In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours (or colors), standards, flags, or guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some 5,000 years ago. The
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
also made battle standards a part of their vast armies. It was formalized in the armies of Europe in the
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended ...
, with standards being emblazoned with the commander's
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
.
General use
As armies became trained and adopted set formations, each
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
's ability to keep its formation was potentially critical to its, and therefore its army's, success. In the chaos of battle, not least due to the amount of dust and smoke on a battlefield, soldiers needed to be able to determine where their regiment was.
Regimental
flag
A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...
s are generally awarded to a regiment by a head of state during a ceremony. They were therefore treated with reverence as they represented the honour and traditions of the regiment. Colours may be inscribed with the names of battles or other symbols representing former achievements (see
battle honours
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In European military t ...
).
Regiments tended to adopt "
colour guard
In military organizations, a colour guard (or color guard) is a detachment of soldiers assigned to the protection of regimental colours and the national flag. This duty is so prestigious that the military colour is generally carried by a young ...
s", composed of experienced or élite soldiers, to protect their colours. As a result, the capture of an enemy's standard was considered as a great feat of arms.
They are never capriciously destroyed – when too old to use they are replaced and then laid-up in museums, religious buildings and other places of significance to their regiment. However, in most modern armies, standing orders now call for the colours to be intentionally destroyed if they are ever in jeopardy of being captured by the enemy.
Due to the advent of modern weapons, and subsequent changes in tactics, colours are no longer carried into battle, but continue to be used at events of formal character.
Colours
Americas
Argentina
Each unit of the
Argentine Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, in es, Fuerzas Armadas de la República Argentina, are controlled by the Commander-in-Chief (the President) and a civilian Minister of Defense. In addition to the Army, Navy and Air Force, there are ...
, the
Argentine National Gendarmerie
The Argentine National Gendarmerie ( es, Gendarmería Nacional Argentina, GNA) is the national gendarmerie force and corps of border guards of the Argentine Republic. It has a strength of 70,000.
The gendarmerie is primarily a frontier guard forc ...
, the
Argentine Federal Police
The Argentine Federal Police ( es, Policía Federal Argentina or PFA) is the national civil police force of the Argentine federal government. The PFA has detachments throughout the country. Until January 1, 2017, it also acted as the local la ...
national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...
with the unit's name embroidered on it in gold thread. The colours are carried by the unit's most junior officer, escorted by two NCOs, except in academies and schools, where it is carried by the top-ranked student of the senior course, and escorted by his or her second- and third-ranked classmates. If a decoration has been awarded to the unit, it's attached to the national colours' cravat. The national colours are never dipped in salute, except to salute another national colours which pass by or are being the subject of a special honour. Besides the national colours, each unit has its unique regimental colours, normally in the arm or service's colour background, with the unit's coat of arms on it. Units which were made part of the
Army of the Andes
The Army of the Andes ( es, Ejército de los Andes) was a military force created by the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (Argentina) and mustered by general José de San Martín in his campaign to free Chile from the Spanish Empire. In 181 ...
Brazilian Armed Forces
The Brazilian Armed Forces ( pt, Forças Armadas Brasileiras, ) are the unified military forces of the Federative Republic of Brazil. Consisting of three service branches, it comprises the Brazilian Army (including the Brazilian Army Aviatio ...
carry a stand of two Colours, differing per service.
The standard of the Brazilian Army measures 80 × 120 cm, white with the Army
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
in the centre, trimmed with gold fringe. The name of the service is inscribed in gold letters on a green scroll beneath the shield. Above the shield is a knight's helmet with red and sky blue mantling. The staff is topped by a nickel-plated lance-head
finial
A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...
