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Admiral Benelux

Admiraal Benelux, Amiral Benelux, ABNL

Last modified: 2023-06-10 by ivan sache
Keywords: admiral benelux | admiraal benelux | amiral benelux | abnl | crown (yellow) | anchor: fouled (yellow) | cannons: 2 (black) | crown (black) | anchor: fouled (black) |
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[Admiral Benelux]

Flag of Admiral Benelux - Image by Pascal Vagnat & Mark Sensen, 18 May 2002


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Presentation of Admiral Benelux

Admiral Benelux was created by the Belgian and Dutch Navies. A joint staff shall command naval units of both countries involved together in humanitarian missions. Luxembourg has neither vessels nor any seaman (whereas it has Land forces serving under Belgian command), and its contribution is only financial. In 2002, Belgium and Luxembourg shall start together the building of a ro-ro support vessel. Belgium will fund 7/8th of the project, and Luxembourg the remaining 1/8th.

Source: Vexillacta [vxl] #14 (December 2000)

Ivan Sache, 18 May 2002

Admiral Benelux has been operational since 1 January 1996. The Admiral Benelux can be either Dutch or Belgian, while the Deputy Admiral Benelux always has the other nationality. Until now the Admiral Benelux has always been Dutch.

Mark Sensen, 15 December 2003

Admiral Benelux (ABNL) is the position (not a rank) of the officer who holds operational command of the combined Netherlands and Belgian fleets for operational and training purposes under an arrangement set up in 1996. By extension, it is also the name given to his headquarters staff and to the command arrangement itself. The commander carries his own national rank, and a national position title.

Joe McMillan, 15 December 2003


Flag of Admiral Benelux

The flag of Admiral Benelux is made of two parts of totally different design. A reduced version of the Belgian naval ensign is placed at fly. Its length is halved by cutting 1/4th of it on each side. The Dutch part is based on the Dutch national flag, charged with a yellow Royal crown and a fouled anchor, the official emblem of the Royal Netherlands Navy.
There are currently only three copies of the flag of Admiral Benelux, which is used only on the land grounds of the "Admiralty", located in Den Helder, on the northernmost part of the province of North-Holland.

Source: Vexillacta (op. cit.)

Ivan Sache, 18 May 2002


Rejected proposal for the flag of Admiral Benelux

The Belgian Flotilla Admiral J. Rosiers proposed for Admiral Benelux a flag which was not accepted. The flag was white with the saltire characteristic of the Belgian ensign. Two of the lateral branches of the cross kept the Belgian colours, whereas the two others were made Dutch. In the middle, a white disc was charged with a yellow Royal crown and fouled anchor and placed over the cross, thus avoiding the unaesthetical contact between the colours of the two countries.

Source: Vexillacta (op. cit.)

Ivan Sache, 18 May 2002