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Dictionary of Vexillology: V (Vailing - Veteran's Flag)

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VAILING
VAIR
VAMBRACED
VANE
VANNALUM
VANNERIA
VARIANT
VEHICULAR (or VEHICLE) FLAG/PENNANT
VENETIAN ENTASIS TAPER
VENN
VERGETTE
VERT
VERTICAL BICOLOR
VERTICAL FLAG
VERTICAL MULTI-STRIPE
VERTICAL MERIDIAN (or MEDIAN)
VERTICAL PENNANT
VERTICAL TRIBAND
VERTICAL TRICOLOR
VERTICALLY HOISTED FLAG
VESSEL FLAG (or PENNANT)
VESTED
VETERAN’S (or VETERAN’S ASSOCIATION) FLAG (or STANDARD)

VAILING

When the finial on the staff of military colour or parade flag is allowed to touch – or nearly touch - the ground whilst being lowered in salute - but see 'trailing 1)' (also ‘dipping 1)’).

VAIR (VAIRE or VAIRY)

The heraldic term for a fur (reputedly that of a squirrel), which is usually (but not invariably) shown as a series of blue inverted shield or bell-like shapes on a white or silver field (see also ‘ermine’, ‘furs’ in ‘appendix III:’ and ‘potent’).

Flag of Awans, Belgium (fotw ); Arms and Flag of Cuadros, Spain (vexileon.org); Prahins, Switzerland (fotw)

VAMBRACED

The heraldic term used when an arm only is shown clad in armour - but see ‘harnysed’ (also ‘armoured’ and ‘embowed’).

Flag and Arms of Běhařov , Czech Rep. (fotw); Northern Karelia (fotw); Naval Jack, Poland (fotw)

VANE

1) The term for a short, triangular pennant now obsolete, sometimes stiffened with a frame (often plain red) and formerly flown from the mastheads of sailing merchant vessels in place of a masthead pennant, or sometimes to identify individual ships when travelling in convoy (see also ‘frame 2)’, ‘masthead’ and ‘masthead pennant 1)’).

2) See ‘distinguishing vane’.

3) A length of bunting (or other light material) extended on a wooden stock and fixed in the shrouds of a yacht or small sailing vessel to indicate wind direction – a wind vane.

4) A small metal flag-like object; generally set on a rod on the top of a building – a wind or weather vane.

5) A pre-heraldic vexilloid in the form of a decorative metal plaque mounted onboard ship by the Vikings (see also ‘pre-heraldic’ and ‘vexilloid’).

Notes
a) It has been suggested that the word “vane” was a southern English dialect corruption of the Medieval term “fane” – see ‘fane 1))’.
b) The term vane (or van) in heraldry can also refer to a ‘winnowing basket’ or scruttle/shruttle/fruttle/fan. ^{see supplemental note}

VANNALUM

A medieval term, now obsolete, for a small flag or vane - see ‘vane 1)’.

VANNERIA

A medieval term, now obsolete, for a banner – see ‘banner’.

VARIANT

1) A flag that shows comparatively minor differences (either official or unofficial) from some standard model, and one example would be the variously difference standards of the British Royal Family (see also ‘difference 1’). ‘cadency, mark of’ and ‘label 2)’).

2) A term that may be applied when describing a flag which differs from others of the same basic design, but for which no official specifications are known (see also ‘de facto’, ‘de jure’ and following notes).

3) See ‘archivexillum’.

Standard of HM The Queen & that of HRH The Princess Royal, UK (Graham Bartram)

Variants of the National Flag of Niger (Graham Bartram and fotw)

VEHICULAR (or VEHICLE) FLAG/PENNANT

See ‘car flag’ and ‘fanion 2)’.

Three Vehicular Flags/Fanions According to Nato Regulations (fotw); Car/Vehicular Flag and Standard of the Reich President 1933 – 1935, Germany (Wikipedia)

VENETIAN ENTASIS TAPER

A distinctive design invented in Venice that gives an aesthetically pleasing, convex taper to a tall flagpole, and now one of the most common form used - but see ‘cone tapered’ (also ‘flag pole’).

VENN

A term (sometimes further divided into Venn A and Venn B) employed for the detailed classification of 17th Century English military colours, with particular regard to their use within a regiment (see also ‘colour 2)’, ‘colours 2)’, ‘company colours’, ‘device 2)’ and ‘stand of colours1)’).

