Red duster

[Anthony Bradley]

I joined the M.V. Gloucester in London,Victoria Docks in Feb.1966 and signed on as 2nd. Cook and Baker to do her Last run out to NZ before she was to be broken up.I dont remember sailing with such a Great band of Cowboys ever again.We paid off in Hull in the middle of the seamans stricke in June 66.I Managed to Bribe the Peggy to get me the old red duster as a Reminder of the Great time i spent on board. I did my last trip in 69 and came shoreside. I not a Job on the Ferry boats in Guernsey going around the Channel Islands and then met a Swiss girl and ended up in Switzerland in 73. Started driving Trucks all around Europe and North Africa always with the old Red Duster hung in the cabin, met quite a lot of seamen on my travels. ended up with well over a Million Miles clocked up for the old flag.Still have it jung up at home not.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Anthony;
I have hadf a small Red Duster on a miniature flag pole in my office since I don't know when. The finest and best known flag ever.
Cheers Des

[j.sabourn]

#2 was even the national flag of Australia at one time, not many people know that. JS

[Doc Vernon]

That was the one that was defaced with the Six Point Commonwealth Stars wasnt it!
Cheers

[john middleton]

The few places you see the duster is on
small river craft and trips around the bay
shameful, and the government is after tax
dodgers most of our ships fly the flags of vonvtence.

[happy daze john in oz]

My understanding is that Canada had to change their flag as the one they used was the Red Duster.

[John Pruden]

well my late brother was laid to rest with the red duster over his coffin with four grandsons carrying him?be back soon sorting things out?jp

[j.sabourn]

Canada changed their National flag in either the 50s or 60s if remember correctly. Used to be the Red Ensign with a Maple Leaf on the fly, is now the red White and red Vertical with the maple leaf on the white. Any country it is legal to fly their national flag on a ship. Most countries do. The uk is one of the few that don’t. They fly the red blue or white ensign. The RAF it is light blue. JS

[Mike Hall]

I have a small red duster in my home office-just to keep the memory alive.

[Noel Kelly]

Funnily enough, my first year at sea 53/54 was spent sailing under the Blue Ensign(duster). The skipper was a Royal Navy reservist and apparently if there is a certain amount of others on board who are Naval reservists he can sail under the Blue instead of the Red.