Britain's other Fleet

HMC Seeker might look like a vessel of the Royal Navy however this is not so
as evidenced by the fact she is wearing a blue ensign and not the white ensign

The United States Coast Guard is sometimes thought of as a sort of second navy for the USA. Although often regarded as a Search & Rescue organisation it is also a law enforcement organisation and protecting American waters from smugglers, piracy and other criminality as well as being an official branch of the armed forces. The United Kingdom in contrast does not quite have an equivalent. The UK does have Her Majesty's Coastguard which is a safety and search & rescue authority and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary which is a fleet of civilian maned vessels owned by the Ministry of Defence. However its already considered a branch of the Naval Service and its role is to support Britain's interests and Armed Forces logistically rather than conduct naval activities such as intercepting and boarding vessels. In regard to law enforcement the vessels of the Border Protection Squadron of the Home Office's Border Force is Britain's closest equivalent.
The vessels of the Border Force trace their history back to various revenue and customs cutters (a cutter originally being a term for a sailing vessel designed for speed rather than capacity) in the 18th Century to tackle illegal smuggling. The Border Force fleet acknowledges this history calling their vessels cutters to this day; the prefix before the name of the largest Border Force vessels is HMC meaning "Her Majesty's Cutter".

Cutters are principally to board ships suspected of illegally breaching Britain's borders e.g. smuggling which could mean everything from smuggling in French beer to avoid tax to more serious crimes such as drug smuggling or human trafficking, and are at sea 24/7 as explained in this video produced for the Royal Yachting Association.

The current fleet consists of about eleven vessels which vary in size from the 20m RIB Coastal Patrol Vessel like that shown in the above clip to the Telkkä-class Cutter. The total crew compliment across the fleet numbers roughly 120 Border Force officers spread across fleet who normally rotate between spending two weeks on duty and two weeks off duty. This way there are at least five fully operational cutters on duty around the UK at anyone time.
The vessels of the Border Protection Squadron usually operate in the waters around the United Kingdom however they can and have been sent further afield. In 2015 for example HMC Protector and Seeker were deployed alongside Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary and other European Customs, Coast Guard and Naval vessels in the Mediterranean to assist in the Migrant Crisis, for this the normal crew compliment was bolstered with a detachment of Royal Marines. Whilst there the two ships helped rescue 1650 refugees and apprehended 26 people traffickers.  As this interview by the Gibraltar Broadcast Corporation details

Boarder Force vessels sail under blue ensign as defines ships in state service sometimes defaced with the badge of the Boarder Protection Squadron.

ensign worn by some Border Force vessels

The badge features a red roundel with the text "Border Protection Squadron" within this badge is a red portcullis on a blue and white wavy field. The badge is ensigned with the St Edward's Crown. This badge is often displayed on the superstructure or cabin of cutters and offshore patrol vessels, although formally the variant of the Royal Coat of Arms used by the Home Office was used in the latter role and this might still be the case on some cutters. Traditionally customs cutters flew a distinguishing pennant. Although such decorations were the sole right of a ship at war the Admiralty turned a blind eye to this providing they were distinct from Royal Navy pennants. I am not sure if Border Force cutters continue this tradition however I have noted in some clips and images that some cutters seem to have a pennant like flag flying from the jackstaff.
The Border Force Fleet is as follows:

UKBF 42m Customs Cutter

These vessels are a variant of the Damen Stan 4207 Patrol Vessel built by the Dutch Damen Group which has provided similar vessels for the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Jamaican Defence Force, Mexican Navy and Venezuelan Navy among others. Damen's design includes the ability for an emplaced cannon and while at first sight it appears that the Boarder Force vessels of this class also feature one, it is in fact a water cannon. Border Force personnel are not armed with firearms, but can call on ships and personnel of the Royal Navy and National Crime Agency for firearms support. These cutters are 42 metres long hence the class name. The ships of this class are:

HMC Seeker

HMC Seeker in Belfast Lough in 2009
Attribution: Albert Bridge, Wikimedia Commons

The oldest cutter in current service Seeker was built in 2001 for what was then HM Customs & Excise later HM Revenue & Customs whose fleet was later absorbed into the UK Border Agency in 2008 which in turn gave way to Border Force in 2013.

