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Swallows and Amazons (Series of Novels)

Introduction
The Swallow
The Amazons
Siam

See also:

Introduction

This is a book by Arthur Ransome. The Swallows of the title are the siblings John, Susan, Titty and Roger, who sail the boat Swallow. (Titty is presumably a nickname for Titania – the book was written in a more innocent age).

As sailors the children refer to each other as Captain John, Mate Susan, Able Seaman Titty and the Boy Roger. Sailing on Coniston Water in the English Lake District (which they simply call the Sea) they meet up with the Blackett girls, Ruth and Peggy. The girls see themselves as pirates and call themselves the Amazons. Their uncle Jim (alias Captain Flint) says that pirates are ruthless. So Ruth goes as Captain Nancy, and her sister is Mate Peggy.

The book was originally published in 1930.
Mike Oettle, 26 May 2008

However, here, I learn that

The first edition of Swallows and Amazons was published almost without illustrations. Ransome so disliked the pictures by Steven Spurrier that were commissioned by his publisher, Jonathan Cape, that the only pictures in the first edition were the end paper map of the lake and a map of Wild Cat Island. [...] Ransome illustrated the remainder of his books himself. In 1938, he drew his own pictures for Swallows and Amazons and Swallowdale.

Two crossed pennants (i.e., triangular flags): counter-bendwise a classic pirate pattern. and benwise a white flag with “black” (i.e., ink color) swallow outline, flying to the hoist seems to be some kind of logo for the series, judging for the many book covers in which it is at the top as can be seen here (Swallows and Amazons), here (Great Northern?) and here (Missy Lee)

This same image, but colorized so that the swallow is medium blue, is here, the masthead of here, where the same image is given also in other sizes and formats.

The DVD case of a joint edition of two 1984 TV episodes of Swallows and Amazons Forever! (The Big Six and Coot Club shows a modified version of the crossed penants motive, with the swallow with white belly and flying to the fly (probably also in the series’ merch.) here.

There was also a 1963 TV series called Swallows and Amazons, still in black and white (couldn't find images of this).

The 1974 W.B. movie Swallows and Amazons shown the Amazons’ flag with ragged fly in the main poster / cover.

Here, what seems to be a joint pennant for both Swallows and Amazons, in real-life actual cloth! (Black hoist stripe with skull and crossed bones, and fly as described.)
António Martins-Tuválkin, 27 May 2008

The Swallow

Susan makes a flag for their boat – a white pennant with a blue swallow.
Mike Oettle, 26 May 2008

here, the cover of the 1st edition shows what sems to be a white rectangular ~3:5 flag with a large medium blue swallow outline, flying to the bottom fly.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 27 May 2008

The Amazons

The Amazons fly a skull and crossbones pennant (white bones on black).
Mike Oettle, 26 May 2008

Indeed here and here, the cover and title page of a later edition, «illustrated by the Author», showing two crossed pennants (i.e., triangular flags): counter-bendwise a classic pirate pattern.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 27 May 2008

Siam

Another flag (aside from the Red Ensign) that is mentioned in the book is one that Uncle Jim (Captain Flint) has brought back from Siam: a green flag showing a white elephant.

Uncle Jim lives on a houseboat on the lake, and normally hoists the Red Ensign, but when the Swallows and Amazons declare war on him, he hoists his elephant flag. When the children attack, they haul down the elephant flag and hoist the Jolly Roger instead (a rectangular flag in Uncle Jim's flag locker).

I have not seen an illustration of the elephant flag, but I imagine it is of the same design as the red-and-white Siamese flag of 1855- 1916 and 1941-45 (as Thailand in those years). One of the children in fact calls the green flag the Siamese flag.
Mike Oettle, 26 May 2008

I searched our page on Siam back and forth (including linked pages) and it seems that of green flags there were precious few (if any) in Thailand back then.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 27 May 2008

I did search myself before posting, so the green elephant flag is a mystery. Possibly it was an invention of the author's; on the other hand it is remotely possible that he had himself bought such a flag (made for tourists perhaps?) while in Bangkok.
Mike Oettle, 29 May 2008

This flag was reported before, though the correspondent failed to identify the book: see the last entry on "Fictional/Erroneous Flags (Thailand)".
Eugene Ipavec, 30 July 2008