| Rear-Admiral of the Blue | |
|---|---|
 Command flag (1702–1864) | |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Service branch | Royal Navy |
| Abbreviation | RAB |
| Next higher rank | Rear-Admiral of the White |
| Next lower rank | Commodore of the red, first class |
Rear-Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Rear-Admiral of the White. Royal Navy officers currently holding the ranks of commodore, rear admiral, vice admiral and admiral of the fleet are sometimes considered generically to be admirals. From 1688 to 1805 this rank was in order of precedence ninth; after 1805 it was the tenth. In 1864 it was abolished as a promotional rank (pictured adjacent is the command flag for a Rear-Admiral of the Blue).[1]
- ^ Perrin, W. G. (William Gordon) (1922). British flags, their early history, and their development at sea; with an account of the origin of the flag as a national device. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. pp. 76–109.