Last modified: 2025-06-27 by martin karner
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Semaphore Flags, USN (Sea Flags)
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 see 'semaphore flag'.
Flag of El Garrobo, Spain;
Flag of Widnau, Switzerland;
Former Flag of Alvalade, Portugal
Please note regarding 2), 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.
Flag of
Kampenhout, Belgium
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
Flag of Benkovac, Croatia;
Flag of Ascurra, Brazil;
Flag of Đelekovec, Croatia
Senior Officer Afloat Pennants, Argentina,
Estonia and Chile
Notes
a) There are many different designs than those shown above, and these might also have differing or additional meanings.
b) A green-white-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
Flag of the Hawar Islands Separatist Movement, Bahrain
The Serapis/Franklin Pattern of Stars and Stripes, 1778
Examples of Sergeant Major’s/Major’s Colours in Venn A and Venn B,
English c1641
Please note that these flags relate to the field officer whose rank was immediately below that of Lt Colonel, and not to a senior non-commissioned officer as is modern usage.
Flag of
Milíkov, Czechia;
Civil Ensign of Taiwan 19291966;
Flag of Valtice, Czechia
Former Postal Ensign/Flag of Norway
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.
Armistice Day Flag, US; Service Flags US;
Canada (CS)
The DDR Shipping Inspectorate, 195590; Lifesaving Service, US;
Icebreaking Service, Denmark
National Flag of Greenland
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