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Dictionary of Vexillology: U (Uma-Jirushi - US Executive Order)

On this page:

UMA-JIRUSHI
UNCASE(D)
UNDEFACED
UNDY (or UNDE or UNDULATING)
UNEQUAL TRIBAND (or UNEVEN TRIBAND)
UNEQUAL TRICOLOUR (or UNEVEN TRICOLOUR)
UNFURL(ED)
UNICOLOUR/UNICOLOURED (or UNICOLOUR/UNICOLORED)
UNION, THE
UNION FLAG
UNION JACK
UNION MARK
UNION PENDANT (or PENNANT)
UNION STANDARD
UNIQUE FLAG (or UNIQUE EXAMPLE)
UNIT COLOUR (or COLOR)
UNIT DESIGNATION
UNIT FLAG
UNOFFICIAL FLAG
UNREP (UNDERWAY REPLENISHMENT) FLAG
UPPER FLY (or UPPER FLY CANTON)
UPPER HOIST (or UPPER HOIST CANTON)
UPRIGHT
UPRIGHT CENTRED CROSS
UPRIGHT PALL
UPRIGHT PILE
UPRIGHT TRIANGLE
UPROOTED
URBAN CROWN
URINANT
US EXECUTIVE ORDER

UMA-JIRUSHI

See ‘Daimyo flags 1)’ and its following notes.

UNCASE(D)

1) (v) To remove a regimental, unit, service or national colour (or occasionally a parade flag), usually with the appropriate ceremony, from its protective case (see also ‘case(d)’ and ‘dislodging’).
2) (adj) The term used when a regimental, unit or national colour (or occasionally a parade flag) has been removed from its case (see also ‘parade flag 2)’ and ‘unfurl(ed)’).

UNDEFACED

(adj) The term used to describe a flag which may (and sometimes does) carry authorized additions, but in this case is seen without any such additions (see also ‘archivexillum’, ‘blue ensign’, ‘defaced’ and ‘red ensign’).

From left: Undefaced - Reserve Ensign, India; Defaced - former Government Ensign, India (fotw); Undefaced – Reserve Ensign, UK, Defaced – Department of Transport, UK (fotw)

UNDY (or UNDE or UNDULATING)

See ‘wavy’ (also ‘nebuly’).

Flag of L’Aldea, Spain (fotw)

UNEQUAL TRIBAND (or UNEVEN TRIBAND)

A term that may be used when a triband is composed of stripes whose widths are not equal – but see ‘triband 1)’ and the note below (also ‘Canadian pale’, ‘Spanish-style triband’ and ‘unequal tricolor’ below).

From left: National Flag of Spain (fotw); Civil Flag of The Dniestr Republic (fotw); Flag of Pará, Brazil (fotw); Flag of Horka I, Czech Rep (fotw)

Please note that a triband having a single narrower stripe (as on those of the Dniestr Republic and Pará illustrated above) may also be considered as a plain flag bearing such a stripe.

UNEQUAL TRICOLOUR (or UNEVEN TRICOLOUR)

A term that may be used when a tricolour is composed of stripes whose widths are not equal – but see ‘tricolour 1)’ and its note c) following (also ‘unequal triband’ above).

From left: National Flag of Colombia (fotw); National Flag of Andorra (fotw); flag of Albrechtičky, Czech Republic (fotw); Flag of Čechtín, Czech Republic (fotw)

UNFURL(ED)

1) (v & adj) Generically, to hoist, break out or show (or to have hoisted, broken out or shown) a flag (or flags) that have not been displayed until that moment (see also ‘break a flag’ and ‘hoist 3)’).

2) (v & adj) To unwind (or to have completed the unwinding of) a colour or parade flag from its staff after it has been uncased (see also ‘colour 2)’, ‘furl(ed)’, ‘parade flag 2)’ and ‘uncase(d)’).

UNICOLOUR/UNICOLOURED (or UNICOLOUR/UNICOLORED)

See ‘monocolour’.

National flag of Libya 1977 - 2011 (fotw); Flag of Partido de la Sierra en Tobalina, Spain (fotw)

UNION, THE

1) Specifically in US usage, the canton of the US national flag - i.e. 13 - 50 white stars on a blue field (see also ’stars and stripes’, ‘union jack 3)’ and ‘union mark’).

2) Generically, see ‘canton 2)’ (also ‘union mark’).

Canton of the National Flag/Traditional Jack, US (fotw)

UNION FLAG

1) Specifically in UK usage, a precise term for the British national flag when flown on land – but see ‘union jack 1)’ and ‘union jack 2)’ below.

2) Generically, the term that may be used when a flag symbolizes the political or economic union of two or more previously independent countries – for example those of the United Arab Emirates or of Malaysia, or that of the European Union (see also ‘union mark’).

National Flag of the United Kingdom (fotw); National Flag of Malaysia (fotw); National Flag of the United Arab Emirates (fotw)

Please note with regard to 1) above and ‘Union Jack 2)’, this flag (as currently seen) is actually a distortion of the design approved in 1800 in which the red and white saltires were of an even width with their fimbriation added (as illustrated below).

Union flag as authorized in 1800, UK (Zeljko Heimer)

UNION JACK

1) A general and officially recognized term for the British national flag whether flown on land or sea – but see ‘union flag 1)’ and ‘union jack 2)’ (also (also ‘British flag’, ‘gore‘, ‘great union‘, ‘interlaced’, ‘James union’, ‘national flag’, St Andrew's Cross 2)’, St George's Cross 2)’, St Patrick's Cross’ and ‘union mark’).

