
Last modified: 2015-07-28 by bruce berry
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by Martin Grieve, 17 Aug 2006
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by Martin Grieve, 17 Aug 2006
John William Illslsey's book "In Southern Skies" (2003) contains two 
photos (pages 183 and 323) which show a South African civil aviation ensign 
flying at the then Rand Airport in 1935 and 1936.
The photos are black and white, and the ensign was fluttering, so details aren't 
100% clear, but it appears to have been similar to the
British Civil Air Ensign (introduced in 1931), but with the South African 
1928-pattern flag in the canton, and the proportions 2:3 instead of 1:2. The 
vertical arm of the cross appears to have been slightly offset towards the 
hoist.
Assuming the colours were the same as the British ensign, then the field would 
have been sky blue, with a white-edged dark blue cross - as shown in the 
attached speculative rendition.
Arthur Radburn, 15 Aug 2006
A South African Civil Air Ensign is illustrated on a supplementary page of 
Flaggenbuch (1939) [neu39]. The cross is thin with the dark blue on the cross being 
of the same shade as that on the National Flag.
Miles Li, 16 Aug 2006
Although specific dates on its usage are not known, this flag was not widely used 
in South Africa and so fell into abeyance.  It is no longer flown.
Bruce Berry, 19 Aug 2006