Naval Heraldry

November 2006

The South African Navy was founded in 1922 as the SA Naval Service. Renamed the Seaward Defence Force on the outbreak of World War II in 1939, it took over the SA division of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve in 1942 and became the SA Naval Forces. The present name was adopted in 1951. Like many other Commonwealth navies, the SAN has been heavily influenced by the Royal Navy, and its heraldry reflects that influence.

Arm-of-Service Emblem

In 1949, the SAN adopted the lion crest of the national arms as its emblem. Known as the "navy lion", it was displayed on a blue "Castle"-shaped background from 1981. The present emblem, depicting an anchor and the secretary bird crest of the new national arms on a 9-pointed "sun" background, was adopted in 2003.

Cap Badges
SAN cap badges generally follow the Royal Navy pattern. The crown was replaced by the "navy lion" in the 1950s, and that in turn was replaced by the secretary bird crest in 2003.

Colours
A Naval Colour, consisting of the SAN white ensign with a gold fringe, was introduced in 1969. From 1988 to 1994, SAN units also carried the short-lived National Colour, which was a ceremonial version of the then national flag, fringed in gold, with a golden protea finial on the staff.

Flags
Until 1946, the navy used the RN white ensign as its flag. The first two SAN ensigns (1946-51 and 1951-52) were short-lived, but a definitive pattern, with a green Scandinavian cross and the national flag in the canton, was adopted in 1952. The SAN emblem was added in 1981, and removed in 2003. As a result of changes in national flag and navy emblem, there have been six different ensigns over the years. You'll find a detailed discussion and illustrations on the Flags of the World website.

Ships' Badges

Since World War II, ships have used ships' badges. This was formalised, along RN lines, after the war, and since then more than a hundred badges have been designed. Until 1971, badges were individual, but since then class badges have been designed for the different classes of ships, and they are simply differenced for individual vessels.

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References/Sources/Links

Calendars, illustrated with ships' badges, published by Castrol in the 1980s and '90s
Du Toit, AF: South Africa's Fighting Ships (1992)
Flags of the World website (source of SAN emblem image)
Goosen, JC: South Africa's Navy - the First Fifty Years (1972)

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