, 32 cm high. Below the lance-head, there is a cravat (''laço militar'') divided lengthwise, sky blue and red, with a gold fringe at the end, tied in a bow and fastened with a cockade of blue with the
Southern Cross
Crux () is a constellation of the southern sky that is centred on four bright stars in a cross-shaped asterism commonly known as the Southern Cross. It lies on the southern end of the Milky Way's visible band. The name ''Crux'' is Latin for ...
in white stars, red, and blue. Ten red streamers with campaign honours inscribed in sky blue letters are also attached below the lance-head. The staff is 212 cm long, not including the lance-head, and 3.5 cm in diameter. It is covered in sky blue velvet with a red spiral strip. The colour belt is 10 cm in width, covered with sky blue velvet with red velvet stripes. The
Brazilian Navy
)
, colors= Blue and white
, colors_label= Colors
, march= "Cisne Branco" ( en, "White Swan") (same name as training ship ''Cisne Branco''
, mascot=
, equipment= 1 multipurpose aircraft carrier7 submarines6 frigates2 corvettes4 amphibious warf ...
's flag uses dark blue colours; the
Brazilian Air Force
"Wings that protect the country"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march = Hino dos Aviadores
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 22 May (anniver ...
flag uses ultramarine blue.
Brazilian military units also carry the
national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...
as a National Colour. This is in the dimensions 90 × 128 cm. It is mounted on the same size staff and with the same finial as the Army standard, but the cravat is divided lengthwise yellow and green, with a gold fringe at the end, tied in a bow and fastened with a cockade of blue with the Cruzeiro do Sul in white stars, yellow, and green. The staff is covered in green velvet with a yellow spiral strip. The colour belt is 10 cm in width, covered with green velvet with yellow velvet stripes of width and number varying with the rank of the organization's commander.
Unit colours differ per service branch and speciality.
Chile
Units of the
Chilean Army
The Chilean Army ( es, Ejército de Chile) is the land arm of the Military of Chile. This 80,000-person army (9,200 of which are conscripts) is organized into six divisions, a special operations brigade and an air brigade.
In recent years, and a ...
carry one main colour, known as the ''estandarte de combate'' (combat standard). This is the same as the
national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...
, but with an embroidered star and with the unit designation, honorific title, founding date and place, and, depending on the unit, other historic information and honours embroidered diagonally across the fly in gold. The flag is also trimmed with gold fringe. It is mounted on a staff with a gilt
condor
Condor is the common name for two species of New World vultures, each in a monotypic genus. The name derives from the Quechua ''kuntur''. They are the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere.
They are:
* The Andean condor (''Vult ...
finial; below the finial is a cravat in the national colours with decorations attached. In addition to the military colour, particularly distinguished units, and long serving units may carry a second Colour known as a ''bandera coronela'' (colonel's colour). This is a red field with a large white five-pointed star. In the angles of the star are the names and dates of battle honours surrounded by laurel wreaths, all in gold, while in an arc above the star is the designation of the unit, also in gold. The flag is also surrounded by gold fringe. Since 2017, the 16th Infantry Regiment Talca became the first to sport a blue coloured ''bandera coronela'' in honour of its origins as a city guard battalion formed during the War of the Pacific.
The
Chilean Air Force
"With full speed to the stars"
, colours = Indigo White
, colours_label =
, march = Alte Kameraden
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 21 March ...
, the
Chilean Navy
The Chilean Navy ( es, Armada de Chile) is the naval warfare service branch of the Chilean Armed Forces. It is under the Ministry of National Defense. Its headquarters are at Edificio Armada de Chile, Valparaiso.
History
Origins and the Wars ...
, the
Carabineros de Chile
( en, Carabiniers of Chile) are the Chilean national law enforcement police, who have jurisdiction over the entire national territory of the Republic of Chile. Created in 1927, their mission is to maintain order and enforce the laws of Chile. T ...
and the Chilean Gendarmerie all use the ''estandarte de combate'' as their main colour, and do not use the ''bandera coronela'' at all. The design is the same as in the Army's.
