THE UNION CASTLE MAIL STEAM SHIP CO. LTD.

The house flag combined the founding companies’ designs. The Union Steamship flag was white with a blue border and a red saltire; the Castle flag was blue with a white saltire and white diamond bearing a red “C”. In the combined design, the red saltire replaced the “C”, while the Castle blue field absorbed the Union border. Sources differ over whether the Union saltire extended throughout the white or was couped, and whether the Castle diamond was separately defined or merged with the white; Rosanoski considered the latter more likely. One passage calls the Union contributor “Union Collier Co.”, whereas the later explanation names Union Steamship Co. U11’s funnel is unsupported by other sources and is therefore suspect.

The funnel followed Castle Line colours. The Great Liners Part 2 sometimes appears to show buff with a black top, which Rosanoski attributes to lighting and the video recording. It confirms a dark blue flag field, a large white diamond and a small lion on the British & Commonwealth group flag; sources vary in diamond size. The funnel red appears fairly light, consistent with a photograph of Windsor Castle. A black-and-white photograph of Llandovery Castle seems to reverse the funnel tones, showing a lighter top and darker base. Saxon, scrapped in 1935, was described as the last old Union vessel, whose funnels had been yellow; Rosanoski doubted that she retained that colour.

U12 is the fleet commodore’s swallowtailed flag. Two accounts by Loughran differ: one shows the tail extending across the fly, the other a V-shaped cut confined to the blue fly portion, leaving the saltire ends undisturbed. The precise design remains uncertain.

The FOTW flag illustration is credited to Jorge Candeias, 1 April 1999.