UNION SHIPPING GROUP.

Rosanoski checked U18 against an actual flag: the central Union Flag panel has no separate edging, its red merging with the surrounding red field. The “o” in “Co” is slightly smaller and raised, without a dot beneath. Brown 1951 and 1958, LJC 1885 and 1909 and Sea Breezes 1979 wrongly add a dot; the latter’s black-and-white hatching also indicates red letters instead of white. The Log 1985 incorrectly fails to raise the “o”. Canadian Union Line also used this flag, as did managed New Zealand Oil Consortium vessels. The FOTW image is credited to Alvin Fisher and António Martins, 21 March 2000.

Reed 1891’s U277 is labelled Union S.S. Co. of Dunedin. The 1901 version U279 improves the name but places the company in London, omits the blue saltire and misplaces the funnel bands. Reed 1912 omits the company entirely.

Mitchell also gives U278 for Union Steamship Co. (UK) Ltd., registered in London in 1971 and owner of Rangatira. His funnel is based on that ship, but Rosanoski considers it clearly wrong from vessel sightings.

With the 1987 change to Union Shipping New Zealand Ltd., the letters became “U” at the hoist, “S” at the fly and “N.Z.” at the base. Rosanoski checked these details against an actual flag. U31 also derives from photographs of Union Rotorua at Wellington on 14 May 1997 and Union Auckland on 23 August 1997; Jarig Bakker’s FOTW image of 27 January 2006 follows Brown 1995. In response to António Martins’s question about the central Union Flag’s proportions, Rosanoski supplied an actual-flag photograph. He described sewn coloured components, with long red border strips above and below and shorter pieces at hoist and fly. The opaque letters were sewn separately on each side. He had not examined a Union Shipping flag as closely, but expected the same construction with changed letters; his photograph did not show the fly “S”, although he confirmed it was present.

U19’s funnel is sourced to NZMN, volume 48, number 1, 1999, page 35; no separate design description is supplied.