Trieste, 1882

Plate "xv del Codice internazionale dei segnali" no vowels or numerics; "X" "Y" "Z" absent.

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signals

Standard Seamanship for the Merchant Service, Riesenberg, Felix, C.E.D., Van Nostrand Company, 1922

"International Code Flags" p559. Changes include "F" and "L"

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signals

Manual of Seamanship, Government of Canada, Ottawa, 1937

"Alphabetical and Numeral Flags Used in Naval Signalling", Plate 9.

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signals

Manual of Seamanship, Government of Canada, Ottawa, 1937

"Special Flags Used in Naval Signalling", Plate 10.

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signals

Manual of Seamanship, Government of Canada, Ottawa, 1937

"Numbered & Special Pendants Used in Naval Signalling", Plate 11.

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signals

Manual of Seamanship, Government of Canada, Ottawa, 1937

"Flags and Pendants Used in the International Code", facing p58. Changes include "C" "D" "E" "F" and "G"

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signals

Manual of Seamanship, Government of Canada, Ottawa, 1937

"Numeral Pendants" "Substitutes" "Code and Answering Pendant", facing page 58.

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signals

Manual of Seamanship Volume II, Government of Canada, Ottawa, 1951

"Other Flags and Pennants Used in Naval Signalling", plate 3.
All Naval numeral flags have changed.

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signals

Piloting Seamanship & Small Boat Handling, Charles F Chapman, Motor Boating Magazine, 1956

"Special Navy Flags and Pennants", p. 384. Changes include "church" flag, and addition of "fourth sub" flag.

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Nelson's message via flag signal - "England Expects Every Man Will Do His D U T Y" - The Boy's Own Paper, 1885. Please see some notes on this subject.

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The Canadian Collection

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