Colombia
The main state colours of the
Military Forces of Colombia
The Military Forces of Colombia ( es, Fuerzas Militares de Colombia, links=no) are the unified armed forces of the Republic of Colombia. They consist of the Colombian Army, the Colombian Navy and the Colombian Air Force. The National Police of Co ...
and the
National Police of Colombia
The National Police of Colombia (Spanish: ''Policía Nacional de Colombia'') is the national police force of the Republic of Colombia. Although the National Police is not part of the Military Forces of Colombia (Army, Navy, and Air Force), it ...
is the
Flag of Colombia
The national flag of Colombia symbolises Colombian independence from Spain, gained on 20 July 1810. It is a horizontal tricolor of yellow, blue and red. The yellow stripe takes up a half of the flag and the blue and red take up a quarter of t ...
with the
Coat of arms of Colombia
The coat of arms of Colombia contains a shield with numerous symbols. Perched on top of the shield is an Andean condor holding an olive crown and the condor symbolizing freedom. The national motto, ''Libertad y Orden'' (Spanish for ''Liberty and ...
in the centre inside a circle with a red border, used by all the services. These flags also carry medals and decorations attached to the flag. The MFC and the NPC also uses unit battle colours (brigade-level, regiment-level and battalion-level), that differ accordingly per service. All of them are gold fringed. Uniquely for Colombia, the battle colour tradition is mainly US-influcenced. In addition, the service colour is used as a secondary color, also gold fringed, to denote service affiliation.
The Navy, given the British influence, uses the national flag as a State Colour for ships and commands, and few naval units have a full strand of colours.
Cuba
Cuba's military colours under the
Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces
The Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces ( es, Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias; FAR) are the military forces of Cuba. They include ground forces, naval forces, air and air defence forces, and other paramilitary bodies including the Territorial T ...
tend to follow a mix of the Soviet and US practice, as the
Cuban flag
The national flag of Cuba ( es, link=yes, Bandera de Cuba) consists of five alternating stripes (three blue and two white) and a red equilateral triangle at the hoist, within which is a white five-pointed star. It was designed in 1849 and offici ...
is treated as a National Colour.
* Regiments/Wings: bicolour vertical flag with a white field in the centre with the
Coat of Arms of Cuba
The Cuban coat of arms is the official heraldic symbol of Cuba. It consists of a shield, in front of a fasces crowned by the Phrygian cap, all supported by an oak branch on one side and a laurel wreath on the other. The coat of arms was create ...
and the service or branch colour at the sides
* Infantry Divisions of the Revolutionary Army, Territorial Troops Militias, Youth Labour Army and Camilio Cienfuegos Military Schools System: Red with coat of arms with title on gold or white surrounding
* Armoured Divisions: Black with coat of arms with title on white
* Air Force Brigades: Blue with coat of arms with title on white surrounding
* Antonio Maceo Military College and Jose Maceo Military College: Red and Black with coat of arms
* Naval Academy: White with two blue stripes
Honduran Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of Honduras ( es, Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras), consists of the Honduran Army, Honduran Navy and Honduran Air Force.
History Pre-1979
The Armed Forces of Honduras were created through article 44, subsection 4 of the First Const ...
heavily follow US models, as the Honduran flag is treated as a National Colour.
Mexico
The
Mexican Armed Forces
The Mexican Armed Forces ( es, Fuerzas Armadas de México) are the military forces of the United Mexican States. The Spanish crown established a standing military in colonial Mexico in the eighteenth century. After Mexican independence in 1821, ...
use the
Flag of Mexico
The national flag of Mexico ( es, Bandera de México) is a vertical tricolor of green, white, and red with the national coat of arms charged in the center of the white stripe. While the meaning of the colors has changed over time, these thre ...
as the National Colour, with the unit inscription below the Coat of arms of Mexico and the official name of the country (''Estados Unidos Mexicanos'', "United Mexican States") above it. It is the standard design for infantry units and other general services. The same design is used as the National Standard of all Mexican Army cavalry and artillery units as well as artillery units of the Mexican Naval Infantry (under the Navy). Colours and standards are both gold fringed, and the lettering is also in gold.
As a uniformed federal force, the National Guard's units are entitled to a National Colour or Standard.
Mexican Navy units and the Heroic Military Academy are the only ones entitled to regimental colours. Navy schools carry a white gold fringed colour with the heraldic emblem of the school.
