- ASCENDING DIAGONAL
- 1) The term for a diagonal stripe that runs from the lower hoist corner to
the upper fly corner, and which centres on the corners of the flag – a bend
sinister, rising diagonal, fly-diagonal, left diagonal or left diagonal bar - but see
‘bend sinister’
and ‘Appendix IX’ (also
‘east-west diagonal’,
‘north-east diagonal’,
‘north-south diagonal’,
‘south-east diagonal’,
‘south-north diagonal’,
‘west-east diagonal’
‘west-north diagonal’
and ‘west-south diagonal’).
- 2) The term may also be used to describe the division line on a bicolour divided
diagonally as shown below – but see
‘per bend sinister 1)’
(also ‘bicolour 1)’ and
‘descending diagonal’).
National Flag of Tanzania (fotw); National Flag of the
Solomon Islands (fotw); Flag of
Acre, Brazil (fotw)
- ASHOKA CHAKRA (or CHAKKRA)
- See ‘chakra’.
Buddhist Flag, Thailand (fotw)
- ASKLEPIAN (or ASKLEPIAN STAFF)
- See ‘staff of asclepius’.
Flag and Emblem of the 52nd Field Ambulance, Canada (fotw)
- ASPECT RATIO
- See ‘proportions’.
- ASYMMETRIC LEFT (or DEXTER) STEPPED
- See ‘stepped gonfalon’.
- ASYMMETRIC RIGHT (or DEXTER) STEPPED
- See ‘stepped gonfalon’.
- ASTRAL CROWN
- In UK and some other usage, a coronet based on the naval model, but composed
of wings and stars, and representative of the military air service (see also
‘coronet’ and
‘naval crown’).
![[astral crown example]](../images/v/vxt-d022.gif)
![[astral crown example]](../images/v/vxt-d1916.gif)
![[astral crown example]](../images/v/vxt-d1917.gif)
UK Pattern Astral Crown (Martin Grieve); Officers Commanding in Chief RAF, UK (fotw);
Officers of Air Rank Commanding a Base RAAF, Australia (fotw)
- ATHLETICS' (or ATHLETIC) CROSS
- See ‘cross of athletics’
![[athletics cross example]](../images/v/vxt-d1661.gif)
Flag of the Albis Steam Shipping Company 1897, Germany (Klaus-Michael Schneider)
- AT THE DIP
- See ‘dip, at the’
- AT THE FORE
- See ‘fore, at the’
- AT THE LEACH
- See
‘yard’).
- AT THE MAIN
- Concerning the flag of a full admiral see ‘main’
- AT THE MASTHEAD
- See ‘masthead, at the’
- AT THE MIZZEN
- See ‘mizzen’
- AT THE PEAK (or AT THE PEAK OF THE GAFF)
- See ‘peak 1)’
(also ‘gaff’).
- ATTIRE(S)
- The heraldic term for an antler (or a pair or group of antlers) from a stag, when shown separately -
but see ‘attired’ below.
Arms and Ceremonial Flag of Trzebiel, Poland (Jarig Bakker);
Royal Standard of Württemberg 1894–1918, Germany (fotw);
Flag and Arms of Srní, Czech Republic (fotw)
- ATTIRED
- The heraldic term used when the antlers of a stag, or the horns of some other animal –
for example a goat – are shown in a different tincture from that of its body –
accorné – see ‘attire’ above (also
‘appendix V’,
‘armed 2)’,
‘beaked’,
‘gorged’,
‘jelloped’,
‘langued’,
‘membered’ and
‘tincture’).
Flag and arms of Oland, Sweden (fotw and
Wikipedia); Flag of
Seleute, Switzerland (fotw); Flag of
Gävleborg, Sweden (fotw)
- ATTRIBUTED ARMS
- The heraldic term for that coat of arms which was assigned to a person whose lifetime
predated the introduction of heraldic symbolism, or for whom there is no evidence that any
such arms were either granted or assumed (see also ‘attributed flag’).
Banner of the Attributed Arms of King Edward the Confessor 1042 – 1066, England (fotw)
- ATTRIBUTED FLAG
- The term for a flag, or the illustration of such a flag, that is attributed to a particular
historical person or entity, but for which no real evidence of actual use exists (see also
‘attributed arms’,
‘putative flag’,
‘reconstruction’ and
‘suppositious flag’).
