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# Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Rank Flags

## Circa 1955

Last modified: 2026-05-09 by rob raeside
Keywords: royal canadian air force |
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- Introduction
- Air Chief Marshal
- Air Marshal
- Air Vice Marshal
- Air Commodore
- Group Captain
- Wing Commander
- Squadron Leader

See also:

- Military flags (Canada)
- Canada

## Introduction

Source: Flags of All Nations, Vol. II (HMSO, 1958)

The red stripes referring to the four rings he had on his jacket or shoulder slip-ons, and in the air force Group Captains (or Colonels as I believe they are now known in that branch of the Canadian Defence Force) have rank flags. It's not quite the same as the British RAF model, but the colours are. We have a much more complex system of thick and thin bars on two different shapes of flag, enough to drive anyone mad! I¹ve always thought that there must be some connection between parallel lines and those who like to fly if you ever see the rings on a Marshal of the RAF you¹ll go cross-eyed trying to count them (including the gaps between them there are 19 in total, count them: thick black, thick pale blue, thick black, RAF blue, thin black, thin pale blue, thin black, RAF blue, thin black, thin pale blue, thin black, RAF blue, thin black, thin pale blue, thin black, RAF blue, thin black, thin pale blue, thin black!)
Miles Li, 31 October 2003

The equivalent flag today would be a strangely shaped white one with a Canadian flag in the corner and the badge of the officers command in the fly, but I think only Group Captain's who have certain commands would get a flag.
Graham Bartram, 29 October 2003

## Air Chief Marshal

image by Miles Li, 27 July 2018

Air Chief Marshal (equivalent to a general): three narrow stripes and one broad stripe.
Miles Li, 16 August 2009

## Air Marshal

image by Miles Li, 27 July 2018

Air Marshal (equal. to a lieutenant general): two narrow stripes and one broad stripe.
Miles Li, 16 August 2009

## Air Vice Marshal

image by Miles Li, 27 July 2018

Air Vice Marshal (equal. to a major general): one narrow stripe and one broad stripe.
Miles Li, 16 August 2009

A photo of an example of this flag is available here. There are dark-brown "veins" on the red Maple leaf. with a reinforcing white hoist strip at the left side.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo
William Garrison, 26 April 2026

## Air Commodore

image by Miles Li, 27 July 2018

Air Commodore (equal. to a brigadier): one broad stripe.
Miles Li, 16 August 2009

## Group Captain

image by Miles Li, 28 July 2018

Group Captain (equal. to a colonel): four narrow stripes.
Miles Li, 16 August 2009

## Wing Commander

image by Miles Li, 28 July 2018

Wing Commander (equal. to a lieutenant colonel): three narrow stripes.
Miles Li, 16 August 2009

## Squadron Leader

image by Miles Li, 28 July 2018

Squadron Leader: three stripes, two narrow, and the middle one narrower yet.
Miles Li, 16 August 2009