As such she has sailed under at least three variants of the blue ensign and had three different prefixes before her name; HMRC "Her Majesty's Revenue Cutter" HMCC "Her Majesty's Customs Cutter" and latterly simply HMC. Seeker was one of two Border Force ships sent to the Mediterranean to take part in Operation Triton.

HMC Searcher in Weymouth in 2016
Attribution: Richard Symonds, Wikimedia Commons

HMC Searcher 

Built in 2002 for what was then HM Customs & Excise which became HM Revenue & Customs in 2005 and transferred to the Border Agency in 2008. This fleet was inherited by Border Force when the former was dissolved in 2013. Like her sister Searcher has had the same changes of prefix, colours and livery.

HMC Vigilant

HMC Vigilant outside Weymouth
Attribution: Brian Burnell, Wikimedia Commons

Vigilant is the latest of a number of vessels of British revenue services to bear the name. The first HMRC Vigilant being built in 1901 followed followed in 1921 when the former HMS Esther was acquired and renamed, This vessel was the sole official customs cutter in service in UK waters in the 1920s. The last Vigilant before this bearer of the name was acquired in 1947 and like her processor was a former warship, HMS Benbecula and has the distinction of having the first ever live outside TV broadcast from a ship being made on her in 1950. 

The current Vigilant was built in 2004 for HM Customs & Excise and has the same history as her class sisters.

HMC Valiant

HMC Valiant entering Malta's Grand Harbour in March 2018
Attribution: Estormiz, Wikimedia Commons

 Launched in 2004 Valiant is the last ships of the UKBF 42m Customs Cutter class to be built. The ships history mirrors that of her classmates but has the distinction of conducting the single largest seizure of Class A Drugs in the United Kingdom. this happened on 23rd April 2015 when along with the HMS Somerset she intercepted the Tanzanian flagged tug 'Hamal' in the North Sea 100 miles off Aberdeen, and seized over three tones of cocaine.

Telkka Class Cutter

Border Force operates one vessel of this class and that is the HMC Protector. Protector originally named Tavi was built in 2002 for the Finnish Border Guard. She served the Finnish until 2013 when she was acquired by the British Border Force to replace the ageing HMC Sentinel which was withdrawn from service. She was commissioned and named HMC Protector in 2014 as this Home Office video shows:

Protector along with Seeker were deployed on Operation Triton in 2015 helping rescue 1650 refuges. 

20m RIB Coastal Patrol Vessel

Current stats show that Border Force operates around six 20 metre RIBs these smaller vessels are not designed to stay at sea like the larger cutters but operate out of smaller ports and harbours of which the British coast has many. There are eight vessels of this class were acquired post 2015 and bought from BP suggesting their purchase was in response to a shortage of small vessels with the ability to respond to upsurge of migrants attempting to enter UK illegally by crossing the English channel in small boats. Information is not readily available on all these vessels but we know through vessels appearing on marinetraffic.com and names mentioned in news reports that there are atleast six named vessels. There are Her Majesty's Coastal Patrol Vessels Active, Alert, Eagle, Nimrod, Hunter and Speedwell. All were built by Holyhead Marine. Information available on the following vessels: 

HMCPV Active

Built in 2006 she saw service with BP as a rescue boat operating in conjunction with a larger offshore support vessel. She was initially named 'David' and was acquired by Border Force in 2016

HMCPV Eagle

HMCPV Nimrod  in Underfall Yard Britol
Attribution: Keir Gravil, Wikimedia Commons

Eagle originally named Ian was an autonomous Rescue and Recovery craft opertated by BP. Built in 2006 she supported BP projects in the North Sea. She operated as a daughter vessel of a larger offshore support vessel acting as mother ship. Acquired by Border Force and renamed Eagle in 2016.

HMCPV Nimrod

Nimrod was originally named Euan and like her sisters was one eight rescue boats bought from BP. She entered service in with Border Force in 2016.

