There you go again, inserting the assumption of 'planning'.
But in answer to the question, it's been many years since I crewed with officer, but it is still possible one could have seen it as a jolly jape.
Without exception (and if I'm wrong about the rank of the culprit I'll have to eat my old beret), a SNCO with some knowledge of the history of such emblems would have steered well clear of the flag.