Nicaragua
Nicaragua's military colours under the
Nicaraguan Armed Forces
The Nicaraguan Armed Forces are the military forces of Nicaragua. There are three branches: the Navy, the Army, and Air Force.
History
National Guard, 1925–1979
The long years of strife between the liberal and conservative political faction ...
are heavily following US practice, as the
Nicaraguan flag
The flag of Nicaragua was first adopted on September 4, 1908, but not made official until August 27, 1971. It is based on, and inspired by, the flag of the Federal Republic of Central America and flag of Argentina.
It is one of only three n ...
is treated as a National Colour. The unit colours are in red, with a gold outline of Nicaragua with the service, unit or branch insignia in the centre.
United States
In the
United States military
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
, each branch has its own flag, an organizational colour, sometimes also called a ceremonial flag. Each of these is 4 ft 4 in × 5 ft 6 in, some using 2.5-inch gold fringe during specific instances. The ceremonial flag is paraded with a National Color of equal dimensions in a
colour guard
In military organizations, a colour guard (or color guard) is a detachment of soldiers assigned to the protection of regimental colours and the national flag. This duty is so prestigious that the military colour is generally carried by a young ...
, with gold fringe as necessary. The National Color is never dipped in salute, but remains vertical at all times, while the organizational colours and any guidons are dipped as necessary. When the National Color is not cased, all persons salute the Colors. The
finial
A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...
is a
nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow to ...
or chrome-plated spearhead, though the Navy uses different finials on occasion.
Each service attaches campaign/battle streamers, sometimes known as battle honours, for actions in which the service as a whole has taken part. These can either be war service streamers, which are in the colours of the appropriate
campaign medal
A campaign medal is a military decoration which is awarded to a member of an armed force who serves in a designated military operation or performs duty in a geographical theater. Campaign medals are very similar to service medals but carry a hig ...
and have the name of the campaign embroidered; or
unit citation A unit citation is a formal, honorary mention by high authority of a military unit's specific and outstanding performance, notably in battle.
Similar mentions can also be made for individual soldiers.
Alternatively or concurrently, the unit can be ...
streamers, which have the name of the action embroidered and signify that the unit's performance in a specific action has been worthy of special mention. Units are also permitted to wear streamers of overseas awards they may have been presented with. These streamers are in the colours of the appropriate medal ribbon. The streamers are 3 ft × 2.75 in. The
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
Air Force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
. The
Marine Corps
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
and
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
instead embroider award devices onto streamers to consolidate them, having 62 and 34, respectively.
= United States Army
=
In the Army, most regiments, battalions of regiments, and separate battalions also have a stand of colours. The first is the National Color, which is a version of the
national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...
trimmed with a gold fringe, and is the equivalent of the King's Colour in the British Army. The second is the Organizational Color, which is the equivalent of the regimental colour; this is the same dimensions as the National Color, but is of a single colour representing the branch of the service that the unit is from; each branch also has its own fringe colour, which the Organizational Color is trimmed with. In the centre of the colour, for regiments is the
eagle
Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...
from the Great Seal of the United States, but with the regimental coat of arms in the shield. The eagle has in its beak a scroll bearing the regimental motto, with the crest of the regiment's coat of arms above it and the regiment's name below. Attached to the Organizational Color are the campaign and unit citation streamers awarded to the individual unit – these are equivalent to the battle honours embroidered directly onto the colours of British and Commonwealth units. The Organizational Color was carried in lieu of a National Color until shortly before the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, when the Stars and Stripes became the National Color.. Retrieved 16 August 2006. Civil War era units sometimes carried alternative Organizational Colors based on their home state flags or of other designs.
Brigade, division and corps colours, also gold fringed, are in the facing colour of the service branch, for brigades the colour is of a bicolour design. These colours have the command heraldic arms at the centre.
= United States Marine Corps
=
In the Marine Corps, each battalion-sized unit or larger maintains a set of colours. The organizational colour is identical to the Marine Corps battle colour, except that the scroll has the unit's name instead of "United States Marine Corps". It also bears the streamers authorized to the unit, or scarlet and gold tassels if none are authorized.