High Speed Craft

BF Hurricane entering Dover Harbour
Credit: J-Peg/FleetMon

Very recently it appears the Border Force have acquired a catamaran vessel, with pictures of the BF Hurricane appearing on news websites. BF Hurricane appears to have been acquired to assist in the influx of migrants attempting to enter the UK illegally by crossing the English Channel. It was one of two 25m vessels built by Aluminium Marine Consultants for the marine engineering firm CWind. Originally chartered for four years to the energy company Vattenfall under the name Hurricane Tow it is unclear if Border Force has purchased the vessel outright or is simply chartering it from CWind for the upsurge of illegal channel crossings in the Summer of 2021

. 

America re-adopts the Union Jack

The Union Jack of the United State of America

I admit that the title is a bit of click bait, for two reasons; by America I mean the US Navy and when I say re adopt, it never actually unadopted it completely.
The flag in question is not the national flag of the United Kingdom but rather one of the Jacks (flag flown from a jack staff on the bow of a ship) of the United States.
The US Navy has this month released NAVADMIN 039/19 which has ordered all ships (with on or two unique exceptions) to cease using the "First Navy Jack" and replace it with the Union Jack.
The order states

"This NAVADMIN directs the display of the Union Jack in lieu of the First

Navy Jack aboard Navy ships and craft. All U.S. Navy ships shall display the

Union Jack in accordance with section 1259 of reference (a) beginning at

morning colors on Tuesday, 4 June 2019. Reference (b) will be updated to

reflect this change."

This flag is in basically the canton of the USA flag used as a flag in its own right. Its a blue flag bearing 50 white stars. Versions of this flag with the appropriate number of stars have been used for most of the USN's history. The date being the anniversary of the battle of Midway in the Second World War.

The Jack currently in use at time of writing by commissioned USN ships is called the First Navy Jack. This is a flag of thirteen alternating red and white stripes on which is emblazoned a rattle snake below which is the text "DON'T TREAD ON ME" This flag was actually first introduced in 1975 for the Bicentenary of the USN. Despite its name it was not the first jack of the USN (although similar but different flags were used by the colonial and continental naval forces in the revolutionary war). It was adopted as the Jack of the US Navy on September 11th 2002 to signal the war on terrorism and used ever since.

The 'First Navy Jack' of the United States Navy

However only commissioned ships of the USN adopted the First Navy Jack, non commissioned support and axillary vessel continued to use the Union Jack, as did ships of the US Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

No doubt some might like the so called First Navy Jack, it is not a historical flag and was invented as a temporary commemorative flag, and while some might see this reversion to the Union Jack as a symbolic end to the War on Terror, however I see it as a the USN readopting it's traditional flag.

The First Navy Jack will not disappear completely however as the USS Constitution (the oldest commissioned warship afloat) and USS Blue Ridge (which is I think the oldest commissioned US warship in active service) will continue to use it, and I believe this order does not affect uniform patches (at least not immediately). 

Irish Coast Guard

Something I thought before due to recent events reminded of, is what a bad flag the Irish Coast Guard have. It is a white flag with the logo of a stylised harp and anchor in the centre.
This is highlighted on Facebook in the last 24 hours or so following the tragic loss of one of their search & rescue helicopters, with this sympathetic image of support:

It is the Coast Guard flag with the black stripe of mourning and the helicopter's call sign. This highlights what a bad flag it is, and feeling that brave men and women of the Irish Coast Guard deserve better, I have three proposals:
The first is an ensign, which follows the same lines as the Republic of Ireland's yacht ensigns. A blue field with a tricolour canton and the cap badge of the coast Guard in the fly:

The badge is similar to that of the cap badge Irish Naval Service but with Defence Forces (which itself appears to be based on a Royal Navy officer's cap badge) emblem replaced with a harp.
Second is a jack, I did initially thought of putting an anchor on the Republic of Ireland flag, but as their flag protocol forbids defacing the flag, I designed a different flag based on the tricolour.

It is inspired by the tricolour but also the style of the stripes on rescue helicopters. This way a tricolour and anchor can still be used but the at the same time the flag protocol of the Republic of Ireland is observed.
Last but not least is a ceremonial flag.
It features the blue harp on a blue field from the state coat of arms, within a rope circle flanked by anchors:

Like the cap badge worn by the Irish Coast Guard the ceremonial flag has influences from the colour of the Naval Service.
 any one of these flags with a black stripe would make a better emblem of support than the current flag.
Thoughts and prayers for the family of the pilot of the Rescue 116 and those of the still missing crew members.