Venn A - Stand of Six Colours (Colonel, Lt Col, Major, First – Third Captain), Westminster Liberty Regiment, London. England c1641 (Klaus-Michael Schneider)

Venn B – Stand of Six Colours (Colonel, Lt Col, Major, First – Third Captain), Blew Trayned Band, London, England c1641 (CS)

Notes:
a) The above system of classification only applies to English colours, and is taken from those illustrated by Captain Thomas Venn in his book Military Observations (or the Tacticke Put Into Practice) of 1672.
b) There were a number of variations not originally covered by this classification, and that further, more comprehensive methods have been recently proposed.

VERGETTE

See ‘paly’ in Appendix VI.

VERT

A heraldic term for the colour green (see also ‘Appendix III’ and ‘rule of tincture’).

VERTICAL MERIDIAN (or MEDIAN)

See ‘meridian’.

VERTICAL BICOLOUR

See ‘bicolour 1)’ (also ‘bicolour 2)’).

National Flag of Algeria (fotw)

VERTICAL FLAG

See ‘banner 2)’and ‘hanging flag’ (also ‘vertically hoisted flag’).

Vertical Flag/Banner of Wolfsburg, Germany (fotw)

VERTICAL MULTI-STRIPE

See ‘multi-stripe’.

Flag of Duchcov, Czech Republic (fotw)

VERTICAL PENNANT

1) Generically, any pennant designed to be hung vertically (see also ‘pennant 2)’).
2) Specifically see ‘club pennant’.

Pennant of the Kanu-Gemeinschaft Eiderstedt e.V (Klaus-Michael Schneider)

VERTICAL TRIBAND

See ‘triband 1)’ and ‘triband 2)’.

National flag of Barbados (fotw)

VERTICAL TRICOLOUR

See ‘tricolour 1)’ and ‘tricolour 2)’.

National flag of Moldova (fotw)

VERTICALLY HOISTED FLAG

1) In German speaking, Central European and some other usage, a term that may be applied to any long, vertically orientated flag, but which (unlike a banner or hanging flag as defined herein) is hoisted along its upright (rather than topmost) edge - a flapping flag (see also ‘banner 2)’, ‘hanging flag’, ‘hoisted flag’, ‘outrigger flag’ and ‘rotated’).
2) See ‘banner 2)’ and ‘hanging flag’.

Vertically Hoisted Flag of Sankt Wolfgang, Germany (fotw)

Please note with regard to 1) that this use of the term has been introduced by the Editors as no existing established term could be found, however, in German language vexillology the terms hochflagge, hochformatflagge, hochformatfahne, knatterflagge or knatterfahne (or their plurals flaggen and fahnen) are variously used.

VESSEL FLAG (or PENNANT)

In US army usage, now increasingly obsolete, a term for the special flag or pennant of an army unit, or of a type of command, flown by that unit or commander only when operating aboard a vessel – but see ‘boat flag 2)’ and note below.

From left: Army Ordinance Corps, US; Army Mine Planters, US; Army Quartermasters Corps, US Flag and Pennant (fotw)

Please note that as far as is known the vessel flag of the US army transportation corps is still in current use, and that the vessel flag of the US corps of engineers is now also authorized to be flown on land at their facilities which are not located on Army installations.

From left: Army Transportation Corps, US; Army Corps of Engineers, US (fotw)

VESTED

The heraldic term that is properly employed to describe the vestments of a bishop, archbishop or prince of the Church, but which is sometimes used for the habit of a monk or friar – but see ‘habited’ (also ‘adorned 2)’ and ‘clad’).

Arms and Flag of Janjina, Croatia (Željko Heimer); Arms and Flag of Brod Moravice, Croatia (fotw); Arms of Poprad, Slovakia (fotw)

VETERAN’S (or VETERAN’S ASSOCIATION) FLAG (or STANDARD)

The flag of an organization representing the veterans of a particular, service, war, campaign, or unit. The flags of veteran’s organizations are often mounted, trimmed and treated like a military colour (see also ‘parade flag 2)’ and ‘colour 2)’).

Flag of the Royal British Legion, UK (Graham Bartram); Flag of The Royal Naval Association, UK (Graham Bartram); Standard of the Korean Veterans Association, UK (Graham Bartram)

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