Blue Peter
The origin of the name "Blue Peter" for the flag "P" in the The Commercial Code of Signals of 1857, renamed the New International Code in 1899, is not known. An all blue flag was, however, used already in the mid-1600s as a departure flag. This usage pre-dates the use of the blue and white flag for the letter "P".
A blue flag hoisted, fore-topsail loosened, and a gunshot was used to call the crew to repair on board.
- 1660
- A blue flag and a gunshot is used on Dutch East-Indiamen and ships of war as a signal for departure. [Henningsen]
- 1702
- "Und wann der Commandeur nach der Stadt Ordre zu Sefel gehen will/ und zu dem Ende die blaue Flagge aufgestecket/ das Vor-Mars-Segel gelöset/ und einen Schuß gethan/ so müssen sie sich alle zum Segeln bereiten/ und weiter fortgehen;"
- [Der Geöffnete See-Hafen, Hamburg, 1702]
- 1706
- Zum Exempel: Wenn der Admiral bey Tage abseglen will/ so macht er die Segel des Bezaan-Mast loß/ zuweiln steckt er auch eine rothe Flagge hinten auff/ und thut einen Canou-Schuß [sic], Alsobald müssen die andern Capitains auch dieselben Segel loß machen/ und sich zum absegeln mit ihm bereiten.
- [Fortsetzung des Geöffneten See-Hafens, Hamburg, 1706]
- 1708
- A blue "sejlflag" was used onboard the Danish East Indiaman Cronprintzen af Danmark. [Henningsen]
- 1739
- A gouache by Johan Jacob Bruun of a Swedish ship of war on the roadsted of Helsingør shows a blue and white flag hanging from the foretopgallant yard.
[Handels- og Søfartsmuseet på Kronborg]
- 1743
- [Illustration] "Et blaat Flag fra Campagnen med For-Mersejl & Mesan los."
- "3. Post. Naar Generalen vil gaae under Sejl, lader han vaje et Blaat-Flag fra Campagnen samt giøre For-Mersejl og Mesan los;"
- [Illustration] "Et hvide Flag med et blaa 4. kant udt; Eller og et blaa Flag med en hvid 4. kant."
- "8. Post. Om den Fierde Ordre de March."
- [Signal-Bog for Hans Kgl. Mayest.s Orlogs-Flode, 1743.]
- 1743
- A blue flag with a white rectangle was used as a signal of departure.
- [Signal-Bog for Hans Kongelige Majestæts Orlogs-Flode, København, 1743.]
- 1756
- The first reference to the English use of the blue flag with a white rectangle to recall a ship's boat and crew.
- [Sea Breezes Vol. 33 (1962)]
- c1745
- [Illustration] "a Blue flag Pirced with whit" to be set at the maintop as an acknowledgement.
- [Patrick McDougal, VFM 672, Manuscript Collection, G.W. Blunt Library]
- c1779
- "For all Officers, &c. to repair on board their respective ships.
- When the Commander in Chief shall hoist a blue Flag pierced with white at the Main-top-gallant-mast-head, and fire a gun, all Officers and other Persons belonging to the Squadron are to repair on board their respective ships;
and no boat is to be suffered to go on shore afterward, on any account whatsoever, without His leave."
- [Signals and Instructions in Addition to the General Printed Sailing and Fighting Instructions, 1779.]
- 1803
- "The Courageux, 74, Captain O. Hardy, in Cawsand Bay, loosed her fore topsail, fired a signal gun, and has had the fairwell signal of Blue Peter flying at the fore all day; a sure sign of speedy sailing."
- "... she has had Blue Peter's flag flying at the fore, as a signal for all hands to be on board, and also for sailing: she expects to sail every hour." [Naval Chronicle Vol. IX (1803)]
- Early 1800s
- A blue and white flag is set from the foretop of the brig Eliza of Yarmouth leaving Napoli.
[Great Yarmouth]
- 1811
- A blue and white flag is set from the foretop of a 16-gun brig leaving Liverpool. Painting by Robert Salmon. [N.R. Omell Gallery]
Holland provides an interesting table of "Flags used in various Numerary
Systems" which shows how the code flags were frequently revised:
| "Blue Peter"
|
|---|
| 1778 Kempenfelt | -
|
| 1780 Kempenfelt | -
|
| 1780 Dickson | -
|
| 1782 Kepenfelt | -
|
| 1782 Digby | 2
|
| 1790 Howe | 0
|
| 1797 Howe | 1
|
| 1799 Admiralty | 0
|
| 1803 Admiralty | 2
|
| 1808 Admiralty | 2
|
| 1811 Admiralty | -
|
| 1812 Popham | 2
|
| 1816 Popham | 2
|
[L.E. Holland: The Development of Signalling in the Royal Navy, MM Vol. 39 (1953)]
To this can be added that Rear Admiral Raper's "A New System of Signals"
(1828) has the "Blue Peter" flag as No. 8 ("Close round the Admiral").
It has been suggested that the term "Blue Peter" should have been derived from the word "depart". This might not be well-founded, but would have been typical seaman speak.
Admiral Cornwallis was known as Blue Billy in the early 1800s and an article in the Naval Chronicle for 1806 was signed "Blue Peter". It has been suggested that Adm. Peter Parker was known as "Blue Peter".
Another explanation builds on a corruption of "a blue pierced flag".
According to Henningsen, the term Blue Peter was adopted by the Danes as blå Peter, and also in Sweden and The Netherlands. Kluge includes blauer Peter, but the earliest examples he quotes are obviously corruptions of the English term: "Blow Petre" (1832) and "Bluepeter" (1879).
References:
Henning Hennigsen: "Den blå Peter" og andre afsejlingssignaler.
Handel- og Søfartsmuseet på Kronborg Årbog 1980.
Updated 1999-01-26 by
Lars Bruzelius
Sjöhistoriska Samfundet | The Maritime History Virtual Archives |
External links.
Copyright © 1996 Lars Bruzelius.