The Term “Jolly Roger”
It is customary to give the go-ahead to hoist the “jolly roger” flag atop a submarine whose captains have successfully navigated their vessels back to their home ports (a pirate flag). This custom dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, yet it is being practised today.
Sir Arthur Wilson, the British First Sea Lord, is credited with having coined the phrase “underheard, unfair, and so…un-English” to describe the Submarine Service. During World War I, when the skipper of the first British submarine successfully sank a German U-boat, a jolly roger was flown from the ship’s mast to celebrate the victory.