National Museum of the Royal Navy

This idea came to me after watching a BBC documentary about the restoration of HMS Caroline, which is a veteran of the 1st World War and currently being turned into a floating museum in Belfast's Titanic Quarter. Currently owned by the National Museum of the Royal Navy, seeing the shots of the ship it struck me that no flags were flying. In stark contrast to this 2006 photo from Wikipeadia which show Caroline in her glory;

When this photo was taken Caroline was still technically a serving warship! Although she hadn't put to sea since about 1930, she was used as a training ship and base for the Northern Ireland Royal Naval Reserve. (You may notice in this picture the flag of a Commodore of the Naval Reserve is flying from the mast). She was formally decommissioned about two years ago so no longer being a warship it would be inappropriate to continue to fly the white ensign and Union Jack. I am sure this is a situation found across most of the vessels owned by the National Museum of the Royal Navy across the country. Although some (including HMS Caroline I think) might be entitled to use the National Historic Fleet ensign, i though perhaps the National Museum of the Royal Navy should have its own ensign. This is my proposal:

A blue ensign as the National Museum is a public body. The badge in the fly features a shield with a Union Jack chief, with the cross of St George in the rest of the field. This is inspired by the White ensign, the national flag flown by British navy ships. It is of course topped by a Naval coronet/crown. 

A flag variant of the shield could be used as a jack:

The initials of the National Museum of the Royal Navy are on the white field. Although in the case of a jack the civil jack would probably be more appropriate as this is in effect the naval jack (Union Jack) with a white boarder. A variant of the ensign with letters:

Development & History of Irish Flags Pt15: Flags at Sea

Ireland is an island, and as such it has always had a close relationship with the sea. Coastal communities and fishing towns were once urban centres, shipbuilding was one of the main industries in the industrial north at one point boasting the biggest shipyard in the world. Even the RMS Titanic arguably the most famous ship in the world was built on the island. (and was it was Okay when it left us!) Many people over the years have left the island by sea, So the flags used at sea deserves a post to itself.

St George's Cross

The earliest known use of flags in Irish Waters is the cross of St George, patron saint of England. The use of flags at sea to distinguish a vessel's nationality roughly dates from the middle ages, a time when Ireland was a Lordship of England. You might remember the incident in 1537 from Part 4, when a Portuguese ship was captured by a local chieftain, and the government's response of attacking the village and castle, on which "St George's Standard" was put up. There can be little doubt what flag those government vessels flew. St George's Cross appeared on many other nautical flags, such as ensigns and jacks, including the former flag of the Commissioners of Irish Lights used until 1970 (right) and is still used on the House Flag of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), who operate all over the British Isles.The House Flag flown from Lifeboat Stations in the Republic of Ireland. is the same as that in the UK. 

 St Patrick's Saltire

The first flag of Ireland, the saltire known as St Patrick's Cross. One of the earliest references to the flag is a picture of of flying from a ship.(Hibernia 1576, John Goghe). The flag also appears on many flag charts, most of them naval, which suggest that this flag must have been used by Irish ships. One such book is Neptune Francois published in Amsterdam as early as 1693. This depicts a saltire on a white field, which in some hand coloured copies is red. Above and below are the French and Dutch words for Irish: Ieres and Irlandois.

Irish ensign according to 1785 newspaper

Further evidence to this flag being used by the Irish at sea comes from a 1785 newspaper report from Waterford states about ships leaving for the colonies that:"Upwards of forty vessels are now in our harbour, victualling for Newfoundland, of which number thirteen are of our own nation, who wear the St Patrick's flag (the field of which is white, with a St Patrick's cross, and an harp in one quarter.)"
It was even adopted for the House Flag and jack of the Republic of Ireland's state shipping company, Irish Shipping until it was liquidated in 1984, it is still included in the house flag of the Commissioner of Irish Lights. For more on St Patrick's Saltire see Part 7.

Red Ensign

extract of Dutch painting depicting the
burning of the English Fleet

The British ensign system consisted of red, white and blue flags with the national flag in the canton (St George's/St Andrews Cross before 1707 and Union Flag post 1707). There is references to red and blue ensigns featuring harps being used by the various naval ships often with Irish connections. A Dutch Painting depicting the burning of the English fleet during their raid on the Medway in 1667, the worst defeat of the Royal Navy (something of which thankfully didn't happen often). In this painting the English ships are flying a red ensign depicting a harp. 

