Albania: Ensigns

Last modified: 2002-10-12 by ivan sache
Keywords: albania | eagle: double-headed (black) | eagle: double-headed (yellow) | civil ensign | naval ensign | auxiliary vessel | coast guard |
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• Civil ensign
• Naval ensign
• Auxiliary vessels ensign
• Coast-guard ensign

See also:

• Albania
• Albania: Historical ensigns

Civil ensign

by Zeljko Heimer

Source: Album des Pavillons [pay00]

Naval ensign

by Mark Sensen & Ivan Sache

Source: Album des Pavillons [pay00]

Unknown ensign possibly related to naval ensign

An interesting flag was shown on TV news last night. The item was about the unrest in southern Albania, and was talking about how rebels had seized some navy vessels. Flying from one of the ships was an unusual variation on the Albanian national flag: The flag was white with a broad red strip along the bottom, and in the centre of the white was a golden double headed eagle outlined in black.
Anyone know what this is? Is it an Albanian naval ensign (following a similar sort of pattern to the old Soviet Union ones...), or a flag of the rebels? Or possibly a flag of the region around Vlorë? News reports here in New Zealand don't make it sound as though the rebels are a organised or cohesive enough group yet to have their own flag.

James Dignan, 6 March 1997

I believe that you saw the Albanian naval ensign. From around 1948 till 1992 it also had a small yellow outlined red star above the eagle heads (see Historical ensigns).

Bruce Ward, 6 March 1997

It is the Albanian naval (war) ensign, except that in Album des Pavillons [pay00] the eagle is black, as in the national flag. Maybe the golden eagle has to do with a command rank?

Ivan Sache, 6 March 1997

I've just seen news footage of a demonstration in the town of Sarandë where the only flag being waved was the naval ensign (with black eagle and red stripe). Maybe the rebels have unofficially adopted it as their flag in order to distinguish themselves from the government side?

Roy Stilling, 6 March 1997

Auxiliary vessels ensign

by Mark Sensen and Ivan Sache

Source: Album des Pavillons [pay00], flag captioned 'Existence not confirmed'.

Coast guard ensign

by Mark Sensen and Ivan Sache

Source: Album des Pavillons [pay00], flag captioned 'Existence not confirmed'.