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Dictionary of Vexillology: Additional Notes

Last modified: 2006-08-12 by phil nelson
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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The information on this page is provided as supplemental information to the Dictionary of Vexillology. It originated with an older version of a vexillological glossary produced by FOTW. Some terms below may have additional information at FOTW.


Battalion ring
In the Imperial German Army, one ring bore the battalion and regiment designation; others were added to commemorate a colour bearer who was killed in action.
Ian Sumner, 27 January 2006

In addition, bands with battle honors engraved on them were placed in chronological order below the unit designation band on the regimental color. The Army abandoned the battle honor bands when streamers were introduced following World War I. The last use of silver bands in the US Army was abolished in late 2004, and they were replaced with streamers.
Joe McMillan, 27 January 2006

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Color 2)
  • French - drapeau
  • Spanish - bandera (de regimiento)
  • German - Fahne or Truppenfahne
  • Italian - bandiera
  • Russian - znamya
  • Danish - fane
  • Dutch - vaandel (Netherlands), vlag (Belgium)
  • Swedish - segerfanan
  • Romanian - drapelul de lupta

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Commission Pennant
  • French - flamme de guerre
  • Spanish - gallardete
  • Russian - vympel
  • Portuguese - flãmula

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Ensign
  • French - pavillon
  • Spanish - pabellón, enseña
  • German - flagge
  • Russian - flag, kormovoi flag
  • Italian - bandiera
  • Dutch - natievlag
  • Polish - bandera
  • Danish - flag
  • Portuguese - pavilhão

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Gyronny
In a quartered banner-of-arms, for instance, the dexter chief (i.e.. top hoist) quarter would be described first.
  • In a gyronny of eight banner-of-arms, one should
    • (a) take only the top hoist quarter
    • (b) consider it is divided "per bend" and hence describe first the top (chief) triangle.
  • If it were a gyronny of sixteen, on top of the "bend" would be two triangles, so the one dexter (i.e.. to the hoist) would go first.
  • If the gyronny is such that one of the gyrons fits the top hoist corner, that one goes first.
In practice, the first gyron is the one which occupies the area immediately to the right of the top hoist corner -- whether such gyron starts there or occupies also the contiguous area below the top hoist corner.

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Jack
  • French - pavillon de beaupré
  • German - gösh
  • Spanish - torrotito, bandera de tajamar
  • Russian - gyuis
  • Dutch - gues
  • Polish - proporzec
  • Portuguese - jaco, jaque

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Pennant
Most non-rectangular flags of whatever shape in English-speaking countries. The caveat is necessary because the naval ensigns of a number of northern European countries are not rectangular.
Joseph McMillan, 23 January 2006

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Paying off pennant
Since before the Napoleonic wars it has been the custom for HM ships to fly a paying-off pennant at the main truck when they leave their fleet to return to their home port to pay-off. Custom ordains that the length of the pennant should equal the length of the ship if she leaves her station at the end of a normal period of foreign service. If however a commission has been extended, the length of the pennant is increased in proportion to the extra length of service (e.g. ship 480 feet in length that had it's 2 year commission extended to 2 years and 2 months would have a pennant 520 feet long). It is similar to, and flown in place of, the masthead pennant, and is displayed by a ship from a foreign station when entering or leaving harbors during her passage home, and by a ship of the Home Fleet on leaving for and arriving at her home port." Admiralty Seamanship Manual 1951. A hydrogen balloon was sometimes attached to the end of the pennant to keep it flying.
David Prothero, 25 June 1997

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Pilot flag
  • German: Lotsensignal

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Roundel 1)
  • French - cocarde (cockade)

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Standard 2)
  • French - étendard
  • Spanish - estandarte
  • German - Standart
  • Russian - shtandart
  • Portuguese - estandarte
  • Italian - stendardo
  • Danish - estandart
  • Dutch - standaard (Netherlands), vaandel (Belgium)

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