page_title: Coloured squadrons of the Royal Navy
section_title: Flag officers and commodores promotion pathway within squadrons
hierarchical_section_title: Coloured squadrons of the Royal Navy / Flag officers and commodores promotion pathway within squadrons
caption_attribution_description: English: These are my own designs using draw.io flow chart maker British Flag officers begin their career in the Blue Squadron as Commodore of the Blue, then White, then Red if successful they are duly promoted up to the rank of Rear Admiral of the Blue, then White, then Red. The whole process is then repeated for Vice Admirals of the Blue, White and Red. The step up the promotion ladder would be Admiral of the Blue then Admiral of the White prior to 1805 the rank of Admiral of the Red was not established. Sourced using descriptions from the book British flags, their early history, and their development at sea; with an account of the origin of the flag as a national device by Perrin, W. G. (William Gordon), 1874-1931 published in 1922, Chapter IV Flags of Command pp. 73-109..
context_page_description: The Coloured Squadrons of the Royal Navy were first introduced in the Tudor Period during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England The purpose was to separate the English navy into manageable formations as three squadrons, though in 1596 there were four squadrons. In 1620 as the fleet was expanding the system was changed to include three squadrons but also three sub divisions. Assigned to each of these squadrons were flag officers who were separated in terms of their seniority by the use of coloured flags: in effect the squadrons provided a system of designating the nine or ten most senior admirals of the Royal Navy until the system was abolished in 1864. Squadrons and divisions continued to be used as system of managing large formations when the British navy consisted of more than one fleet for most of the twentieth century until 1971.
context_section_description: Promotion of Admirals also took place in this order - a Rear-Admiral of the Blue on promotion became a Rear-Admiral of the White as his first flag promotion. Once he had reached Rear-Admiral of the Red, on his next promotion he became a Vice-Admiral of the Blue and so on, until he finally became an Admiral of the White. It was only in the Red squadron that the hierarchy was not followed. There was no Admiral of the Red since this would be
  deemed as being in overall command of the whole fleet until the rank was introduced in 1805. Until 1862 there could only be one Admiral of the Fleet.
  1620 to 1804
  Rear-Admiral of the Blue became Rear-Admiral of the White as his next promotion
  Rear-Admiral of the White became Rear-Admiral of the Red as his next promotion
  Rear-Admiral of the Red became Vice-Admiral of the Blue as his next promotion
  Vice-Admiral of the Blue became Vice-Admiral of the White as his next promotion
  Vice-Admiral of the White became Vice-Admiral of the Red as his next promotion
  Vice-Admiral of the Red became Admiral of the Blue as his next promotion
  Admiral of the Blue became Admiral of the White as his next promotion
  Admiral of the White became Admiral of the Fleet as his next promotion
  1805 to 1864
  Rear-Admiral of the Blue became Rear-Admiral of the White as his next promotion
  Rear-Admiral of the White became Rear-Admiral of the Red as his next promotion
  Rear-Admiral of the Red became Vice-Admiral of the Blue as his next promotion
  Vice-Admiral of the Blue became Vice-Admiral of the White as his next promotion
  Vice-Admiral of the White became Vice-Admiral of the Red as his next promotion
  Vice-Admiral of the Red became Admiral of the Blue as his next promotion
  Admiral of the Blue became Admiral of the White as his next promotion
  Admiral of the White became Admiral of the Red as his next promotion
  Admiral of the Red became Admiral of the Fleet as his next promotion
caption: English then British flag officers promotion path from 1702 to 1805. Beginning with Commodore of the Blue through to Admiral of the Fleet the officers command flags are shown for the period
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