|
Category: Flags |
|
|
|
|
|
As
the 2 book covers above illustrate the authors and publishers of recent
times, having done their research, use the Red Ensign, as did the 1st
& 2nd AIF. |
|
|
Australian Red Ensign.
USA National Flag, Union Flag of UK. |
AIF Recruiting poster,
circa 1943 |
Australia will be there
(with a Red Ensign) |
|
When Australia welcomed
the American 'Great White Fleet' in 1908 it was the Red Ensign that was
chosen as the flag for postcards. |
|
|
Australian
Comforts Fund pin back button with the Red Ensign in the background,
1918 |
Hindley
St Decoration Committee for the visit by the Prince of Wales (with
Red Ensign) |
|
<<< Corop
Peace Day 1919 with Red Ensign
1917 Australia Day pin back
badge >>>
|
|
|
|
America
Day badge (with Red Ensign) |
Aust.
Comforts Fund Appeal badge with Red Ensign |
|
This 1908 souvenir of the
visit of the American "Great White Fleet" to Australia shows
the Red Ensign (with the original 6 point Federation Star).
The fleet and its hosts had NOTHING to
do with the Merchant Navy so it is just another example of the Red
Ensign being part of our history in it's use as a Civil Flag. |
|
14th
Battalion AIF certificate to Private Albert Sherlock for Great War
service clearly showing the Red Ensign along with an (authorised) photo
of King George V. |
|
|
|
Salvation Army Appeal
badge circa 1922 |
Welcome Home button.
Prospect Honour Roll |
|
This 1916 catalogue for a
piano solo march honouring the Anzacs clearly shows an Australian Red
Ensign, stylized in the same or similar manner to that applied to the
other national flags. |
|
Lest We Forget |
1914 |
Honour To
Those Who Upheld Our Honour |
1918 |
|
The Allied Commander
Pays The Highest Tribute To The Australian Forces.
On November 7th 1920 the
remains of an Australian soldier and a French soldier were buried in the
Amiens Cathedral. The Bishop of Amiens and Marshal Foch expressed
themselves thus:-
The Bishop of Amiens:-
"We bow to you, Messieurs les Australiens, for the magnificent deeds
that you did in those days, now happily at an end, for your country and
for France, and for the victory of hope and sanity. The soil of France is
transfigured to a new divinity by your sacrifices. In the whole of history
we cannot find an army more marvellous in it's bravery, and in the war
there was none that contributed more nobly to the final triumph".
Marshal Foch:-
"We intend today in Amiens to express to you and the Commonwealth of
Australia our gratitude......Our aspirations and our will had to be
agreed, they could not be too closely allied. Although our task was never
easy, it was made less difficult by the patriotism and the passionate
valour of the Australians which served as an example to the whole world.
That wonderful attack of yours at Villers Bretonneux was the final proof,
if any were needed, that the real task of the High Command was to show
itself equal to it's soldiers. You saved Amiens. You saved France. Our
gratitude will remain ever and always to Australia.
(Note the Australian Red Ensign). |
|
|
|
|
3
pin-back badges from 1918 or 1919 showing the use of the Red Ensign. Of
course we also recognized the Union Jack as "Our Flag" as well
(not instead of). |
How different
factions "lie" to make their case |
The group that
want to keep the Australian National Flag unchanged (as I do) try to
ignore the Red Ensign, thinking that it will weaken their position of
defending Australia's flag, "unchanged" since 1903. They
present 25 images showing "Anzac" affiliation with the Blue
Ensign (some contrived) but NOT ONE showing Anzac affiliation with the Red Ensign. I have
over 50 such images here on this site and more to come.
The mob that want to alter the flag (
I am against that) use the Red Ensign to tell the "lie" that
"See, the flag has changed, so what does another change
matter?"
- The truth is that
the flag has NOT changed. The Blue Ensign (now the Australian National
Flag) and the Red Ensign both came into existence at the same
time. They remain as originally designed except for the number of points
on the various stars.
|
|
The original image held
by AWM |
The
group that want to keep the Australian National Flag unchanged (as I do)
use the image of Derrick VC raising the Blue Ensign at Sattleberg in
PNG. What they don't tell you is that the image of the Blue Ensign has
been overlaid on the original image, post war. It is a colour image
overlaid on a black and white photo for the front page of a patriotic publication. |
- New
Guinea, 1943-12-03. Sergeant T. C. Derrick (DCM, and later VC) of
Adelaide, SA, who led a South Australian Unit in a successful attack
against the Japanese held village of Sattleberg, hoists the Australian
Flag. AWM text. (Derrick's biographer who
interviewed men who were there reports that it was a Red Ensign).
|
|
On
the cover of the book Bravery Above Blunder (John Coates, Oxford Press) the
correct image has been used. This book is the WW2 history of the Ninth
Division AIF.
Derrick's biographer, who could not
speak with him (Derrick was KIA just before war's end), but who spoke
with men from Derrick's unit makes it clear that Derrick's Sattleberg
flag was a Red Ensign.
- My personal position is clear. I
want NO CHANGE to our flag........BUT, I want to honour the history
of our flag and the Red Ensign, used as a de-facto Civil Flag, is an
important part of that history.
- Unfortunately, as in most political
fights, as in war-time propaganda, "Truth Is The First
Casualty".
- Celebrating the history of the Red
Ensign is NOT an attack on the Blue (Australian National) Flag.
|
|