Irish Customs ensign 1768

With the establishment of modern customs, these vessels had to be distinguished from other ships. Ireland had its own Customs and as such Irish customs vessels fly a distinct ensign, which had a harp ensigned with a crown. There is evidence of this flag being used in 1768. 

When Ireland became integrated into the United Kingdom the red ensign without any insignia became the normal national flag at sea. This became official in the Merchant Shipping Act of 1854, which stated the red ensign should be the national colours of all British Civil ships. 

Irish Merchant ensign 1841-1939, Still used by NI and other
British registered vessels

Coincidentally after the Irish Free State was formed the red ensign remained the official civil ensign of the new state, as the Tricolour was reserved for naval and other state vessels. There are stories of dissatisfied skippers hauling down the red duster (which is what it is commonly called) as soon as they entered international waters, and flying the tricolour unofficially. It was not until the outbreak of World War two, during which the Irish Republic was neutral, that the tricolour was extended to all ships, to avoid them being mistakenly attacked by Axis navies. The red ensign is still used by vessels registered in Northern Ireland as its the UK's civil ensign.

Green Ensign 

The Green Ensign is an interesting flag surrounded by myth and debate. Some speculate it might have had official status at some point, but others go as far to say it never existed at all despite it appearing in several historical references. It certainly had no official status after the Irish Act of Union, however there is evidence that it was still used regardless. One theory is that at some point naval ensigns like the ones mentioned above were adopted by civil ships who changed the colour to green. 

extract of Boal's Universal Display of the
 Naval flags of all the Nations in the World (1783)

There are various reports of "green ensigns" being used as the national colours of Irish vessels. The Royal United Service Institute produced a pamphlet on flags in 1895, written by a Rear Admiral Bloomfield. It depicts a green flag bearing a harp, with a St Patrick's Cross in the canton and states it was used in Irish waters between 1688 and 1694. However no source is given with it, so where the Admiral got his information from might be suspect. A better source depicting a green ensign from about the same time is the National Geographic Flag Book (1917), which depicts a green ensign with a harp, and St George's Cross in the canton. It states that this flag was the Irish ensign used at the beginning of the 18th Century. It also states that the author got their information from a book by John Beaumont published in 1701. 

Ship flying the UK red ensign and what appears to be an
 Irish green ensign from her mainmast

The fact that the book states it was used at the beginning of the 18th Century suggests it might have been used in the late 17th Century and it is possibly this flag with the St George Cross that Admiral Brook intended rather than St Patrick's Cross. Also the fact that its mentioned at the beginning of the century suggests that the St George Cross was replaced with the Union Jack (1606) in following the Act of Union between England and Scotland in 1707. Despite the Act of Union (1707) St Georges Cross variant of the flag continues to appear in many flag charts, although some were quoting historical examples or using out of date sources. Of course another explanation could be that there was no official national merchant ensign (the first Merchant Shipping Act was not until 1786) so it could be possible that the St George's variant could have stayed in use. It could also be the case that it was used in conjunction with the British red ensign.

extract of National & Commercial Flags of All Nations
Published  G.W. & C.B. Colton & Co. in 1874

The St George Cross was all but phased out by 1800, being replaced by a Union Flag. There are records of ships flying variants of this flag throughout the 19th Century, One such example happened in Spain. in 1846 the Governor of Gibraltar forwarded a report from the Admiralty Agent of the British Steam Packet 'Royal Tar' to William Gladstone, Colonial Secretary. The Agent had reported that while at anchor at Cadiz, a small trading brig belonging to Harding & Co. of Dublin had hoisted a green Ensign with a Harp and Crown in the fly and a Union Jack in the corner of it. He added that as there was no recognised flag of that colour and pattern belonging to the United Kingdom, he had expressed his intention of hauling it down as had been done on two other occasions in Ireland on board of the same vessel. The captain of the brig was reported to have said that he hoisted the flag in compliment to H.M. Pendant.
In the covering letter the Governor wrote that in his opinion such a Flag ought not to be allowed to fly in any port where there was a British Consul and that if met with on the High Seas might be dealt with as the emblems of a piratical vessel. The British Consul at Cadiz certainly would be authorised to hold from it, all Consular aid and make a protest to the Spanish Authorities in the name of the Queen's Government against its display.
The report was passed on to the Admiralty via the Home Office. The Admiralty Secretary replied that, "My Lords have no observation to make on the subject."

