Military flags and ensigns of Romania, 1965-1989

Last modified: 2022-10-14 by alex danes
Keywords: romania | coat of arms | red star |
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• Overview
• Military colors
  • Military colors of the Patriotic Guards
• Naval and Coast Guard ensign
• Masthead pennant
• Naval Jack
  • Erroneous naval jack reports
• Coast Guard distinctive ensign
• Rank flags

See also:

• Socialist Republic of Romania
• Romania: Index of all pages

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 These regulations were outdated, mainly because: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.

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.

• 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

by Calvin Paige Herring

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

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.

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.