Last modified: 2011-10-28 by bruce berry
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by Blas Delgado Ortiz, 11 Sept 2000See also:
Ascension Island is a small speck of land in the middle of the South
Atlantic Ocean and has been a British possession since the Napoleonic
Wars and immediately afterwards, when it was a support base for
preventing any rescue attempts to liberate Napoleon from St. Helena.
It has functioned as a dependency of that island for much of its
history, but has never had a permanent resident population as has
that island. Most of its inhabitants have over the years been
initially British and latterly American military and technical
personnel. Ascension played a major role as a tracking station in the US
space program as well as serving as a staging area for the British relief
expedition to the Falkland Islands.
Ron Lahav, 09 Mar 2005
Ascension Island is a dependency of St. Helena. So the correct flags are
the Union Flag and the St. Helena flag. If they follow the tradition of the
other St. Helena dependency, Tristan da Cunha, they will put both flags on
the same pole, with the Union Flag uppermost (much like some Americans do
with the Stars & Stripes and State flag).
Graham Bartram, 07 Feb 1998
In Album des pavillons nationaux et
des marques distinctives (National flags and distinctive markings) 2000
edition
[pay00] it is noted on the Saint Helena page
that "Ascension Island flies the British flag undefaced".
Željko Heimer, 20 Jan 2001
H Gresham Carr (1961) [car61] notes that
"Ascension became a dependency of St. Helena in 1922. Previously, this
island was administered by the Board of Admiralty and flew the (British) White
Ensign."
Jarig Bakker, 04 Sept 2001
Tristan da Cunha got a flag in 2002, so that only leaves Ascension Island to get a flag.
The islands have just decided to become self-governing, like Tristan, so I suspect they will be applying
for a Grant of Arms quite soon too and then a new flag can also be designed.
Graham Bartram, 20 Oct 2002
I am informed that designs for a coat of arms
are being prepared for consideration by the Ascension Island
authorities, so the process has begun.
Christopher Southworth, 09 April 2005
Mr. László Balogh (who collects flags and manages the Flag Museum
in Budapest) received a letter from Administrator of Ascension Island,
dependency of St. Helena. Administrator sent him a brochure or leaflet
displaying a shield or badge of "Ascension Island", which also appears on Blue Ensign. Mr.
Balogh gave me a copy of part of this publication, so I scanned this badge. [Vert behind an open book crossed palewise a sledge hammer an anchor in bend and a pick-axe in bend sinister all Argent and in the chief of the last a dragon passant Gules]
However, the home page of Administrator of Ascension Island on http://www.ascension-island.gov.ac shows a picture of Administrator's Office, and only the British Union Jack flying on a flagpole planted in front of the building.
Zoltan Horvath, 03 Sept 2001
The arms shown are those of the University of Wales in Swansea (hence the Red Dragon and green and white field). I think the University has a wildlife project on the Island. If you look at http://www.ascension-island.gov.ac/postoffice/ascturtles_mar99.jpg you will see a set of stamps from the island along with the arms and name of the University.
So the blue ensign with this badge is bogus! I know Ascension Island wants a flag, but they won't be allowed to use someone else's Arms. They will need to get a grant of arms from the College of Arms before they can ask for those arms to be used on a defaced ensign. Nowadays territories' flags no longer use non-armorial "badges".
Graham Bartram, 05 Sept 2001
