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Military flags and ensigns of Romania, 1965-1989

Last modified: 2022-10-14 by alex danes
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Overview

The Decree nr. 189 from 28 July 1950 established the military colors of the Romanian Army and the ensigns of the Air Force and Navy. The Decrees nr. 124 from 20 July 1951 and nr. 93 from 17 April 1954 modified and completed it. These regulations were outdated, mainly because:

  • The military colors of the land units of the Navy were not represented by the colors of the Romanian flag, only by white and blue.
  • The Navy and Coast guard ensigns and pennants were not represented by the colors of the Romanian flag and so, even at small distances, the Romanian ships could have been confounded with other states' ships.
  • The Air Force ensign was not needed anymore, because the military aviation had been reorganized.
The Decree nr. 1016 from 24 December 1966 regarding the rules for granting the military colors to all weapons, the change of the ensigns and pennants of Navy and Coast Guard, the establishment of naval rank flags, naval jack and the distinctive ensign of Coast Guard established new rules and flags and abrogated the decrees previously mentioned here. Following the rules of the Decree nr. 1016/1966, the Minister of Armed Forces had to issue a regulation regarding the characteristics and usage of the military colors of all weapons, of the ensigns, pennants and rank flags of the Navy and Coast Guard ships, of the naval jack, and of the distinctive ensign of the Coast Guard ships.

It must be said that in 1968 the proportion between the height of the coat of arms and the width of the flag of Romania was 2/5. I've drawn the flags below accordingly.
Alex Danes 3 October 2008


Military colors

[Military colors, 1965]

[Military colors, 1965] reverse 2:3; by Alex Danes

The Decree nr. 1016 from 24 December 1966 ruled:

Art. 1. The military colors are the symbol of the honor, bravery, and military glory. They remind each soldier, sergeant, non-com, officer and general his sacred duty of serving faithfully his Homeland, to defend with energy, skills and abnegation, even self-sacrifice, the borders, independence and sovereignty of the Socialist Republic of Romania.
Art. 2. The military colors are granted by the State Council of the Socialist Republic of Romania to every military unit of the Ministry of Armed Forces or of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, upon their establishment.
The granting of the military colors is done following the proposal of the Minister of Armed Forces or the Minister of Internal Affairs, accordingly.
The handing of the military colors is done in the name of the State Council of the Socialist Republic of Romania by a representative of the Minister of Armed Forces or the Minister of Internal Affairs.
Art. 3. The military colors of the military units and great units of all weapons, excepting the Navy ships and Coast Guard ships is represented by a rectangular silk cloth, with the colors and the coat of arms of the Socialist Republic of Romania printed on both sides.
Art. 4. The Naval ensign and Coast Guard ensign are also the military colors of the respective units.
The decree nr. 90 from 27 April 1977, which established the military colors of the Patriotic Guards, also provided the standard dimensions of the military colors:
  • Length: 100 cm
  • Width: 66 cm
  • Height of the coat of arms: 26,5 cm
  • Length of fringes: 5 cm
  • Height of letters: 6 cm
  • Length of rod: 240 cm, from which the ogive on top measured 15 cm.
  • Diameter of the rod: 4 cm.
Alex Danes 3 October 2008


Military colors of the Patriotic Guards

[Military colors of Patriotic Guards, 1965] reverse 2:3; by Alex Danes

The decree nr. 90 from 27 April 1977 established the military colors of the "Patriotic Guards" (a people's militia organization). They were very similar to the military colors of the Army and the annex provided the exact dimensions of both flags (see above).

