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Kingdom of Bulgaria, 1908-1944: Army and Government flags

Царство Българи&

See also:

Introduction

The Kingdom of Bulgaria existed from 1908-1946, though for the purpose of flag research, the period ended on 09 September 1944. There are three main sources of flags of the period mentioned in Ivanov (1998). The first is the collection of the Naval Museum, from where are mentioned the naval ensign and king's and queen's standards. The second is the (Bogoslovski, 1912) "Al'bom shtandartov i flagov inostrannyh gosudarstv", Sofia 1912, and the third is a naval manual that I shall cover later on. The Ivanov (1998) book contains pictures from the last one, but it also has detailed reports on what's in others, highlighting some differences. As far as I have understood, the flags preserved in the Naval Museum are of the same pattern as those published in the Bogoslovski book. They are treated together and even if I have reservations, I have no evidence why I should not do the same. All the flags here would be reconstructions from descriptions. Even if the descriptions are quite straightforward and clear, there is always the possibility that I misinterpreted them.
Željko Heimer, 05 September 2001

According to Ivanov (1998), the flags from the period of the kingdom were all abandoned on 09 September 1944. After that date and until new flags were officially adopted, the unofficial patterns were used -- on vessels according to the taste of the captain.
Željko Heimer, 09 September 2001

Minister of the Army

2:3, by Željko Heimer

Minister of Army (Pryaporets' (flag) na voenniya minist'r). The naval ensign with white square with green saltire beneath the red canton with lion.
Source: Bogoslovski, 1912
Željko Heimer, 05 September 2001

Minister of the Army Pennant

by Željko Heimer

Minister of Army Pennant. (Kositsa na Voenniya Minist'r'). Bulgarian Naval Handbook (reproduced in Ivanov, 1998) shows a pennant similar to the royal house pennants, having the appropriate flag in the hoist. [This may be an error; see below.]
Željko Heimer, 08 September 2001

2:3

Flaggenbuch (1939) shows the same flag and also a forked 1:5 pennant for the minister of war.
Ivan Sache, 06 September 2001

Bulgarian Naval Handbook (reproduced in Ivanov, 1998) shows the same design as in the 1912 album.
Željko Heimer, 08 September 2001

The fly part of the pennant is yellow only for pennants allocated to members of the royal house. For the other uses, the fly part of the pennants are white. There is of course an exception, the pennant of the minister of railways, post and telegraph. The pennant (no 'regular' flag is shown) appears in 'standard' Flaggenbuch (1939) with a white tail and the coat of arms of Bulgaria on a white field at the hoist. Anyway, the correction shows a tail horizontally divided white-green-red (i.e. the national flag pattern). A large picture of the coat of arms was also added in the correction. The rank pennants retain the square rank flag at the hoist, as opposed to the king's, queen's and royal family members' pennants.
Željko Heimer, 09 September 2001

Chief of Staff of the Army

by Željko Heimer

2:3, horizontally divided white-green-white.
Ivan Sache, 08 September 2001

Chief of Staff of the Army pennant

by Željko Heimer

Chief of the Third and Fourth Inspections of the Army

by Željko Heimer

2:3, horizontally divided white over green.
Ivan Sache, 08 September 2001

Chief of Staff of the Army Pennant

by Željko Heimer

Minister of Railways, Post and Telegraph

2:3, by Željko Heimer

Flaggenbuch (1939) and Flaggenbuch (1992) -- the original one from 1939 and one from the update, that is found at the end of the 1992 reproduction of the Flaggenbuch -- show two different pennants. The difference is in the pennant of the minister of railways (white pennant in original and tricolour pennant in the correction, both with white hoist with coat of arms).
Željko Heimer, 06 January 2004