Alpha flag when shore diving

[Couv]

(Nothing to do with the flag)
Yeah, it seems "able baker charlie" officially changed in the mid 50s-but was still in use the 70s when I lived near and worked part-time at an army base.

 

[Bob DBF]

I have not but bookmarking it now. This is interesting:

Letter	1913	1927	1938	World War II	1957-Present	Signal Flag
A	Able	Affirmative	Afirm	Afirm (Able)	Alfa

"Afirm" is new to me, I have always read the name was Able. I think it changed from Able to Alfa for NATO in 1955 but can't remember where we got that.

What I find interesting was that when I was in, '65 - '71, that the phonetic alphabet used for phone talking was the WWII list rather than the one used with flags. Of course we weren't talking to other nations.

 

[Akimbo]

@Couv and @Bob DBF

Traditions do die hard in the Navy. They were still using the Mark V helmet well into the 1990s.

 

[vjb.knife1]

I think it's underwater operations which covers allot other than diving.

It is the flag we fly on our surface support vessel when the Submarine is diving.

 

[Russjstewart]

BTW, it is Alfa not Alpha. It follows the NATO Phonetic Alphabet. Don't feel bad, I'm sure you can find dozens of my posts that got it wrong.

Info - The History of Dive Flags

Sam and I have been working on this article for over a year. Unfortunately his health prevented us from making it as complete as he would have liked. — Akimbo I have been working with @Akimbo on this article to document the origins of flags used to protect divers over about the last 150 years...

scubaboard.com

I learn something new every day, I always spelt it alpha, thanks

 

[Ecrazz]

did not know this