Upside down flag rookie mistake: navy

How many times in your naval career have you seen this happen?

A picture of a Royal Canadian Navy ship flying upside down flag raised some eyebrows over the weekend, but officials say it was an accident.

A keen-eyed social media user snapped a picture of HMCS Fredericton and HMCS Charlottetown docked in Halifax, only Charlottetown’s Canadian flag was flipped.

Flying a flag upside down can be an act of desecration or a sign of distress, but in this case, the navy says it’s neither.

Capt. Mark Greatti, who speaks for Maritime Forces Atlantic, said the vessel recently had a new duty crew come on board, and a novice seaman on ceremonial duty simply made an error.

Greatti said the error was corrected as soon as it was noticed and the sailor responsible was made aware and received extra training.

Greatti said the way the flags are folded can sometimes make it hard for a new member to notice what direction it’s facing before it’s too late — that’s why they practice.

“A new person can easily make that mistake,” he said.