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LARGE VINTAGE BRITISH RED ENSIGN / MARITIME FLAG – RFA OFFICER ESTATE
Offered for sale is an impressive large vintage British Red Ensign maritime flag acquired directly from a military/maritime estate.
This is a substantial older flag measuring approximately 8.5 feet long. It features traditional sewn construction rather than a modern inexpensive printed design. Please see all photographs for the exact construction, stitching, material, hardware and condition.
ESTATE PROVENANCE
This flag was acquired as part of an estate belonging to a British maritime officer. Among the items found with the flag was a named Gieves & Hawkes of Savile Row officer’s uniform, with the interior tailor label marked:
“R. M. Bartley – R.F.A. – Plymouth – February 1977”
The uniform displays RFA-style officer rank insignia. A separate military-specification signal flag was also found within the same estate.
Because these pieces were acquired together, the Red Ensign has an interesting Royal Fleet Auxiliary / British maritime estate association. However, I have not located documentation identifying the particular vessel on which this Red Ensign was used, and therefore I am not representing the flag as belonging to a specific RFA ship.
The Red Ensign—often known historically as the “Red Duster”—has a long association with British merchant shipping and maritime service.
