Brazilian Marine Corps

Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais

Last modified: 2003-09-13 by joe mcmillan
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by Joseph McMillan

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Corps Standard

Estandarte do Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais

The standard of the Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais, the Brazilian Marine Corps, is red with a diagonal white stripe bearing the date "1808." In the upper hoist, tilted so that it appears vertically when the flag is hanging down, is the coat of arms of the corps, yellow with a flaming grenade superimposed on two crossed old-style weapons, evidently a battle-ax and a halberd, with a red anchor bendwise sinister in the sinister chief. In the lower fly is a white star. The date 1808 refers to the year when the Portuguese Court moved from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro bringing as escort to the royal family the Brigada Real da Marinha, or Royal Brigade of the Navy. When King Dom João VI returned to Portugal, one battalion of the naval brigade was left in Brazil in the service of what was then the "United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves." After the declaration of independence in 1822, the unit became part of the Brazilian Imperial Navy. The CFN website says the red field stands for courage, the coat of arms for the tradition of the service, and the white star for the unity of the corps.
Joseph McMillan, 12 June 2001

Sources: Revista Marítima Brasileira, Vol 118:416 (Apr-Jun 1998); CFN website, reachable by clicking the Fuzileiros Navais link on the Brazilian Navy home page.

According to Clóvis Ribeiro's Brazões e bandeiras do Brasil (1930) , pp. 128-29, this flag originates from Presidential decree 20394 of 10 September 1931. It was originally 60 x 130 cm, but recent photographs show it closer to 90 or 100 cm in hoist and a ratio of approximately 3:5. The original design provided for the shield of the corps in the upper hoist, but the first standard was issued before the coat of arms was actually adopted, so the upper hoist was left empty.
Joseph McMillan, 20 October 2002