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South African Civil Air Ensign

Last modified: 2015-07-28 by bruce berry
Keywords: south africa | civil air ensign |
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image by Martin Grieve, 17 Aug 2006

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South African Civil Air Ensign

John William Illslsey's book "In Southern Skies" (2003) contains two photos (pages 183 and 323) which show a South African civil aviation ensign flying at the then Rand Airport in 1935 and 1936.

The photos are black and white, and the ensign was fluttering, so details aren't 100% clear, but it appears to have been similar to the British Civil Air Ensign (introduced in 1931), but with the South African 1928-pattern flag in the canton, and the proportions 2:3 instead of 1:2. The vertical arm of the cross appears to have been slightly offset towards the hoist.

Assuming the colours were the same as the British ensign, then the field would have been sky blue, with a white-edged dark blue cross - as shown in the attached speculative rendition.
Arthur Radburn, 15 Aug 2006

A South African Civil Air Ensign is illustrated on a supplementary page of Flaggenbuch (1939) [neu39]. The cross is thin with the dark blue on the cross being of the same shade as that on the National Flag.
Miles Li, 16 Aug 2006

Although specific dates on its usage are not known, this flag was not widely used in South Africa and so fell into abeyance.  It is no longer flown.
Bruce Berry, 19 Aug 2006