The military colors of the Patriotic Guards were granted by presidential decree to the units that had at least 2000 men and distinguished themselves in preparations for defending the country. The military colors were handed by the commanders of the county's Patriotic Guards units or representatives of the Patriotic Guards staff. The only difference between these flags and the military colors of the Army was the text written on reverse: "Patriotic Guards" above the coat of arms, and the name of the city below it.
Alex Danes 3 October 2008


Naval and Coast Guard ensign

[Naval and Coast Guard ensigns, 1965] 2:3; by Alex Danes

The Decree nr. 1016 from 24 December 1966 ruled:

Art. 4. The Naval ensign and Coast Guard ensign are also the military colors of the respective units. [...]
Art. 9. When the Navy ships and Coast Guard ships are visited by foreign state leaders or high ranked commanders of foreign navies, on that ship will be hoisted the national ensign and naval ensign of that state or those states. When both foreign state leaders and high ranked commanders of foreign navies are visiting a ship, only the national ensign of that state will be hoisted.
Alex Danes 3 October 2008


Masthead pennant

[Pennant, 1965] by Alex Danes

The Decree nr. 1016 from 24 December 1966 ruled:

Art. 5. The pennant of the Navy ships and Coast Guard ships is the mark that shows that the ship is armed and commanded by a marine officer. It is represented by a long triangular bunting cloth, with the base towards the hoist, having the colors of the flag and the coat of arms of the Socialist Republic of Romania printed on both sides.
Alex Danes 3 October 2008


Naval Jack

[Naval Jack, 1965] 1:1; by Alex Danes

This jack consisted of the arms (1965 version) centered on a square tricolor with two crossed anchors in the hoist. It was replaced after the overthrow of Ceauşescu, in December 1989. Sources: Barraclough & Crampton (1981), Crampton (1989); Crampton (1990).
Calvin Paige Herring, 07 May 1998

The Decree nr. 1016 from 24 December 1966 ruled:

Art. 6. The naval jack is the specific mark of military ships which shows their rank and it is represented by a square bunting cloth having the colors of the flag and the coat of arms of the Socialist Republic of Romania printed on both sides. On the blue stripe are applied two crossed white anchors, having the same size as the coat of arms.
Alex Danes 3 October 2008

Erroneous naval jack reports

[Naval Jack, 1965-1989] by Calvin Paige Herring

[Naval Jack, 1965] by Calvin Paige Herring

I have a question regarding Socialist Republic jacks. Barraclough (1969) states that the Romanian jack was a square version of the national flag "with two crossed anchors in place of the national emblem". His 1981 collaboration with the late William Crampton says that the jack was a square national flag with crossed white anchors in the hoist. The question is, was there a change in the jack of Romania between the 1969 and 1981 or was one of the books in error?
Calvin Paige Herring, 02 May 1998

According to EMC Barraclough's Flags of the World (1969), the jack of Romania was a square tricolor with 'two white crossed anchors in place of the national emblem.' I am not sure when this flag was adopted or when it was replaced. Barraclough seems to indicate that the flag was replaced when the arms were changed in 1965. Obviously, there would be a problem with one seeing the white anchors on yellow. In my opinion, this heraldric error, combined with the anchors' visibility problem, probably led to its replacement.
Calvin Paige Herring, 07 May 1998

Is a very strange flag. Perhaps the anchors must be outlined in black, or perhaps were in the blue band and Barraclough forgot to say it. In the second Jack the anchors are centered in the band.
Jaume Ollé,, 07 May 1998


Coast Guard distinctive ensign

[Coast Guard ensign, 1965] 2:3; by Alex Danes

The Decree nr. 1016 from 24 December 1966 ruled:

Art. 7. The distinctive ensign of the Coast Guard is the mark that shows that these ships have an authority charged with the guarding and defense of the Romanian borders aboard. It is represented by a white rectangular bunting cloth, with the half near the hoist colored in green. The green half has a white anchor in the middle.
Alex Danes 3 October 2008


Rank flags

The Decree nr. 1016 from 24 December 1966 ruled:

Art. 8. For the Navy ships and Coast Guard ships are established rank flags: the distinctive mark and the commandment mark:
a) The distinctive mark is hoisted on Navy and Coast Guard ships when they are visited by the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Romania, the president of the State Council of the Socialist Republic of Romania or the president of the Council of Ministers of the Socialist Republic of Romania.
b) The commandment mark is hoisted on Navy ships when they are commanded by: the Minister of Armed Forces of the Socialist Republic of Romania, the Commander of the Navy, the Commander of a great unit of ships or a group of ships temporarily established.
The shape, colors and dimensions of the rank flags, as well as their usage will be established by regulations.
Alex Danes 3 October 2008