The suggestion of withholding consular assistance is most interesting as one of the possible reasons why the green ensign was used instead of a red ensign or indeed a nationalist flag, was to express an Irish identity, but keep the protection and influence of Britain, who had the biggest navy in the world. It continues to appear in flag charts throughout the Victorian period, it also appears in encyclopedias and atlases, possibly to fulfill the vexillologists need for a flag, and the green ensign being similar to other British colonial flags, (although Ireland was strictly speaking an integral part of the United Kingdom rather than a colony or dominion). 

It may have continued to be used as an alternative to the red ensign right up until 1939.

The White Ensign

The White ensign is used by UK warships, however it is also flown by the Royal Yacht Squadron, the Irish version, the Royal Irish Yacht Club also flew a white ensign, however the third quarter of the flag depicted a harp on blue field:

Historical RIYC ensign

The white ensign is still traditionally used by the RIYC, however it is not defaced with a red cross, displays a crowned harp in the fly and has an Irish tricolour in the canton. Interestingly the crown is the Tudor crown which is not currently used in Commonwealth heraldry, suggesting a historical use of the title "royal" rather than a connection to the UK or Royal Family.

Current RIYC ensign 

Blue Ensign

There are very few references to Irish blue ensigns, those were ensigns used by the government but there are some notable examples, such as the Congested Districts Board ensign, which featured a crowned harp and the letters "CDB"

The ensign of the Department of Agriculture, Dublin also flew a blue ensign, this had a white disk with a wreath of shamrock, inside was a blue disk with a gold Irish harp. Vessels of the Northern Ireland Government flew a blue ensign, with a white disk featuring the letters "GNI" between 1929 and 73. 

 The Commissioners of Irish Lights flew a blue ensign defaced with its badge featuring a light house, this is still used by CIL vessels registered in the United Kingdom, although the modern use of helicopters has seen the use and number of CIL vessels and ensigns as a result decrease. 

In the waters around modern Ireland however blue ensigns are mostly associated with yacht clubs. In Northern Ireland both the Royal Ulster Yacht Club and Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club fly UK blue ensigns featuring their club badge:

Yacht Clubs in the Republic of Ireland also use Blue ensigns with a club badge in the fly, but tricolour in the hoist, like the national yacht club ensign:

The Green Flag

Never used officially but there are various examples of green harp flags being flown by vessels often in protest, often a warship was despatched to request the vessel to fly the correct colours. The most notable example of a green harp flag being flown at sea, is the first recorded use of the flag. From the mast of the Frigate St Francis which was a ship of the Confederation of Kilkenny in 1642 mentioned in part 10.  To this flag is appropriately the Irish Naval Jack.

Irish Defence Forces, Naval Jack

The Tricolour

The Irish tricolour was the state ensign from the country's inception, it was not officially used by merchant and civil shipping to begin with though, as already stated the British red ensign was used. The only reason it was extended to all ships registered in the Republic of Ireland was when war broke out in Europe in 1939. Eire was officially neutral throughout the entire conflict (although many Irishmen left to serve in the Allied forces) where as the United Kingdom was not. Therefore Irish ships needed to distinguish themselves as neutral, therefore the use of tricolour was extended to all ships, and remains the case today (with the exception of certain yacht clubs who use their own special ensigns, with a tricolour in the canton). In fact many ships painted large tricolours to their hulls with the word "Eire" (Ireland) in large white colours, so as not to be mistaken. This did not however help the SS Irish Oak when she was torpedoed and sank by German submarine U-607 in 1943.

