It was based on the British Red Ensign (civil ensign) instead of the Blue Ensign (used as the basis for the flags of nearly all other British ruled territories in Africa and Asia), since it was only intended for use at sea by non government ships.

The New England force was led by Ensign John Bradstreet and fishing Captain John Elliot.

On October 3 of the same year, regulations about the design of the merchant ensign and other naval flags were passed.

The ensign, known in Japanese as the , was first adopted as the War flag on May 15, 1870, and was used until the end of World War II in 1945.

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye.

Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father's house far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch.

And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly

And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people to it shall the Gentiles seek and his rest shall be glorious.

And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.

And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.

One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one at the rebuke of five shall ye flee till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.

The Royal Engineers has had fleets since the introduction of diving in 1838 and was granted an ensign following the foundation of the Royal Engineers Submarine Mining Service in 1871, where it operated sea mine laying ships, before transfer of the trade to the Royal Navy.