Since 2008, 3 September has also been officially commemorated as Merchant Navy DayCommonwealth of Australia Gazette S 321, 28 August 1996.Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. GN 26, 2 July 2008. which allows the Australian Red Ensign to be flown on land for the occasion as a matter of protocol.Gordon Maitland, The story of Australia's flags: Our flags, standards, guidons, colours, banners, battle honours, and ensigns, Playbill Printworks, 2015, p. 259. Merchant Navy Day is an official recognition of the merchant navy's contribution in wartime, in particular the Pacific campaign in World War II.