SS Irish Oak listing to port after being torpedoed by a German Submarine in 1943

RMS Titanic 

I suppose this post wouldn't be complete without mentioning the flags flown from the most famous vessel in the world (even if it is famous for all the wrong reasons), built in Belfast. This is based on photographs I have seen. Here are the flags from bow to stern:

Jack Staff - British Civil Jack

The use of the Union Jack at sea has been restricted to warships since the 1600s, therefore civilian vessels used a version with a white boarder to distinguish it from the Naval Jack.This flag probably wouldn't have been used at sea. 

Foremast - USA flag

Although built and registered in the United Kingdom, the company that owned Titanic, the White Star Line was American. It therefore flew the flag of the United States from the foremast as this was the nationality of the company if not the ship, this was a common practice of the time. The flag Titanic flew had 46 stars, and was only used for four years before two other stars were added in July 1912. 

Aftmast- House flag

House flags were and are common with most ship companies, and come in all shapes and sizes. The flag of the White star line was a red swallow tailed flag bearing a white five pointed star.

Ensign- British Blue Ensign

This flag flown from the stern represented the ship's nationality. The red ensign is used by civil ships and the blue by government vessels. As Titanic was registered as a "Royal Mail Steamer (RMS)" and carried "His Majesty's Mail" she had a warrant to use the blue ensign. 

Mail Pennants

I havn't seen this flag in any photographs but as Titanic was an RMS it is likely that she flew the Royal Mail pennant.
Here is a great wee guide to flags used by White Star Line.

For more in this series see the links below or click the label History of Irish flags:

Also in the Series

Pt 1 Early Flags

Pt 2 Dawn of Heraldry

Pt3 Origins of the Harp

Pt 4 St George in Ireland

Pt5 Rebels Invaders and Civil Wars

Pt6 Jacobites & Williamites
Pt7 St Patrick's Saltire
Pt 8 Military flags of the 18th & 19th Centuries

Pt 9 The Rising of 1798
Pt 10 Union Jacks & Green Harp Jacks
Pt 11 Fenian Brotherhood
Pt 12 the Home Rule Crisis
Pt 13 Foreign Military Service

Pt14 The Tricolour
Pt15 Flags at Sea
Pt16 Modern Military flags Pt1
Pt 16 Modern Military flags Pt2

EU Military flags

Insignia of the European Military Staff

The flow of migrants across the Mediterranean to Europe from North African and Middle Eastern countries, particularly Libya. and the contempt for Human life shown by the people traffickers has caused the European Union to take action. An EU naval task force has recently been agreed to combat the traffickers. European warships including British vessels are already in the Med to assist in the humanitarian effort.
While the European Union's primary function is not as a military alliance, it has a common Security and Defence Policy which maintains a raid reaction force called European Union Force (EUFOR), which has been deployed in various countries in and outside of Europe. This has led to some interesting heraldic insignia of the various military alliances and operations within the Union, see here. 
Unlike dedicated military alliances like NATO, the European Union does not have dedicated flags for military use so here are my proposals,

Naval Task Force

While some Fisheries protection vessels to fly a common pennant and ships that are part of a European group (for example the anti-piracy group protecting ships traveling between Europe (via the Suez Canal) and Africa and Asia)  to fly an EU flag alongside their national ensign, there is no dedicated pennant, or command flags like in NATO. So here is the EU naval pennant, for use of ships on EU taskings:

Its a simple system of shapes a ship in command of a squadron would use a swallow tailed variant of the flag:

The actual EU flag being reserved for the flagship. 

Land Forces

Land forces generally do not use rank flags the way ships do anymore but here is a similar system:

A swallow tailed flag for the commander in chief

If it is a big force with more than one Division, the blue and yellow variants for Division commanders:

The number or letter of the division could be placed in the centre of the stars.

A Brigade Commander could use a triangular variant, again an insignia could be placed in the centre:

As for Arm patches a simple circle of stars with the nations initials, as used on EU number plates ie D for Germany, NL for Neatherlands, E for Spain, F for France etc. In this case UK for British troops:

However as most armies tend to wear flag patches, it renders the need for the patch to identify nationality as pointless, so a standardised European patch might be better:

This intern got me thinking:

Air Forces

What about aircraft roundels, the flags of the sky. I do think it is important to keep the national roundel, but the aircraft could easily be marked as part of a European force by surrounding this with the EU stars for example German and French roundels for EU missions:

German roundel 

French roundel

This was just a quick post but let me know what you think?