A JOLLY ROGER FLAG, early 20th century, a finely made cotton Jolly Roger skull and crossbones flag, ...

A JOLLY ROGER FLAG,
early 20th century, a finely made cotton Jolly Roger skull and crossbones flag, possibly made for a military submarine,
125 x 76 cm

Following the introduction of submarines in several navies, c.1900, Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson,, the First Sea Lord of the British Royal Navy, stated that he would have the crews of enemy submarines captured during wartime, hanged as pirates. In September 1914, the British submarine HMS E9 torpedoed a German cruiser and subsequently flew a, Jolly Roger from the submarine as she entered port. Eventually a large Jolly Roger was manufactured, on to which symbols indicating E9's achievements were sewn. Some other submarines also adopted the practice.