Why were British WW2 submarines issued with official Jolly Roger flags? One of our more curious collection items is this Royal Navy issued Skull & Crossed Bones flag dating from 1940. Interestingly, Royal Navy submarines have been flying the flag for over a century in both defiance and in solidarity with the Silent Service.
The practice began in WW1 when Lieutenant Commander Max Horton took umbrage to a remark made by First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson, that submarines were “underhanded, unfair, and damned un-English and that personnel should be hanged as pirates“. Horton’s response was to fly the flag after returning from successful patrols onboard HMS E9. This practice was adopted by some other submarines during WWI, but became more widespread in World War II and Flotilla commanders began to issue Jolly Rogers such as this one to submarines and procedures were drafted for its usage. Our example is from Proteus, a Parthian Class submarine, and is stamped with an Admiralty crows foot or Broadarrow issue mark. It also retains it lanyards & inglefield clips.
Whilst pirates raised their flags to frighten ships, submarine crews hoist theirs on return to base to show pride in the successes during a wartime patrol. Each action a submarine carried out had its own symbol. These symbols would either be painted or sewn on to the flag. By the Second World War, boat crews were officially issued with fabric, and their flying became almost universal within the service.
Royal Navy submarines have continued this tradition; HMS Conqueror flew a Jolly Roger on her return from the Falklands Conflict in 1982 and HMS Otus flew their flag after returning from the Gulf War in 1991. After being the first to fly a pirate flag and becoming a full Admiral in January 1941, Sir Max Horton, GCB, DSO & Two Bars, SGM (Sea Gallantry Medal), became commander-in-chief of the Western Approaches in late 1942, responsible for British participation in the Battle of the Atlantic.