Which flag(s) would a British Navy ship fly in 1830s/40s?

[RPaul]

Hi All, 

It's a bit of a long story, but having just completed OcCre's Dos Amigos, I've realised that she's been a slaver until captured by the Brits in 1830, then put to service in the British Anti-Slavery Squadron. I mean, I knew that to begin with, but it took me a while to put two and two together and to figure out that if I fly the American flag out of the kit, it kind of means the model represents the time before the capture, i.e., when she was a slaver. Not being particularly keen on slavery, and given that it's a quick fix, I'd rather fly the British one, or appropriate multitude thereof. But what would it be? And where? 

 

Not sure a disclaimer is needed here, but just in case, to avoid causing any offence: I have no problems whatsoever flying an American flag; it's only the fact that it attributes the model to the darker period of the ship's history, which is easily avoidable.  

 

Many thanks in advance, 

Pavel

[paulsutcliffe]

The red ensign as on all royal navy ships, with artistic license you could use the White ensign if you wished but usually it would be the red, flown at the rear of the ship

Regards

Paul

Edited February 24, 2018 by paulsutcliffe

[mtaylor]

This might help... http://tmg110.tripod.com/royal_std.htm

 

[RPaul]

58 minutes ago, paulsutcliffe said:

The red ensign as on all royal navy ships, with artistic license you could use the White ensign if you wished but usually it would be the red, flown at the rear of the ship

Regards

Paul

Sorry if I'm being a bit daft, but I thought red ensign was a civil one, and the naval one was white? 

 

Thanks again, 

Pavel

[Essayons]

4 hours ago, paulsutcliffe said:

The red ensign as on all royal navy ships, with artistic license you could use the White ensign if you wished but usually it would be the red, flown at the rear of the ship

Regards

Paul

Either a red, white, or blue depending on what squadron she was assigned. Each fleet had these squadrons. Exact areas and how they changed and were adjusted over time is my question as I have a query on this topic. This until 1864 when the white ensign became the royal navy ensign, blue for reserve and red for merchants/civilian. Not sure if your ship was in the West Africa Squadron.

Edited February 25, 2018 by Essayons

[RPaul]

1 hour ago, Essayons said:

Either a red, white, or blue depending on what squadron she was assigned. Each fleet had these squadrons. Exact areas and how they changed and were adjusted over time is my question as I have a query on this topic. This until 1864 when the white ensign became the royal navy ensign, blue for reserve and red for merchants/civilian. Not sure if your ship was in the West Africa Squadron.

Thanks Essayons. As far as I understand, she was patrolling the seas around Cuba. Do you know which squadron would it put her In?

 

Pavel

[Essayons]

It sounds like she was in the West Africa Squadron (Preventative Squadron). They caught a lot of slavers between Africa and Brazil.

 

[Essayons]

Here's a picture of the famous HMS Black Joke which was in the West Africa Squadron..white ensign. Curious what fleet they were under.

[RPaul]

4 hours ago, Essayons said:

Here's a picture of the famous HMS Black Joke which was in the West Africa Squadron..white ensign. Curious what fleet they were under.

Cool, thanks. I saw it somewhere - can't remember where from the top of my head -  that Fair Rosamond replaced Black Joke eventually. So, assuming that it means the same squadron, white ensign it is then.

 

As an aside, it turns out there's much more info, including drawings, Admiralty records, historic accounts, older models, and other bits and bobs, for Fair Rosamond than there's for Dos Amigos. Makes me wonder why OcCre decided to use the latter name/flag.

 

Pavel