Last modified: 2016-05-23 by rob raeside
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Positions in Semaphore (Jim Croft)
Please note with regard to 2), in British RN usage ships hoisted a designated semaphore flag to indicate that they were about to make a signal by means of the mechanical semaphore system.
Banner of France c1200 – c1350 (fotw); National Flag of France 1814 – 1830 (fotw); Arms and Flag of
Zumberak, Croatia (fotw); Former Arms and Flag of Alvalade, Portugal (Sérgio Horta)
Please note that in vexillology the term may be used even if the number and disposition of the charges are strictly determined as in, for example, the US national jack.
Traditional Jack, US (fotw)
Flag of Dully, Switzerland (fotw)
Notes
a) The word semeion had a broad range of meanings in classical
Greek all roughly corresponding to “sign” (see also ‘signum’) and it is accordingly
suggested that the definition given above (whilst based on written sources) must be considered to some
degree conjectural.
b) Semeia is the plural form of
semeion, and that classical
Greek writers also refer to “barbarian semeia” with those of the Phoenicians recorded as having been a globe and
crescent.
Flag of Wildberg, Switzerland (fotw)
Arms of Dobříň, Czech Republic (fotw)
From left: Argentina (CS); Estonia (CS); France, French Forces
only (CS)
Please note that a green, white and green square-ended pennant – the starboard pennant in the NATO signal code - is used for this purpose (at the starboard yardarm) by all warships of the Alliance, but usually only when there is no flag officer present who is flying his flag afloat. It is, however, also employed to indicate the senior officer when ships of more than one NATO navy are present in a port, irrespective of whether any flags of command or broad pennants are flying.
Flag of Lancashire, UK (fotw)
The Serapis/Franklin Pattern of Stars and Stripes, 1778 (fotw)
Examples of Sergeant Major’s Colours in Venn A and Venn B, English c1641 (fotw)
Please note that these flags relate to the field officer whose rank was immediately below that of Lt Colonel, and not to a regiment’s senior non-commissioned officer as is modern usage.
Notes
National Flag of Bahrain (fotw); Flag and Arms of
Milíkov, Czech Republic (fotw); Civil Ensign of Taiwan (fotw)
a) With regard to 1), the five white points on the flag
of Bahrain (illustrated above) refer to the five pillars of Islam.
b) The heraldic terms to describe this type of division are ‘indented’ or
‘dancetty’.
Former Postal Ensign/Flag of Norway (fotw)
Please note with regard to 4) that a gold star (as illustrated above) or emblem indicates that the person being represented
has died in service.
From left: Armistice Day Flag, US (Dave Martucci); Service Flags US (fotw); Canada (CS)
The DDR Shipping Inspectorate, 1955-90 (fotw); Lifesaving Service, US (fotw); Icebreaking Service, Denmark (fotw)
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