Attributed Flag of Macedonia 1921 – 1923 (Macedonian Documents)
- AUGMENTATION OF HONOUR/HONOR (AUGMENTATIONS or AUGMENTED)
- A heraldically derived term for the charge added to a flag or coat of arms
to indicate special recognition for some – not necessarily military – service,
with an example being the George Cross that was added to the arms of Malta and
now appears on their current national flag and naval jack - an honorary distinction, addition of
honour, augmentations or augmented (see also
‘battle honour’
and ‘charge’).
From left: Government Ensign and Arms of Malta 1943–64 (fotw);
National Flag and Arms of Malta (fotw), Naval Jack of Malta (fotw)
Please note that this is in comparison to a battle
honour which is almost invariably related to combat, and is entirely military
in character.
- AUNCIENT
- See 'ancient 2)'.
An Auncient/Ancient, English c1590
- AURIFLAMMA
- See ‘oriflamme’.
One interpretation of the Auriflamma/Oriflamme (fotw)
- AUSFLAG
- A colloquial term for one of the several designs suggested (over a period of several years)
as alternatives to the current Australian national flag.(see also
‘flag design competition’ and
‘flag proposal’).
National Flag of Australia (fotw); Four examples of an
Ausflag proposals
from 1993 – 2013 (fotw)
Please note that Ausflag Ltd is an organization committed to the
promotion of a new Australian national flag
- AUSLEGERFLAGGE
- See ‘outrigger flag’.
![[automobile flag example]](../images/v/vxt-d1347.gif)
- AUTOMOBILE FLAG
- See ‘car flag’.
![[automobile flag example]](../images/v/vxt-d556.gif)
National flag of Automobile/Car Flag,
Prime Minister and the President of the State Parliament, Saar, Germany (fotw)
- AUTOMOBILE PLATE
- See ‘rank plate’.
![[automobile plate example]](../images/v/vxt-d557.gif)
Automobile/rank plate, General Army and Marine Corps US
- AUXILIARY COLOURS
- See ‘mixed tinctures’ in ‘appendix III’.
From left: Brunatre and Tenne
- AUXILIARY ENSIGN
- See ‘government ensign’ under
‘ensign’.
Ensign for Auxiliary Ships, Ukraine (fotw); Ensign for
Auxiliary Ships, India (fotw); Ensign for
Auxiliary Ships 1966–1990, East Germany (fotw)
- AVERTED
- In heraldry the term sometimes used to describe two animals or other charges that are placed back to back –
but see ‘addorsed 2)’ and
‘Appendix V’.
Flag of Sugnens, Switzerland (fotw);
Flag of Schmerikon, Switzerland (fotw);
Flag of Orbe, Switzerland (fotw)
Please note that this word has a different meaning in Modern English, however, its etymology would suggest that it would have been correct usage at an earlier date.
- AVIS CROSS
- A symbol of the Portuguese branch of the Order of Calatrava – the Avis Order – but see
‘cross fleury’ in
‘appendix VIII’
(also ‘cross of Calatrava’).
Putative Banner of Arms of the Avis Order, Portugal (fotw);
Flag and Arms of Avis, Portugal (fotw); Flag and Arms of Alandroal, Portugal (fotw)
- AWARD FLAG (or AWARD PENNANT)
- A flag or pennant signifying that the organization displaying it has received
the citation, commendation or other award usualllyrepresented by the flag;'s design -
citation flag/pennant,
commendation flag/pennant,
honour banner or
touring flag (see also
‘battle efficiency pennant’,
‘blue flag’, ‘E pennant 2)’ and
‘S pennant’).
The Queen’s Award for Export Achievement, UK (Graham Bartram);
Naval Energy Conservation Award, US (fotw);
Beach Quality Award Flag, Portugal (fotw);
Environmental Protection Award Pennant, US (fotw)
Please note that such awards (and their accompanying flags) are often only held for a limited
period.
- AWARD STREAMER
- In largely US usage, a streamer attached to the flag of a military unit to
signify the award of an order, citation, decoration, or similar collective honour
(see also ‘streamer 1)’).
![[award streamer example]](../images/v/vxt-d1185.gif)
Valorous Unit Award Streamer, US
- AZURE
- A heraldic term for the colour blue (see also
‘Appendix III’ and
‘rule of tincture’).
![[colour example]](../images/v/vxt-d555b.gif)
