Historical information

The Ship Owners proposed a Union Jack with a six inch red border on all sides. They thought this would be cheaper than introducing a new flag, as every ship already had a Union Jack. They also suggested that in the proposed Regulations relating to Pilotage the same flag should be specified as the signal for a pilot. Their Lordships agreed to this, but the border was to be white instead of red, and the size of the border was to be a proportion of the size of the flag. The new flag was warranted on 8 July 1823, the details published in the London Gazette on the 9th, to be effective 1 January 1824.

Significance

The establishment of the Union Jack on a white boarder as a request for pilot flag in British port took effect from 1824.

Physical description

Flag flown by UK registered merchant vessels requiring pilotage on approach to UK ports