From 1570 to 1864 the Royal Navy was divided into coloured squadrons which determined an officer's career path. Rank insignia and personal flag A modern commodore's rank insignia consists of a 45-millimetre-wide band of gold lace, with a circle of 13-millimetre-wide lace 45 millimetres in diameter above. Former command flags See also British and U.S. military ranks compared Air commodore Commodore-in-Chief Comparative military ranks Royal Navy officer rank insignia United States one-star rank References Sources Perrin, W. G. (William Gordon) (1922). "IV:Flags of Command". 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 : The University Press. External links Military ranks of the Royal Navy One-star officers Royal Navy appointments