2) In UK usage, a precise term for the British national flag when flown as a jack from the bows of a British warship, from a yardarm to signal that a court martial is being held, or at the main masthead as the command flag of an Admiral of the Fleet - see ‘union flag 1)’ (see also ‘flag of command’, ‘His Majesty’s Jack’. ‘jack’ and ‘naval jack’ under ‘jack’, ‘masthead’ and ‘yardarm’).

3) In US usage, the official term for the traditional US national jack, which consists of the union from the US national flag (see also ‘union, the’).

National Flag of the United Kingdom (fotw)

Traditional National Jack, US (fotw)

Notes
a) The British national flag is legally (when undefaced) restricted to naval vessels whilst flown afloat (see also 'civil jack', 'government jack' and 'naval jack' under 'jack', 'pilot jack' and 'undefaced').
b) US merchant vessels are not forbidden by regulation to wear the union jack as described in 3) above, but at the time of writing it has been temporarily replaced in naval usage by the design shown below – see ‘rattlesnake’.

Naval Jack in current use, US (Graham Bartram)

UNION MARK

A symbol expressing the unification of two or more territories - such as the British Union Jack or the former Norwegian-Swedish Union Mark - either employed alone or as a charge on a flag (see also ‘charge’, ‘conjoined’, ‘interlaced’, ‘union’, ‘union flag’ and ‘union jack’ above).

Union Jack 1606 – 1801, England/UK (fotw); Red Ensign 1707 – 1801, England/UK (fotw); Norway-Sweden Union Mark and Naval Jack 1844 – 1905 (fotw); National/Merchant Flag of Sweden 1844 – 1905 (fotw & CS); National/Merchant Flag of Norway 1844 – 1898 (fotw)

UNION PENDANT (or PENNANT)

1. See ‘budgee pendant’.
2. A term originally used to also describe what later became the ordinary or common pendant – see ‘common pendant’.

The Union/Budgee Pendant c1700, UK

UNION STANDARD

In British military usage, a term for one of three such standards each carried by the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals - the Household cavalry - and the equivalent of a normal cavalry guidon or infantry colour (see also 'colour 2)', 'colours 2)' and ‘guidon 2)’ and ‘sovereign's standard’).

Reverse of The Union Standard of the Blues and Royals, UK (householdcavalry info)

Please note that the Blues and Royals (unlike the Life Guards) also carry a guidon in addition to the sovereign’s and union standards due to their amalgamation with the Royal Dragoons in 1969.

UNIQUE FLAG (or UNIQUE EXAMPLE)

A flag intended in design and usage, to be the only one of its type.

Main Banner of German Athletics Union 1880 (fotw)

Please note that in East and Central European usage the ceremonial flag of a community is often created as a unique flag – see ‘ceremonial flag 2)’.

UNIT COLOUR (or COLOR)

See ‘colour 2)’ and ‘colours 2)’.

Unit Colour of the 2nd Army Corps, 2nd Support Brigade, Greece (fotw)

UNIT DESIGNATION

The inscription on a colour that indicates the military group to which it belongs (see also ‘colour 2)’.

Colour of the 103rd Field Artillery with Unit Designation, US (fotw)

UNIT FLAG

1) See ‘camp flag’.

2) See ‘branch of service flag 2)’.

Unit/Camp Flag of The Royal Army Medical Corps, UK (Graham Bartram); Unit/Branch of Service Flag of The Transportation Service, US (fotw)

UNOFFICIAL FLAG

A flag that has (or had) not been formally adopted by the relevant authority, but is (or has been) exhibited by supporters or enthusiasts as representing a particular entity, institution or cause, as opposed to a design or type which is so authorized or for which there is (or has been) no authorized design – see ‘official flag 1)’ (also ‘de facto 2)’, ‘folk flag’ and ‘institutional flags (unofficial)’.

An Unofficial Flag of Guadeloupe, France (fotw); An Unofficial “Scotch Union”, Scotland c1610 (fotw); An Unofficial Flag Showing 16 Stars and 16 Stripes, US 1796 (fotw)

UNREP (UNDERWAY REPLENISHMENT) FLAG

See ‘battle flag 2)’.

Unofficial Flag of USS Elliot (Sea Flags)

UPPER FLY (or UPPER FLY CANTON)

In vexillology a term for that quarter of a flag which occupies the upper fly - the second canton or quarter, or the upper fly canton (see also ‘canton 3)’ and ‘fly 1)’).

UPPER HOIST (or UPPER HOIST CANTON)

In vexillology a term for that quarter of a flag which occupies the upper hoist, the canton - the first canton or quarter, or the upper hoist canton (see also ‘canton 1)’, ‘canton 3)’ and ‘hoist 1)’).

UPRIGHT

1) On flags a term which may be used when a charge or charges, that are more usually placed horizontally or diagonally, are shown with a vertical orientation (see also ‘pall’ and ‘pile’).

2) In heraldry a term that may be applied (in place of rampant or its equivalent) to the orientation of charges representing crustaceans or reptiles (see also ‘appendix VIII’).

Flag of Sankt Gallen, Switzerland (fotw), Fuehrer’s Standard 1935 – 1945, Germany (fotw); Arms and Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands (fotw)

UPRIGHT CENTRED CROSS