Fringe is never used on the national colors when carried by Marine Corps unit. Instead, a red, white, and blue tassel can be used to decorate.
= United States Navy
=
Prior to Executive Order 10812 of 24 April 1959, the United States Navy used the U.S. Naval Infantry Battalion Flag as its unofficial colours. While the Navy uses a number of
maritime flag
A maritime flag is a flag designated for use on ships, boats, and other watercraft. Naval flags are considered important at sea and the rules and regulations for the flying of flags are strictly enforced. The flag flown is related to the country ...
s, such as the
Ensign
An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...
and
Jack of the United States
The jack of the United States, known as the Union Jack, is a maritime flag representing U.S. nationality, flown on the jackstaff in the bow of U.S. vessels that are moored or anchored. The U.S. Navy is a prime user of jacks for its warships ...
, the
Flag of the United States Navy
The flag of the United States Navy consists of the seal of the U.S. Department of the Navy in the center, above a yellow scroll inscribed "United States Navy" in dark blue letters, against a dark blue background.
The flag was officially authori ...
is normally seen only at ceremonies and parades. The display of streamers and fringe is consistent with that of the Marine Corps.
= United States Naval Construction Force
=
When Naval Construction Battalions (Seabees) were first formed in 1942 the Naval Infantry Battalion Flag was mandated by Naval Regulation as the colours of the Naval Construction Force.FLAGS, PENNANTS & CUSTOMS,NTP 13 (B), NAVAL COMPUTER AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMAND, 4401 MASSACHUSETTS AVE., N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C. 20394-5460, section 17.11, p. 17– /ref> Each battalion-sized unit or larger maintains a set of colours. The organizational colours of each unit is identical, excepting that each will have the unit's name and number in white on the flag. The display of streamers authorized to the unit is consistent with that of the Marine Corps.
= Other shore establishment units and commands of the Navy
=
Organizational colours of the US Navy's other shore establishment commands and units and all command formations are in navy blue with the arms of the unit or command, with appropriate displayed streamers attached if authorized.
= United States Air Force
=
United States Air Force, U.S. Air Force (USAF) groups and above have the same National Color as the Army; the Organizational Color is ultramarine blue, with the group's coat of arms beneath the USAF
crest
Crest or CREST may refer to:
Buildings
*The Crest (Huntington, New York), a historic house in Suffolk County, New York
*"The Crest", an alternate name for 63 Wall Street, in Manhattan, New York
*Crest Castle (Château Du Crest), Jussy, Switzerla ...
, which is an eagle on a cloud background. The fringe is in gold. Wing and force colours have their heraldic emblem used instead of the eagle.
This is the same design for Air Force commands and educational institutions but with the eagle replaced by the emblem of the formation.
Uruguay
Aside from the three state colours (the
Flag of Uruguay
The national flag of Uruguay () is one of the three official flags of Uruguay along with the flag of Artigas and the flag of the Treinta y Tres. It has a field of nine equal horizontal stripes alternating white and blue. The canton is white, c ...
, the
Flag of Artigas
The Flag of Artigas is one of the three official flags of Uruguay. Originally the national flag of the Liga Federal between 1815 and 1820, it was then officialized by the Uruguayan state in 1952, nowadays pays homage to José Gervasio Artigas, ...
and the
Flag of the Treinta y Tres
The Flag of the Treinta y Tres is one of the three official flags of Uruguay, along with the National Flag of Uruguay and the Flag of Artigas. Inspired on the flag of the Oriental Province with an added motto it was first used in 1825 in the ...
), the Uruguayan military also has regimental colours that differ per service and unit. The national colours have armed colour guards while the regimental colour has none at all.
Venezuela
In the
National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela
The National Bolivarian Armed Forces ( es, Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana - FANB) of Venezuela are controlled by the Commander-in-Chief (the President) and a civilian Minister of Defense. In addition to the army, navy, and air force the ...
, aside from the
Flag of Venezuela
The current eight stars flag of Venezuela was introduced in 2006. The basic design includes a horizontal tricolour of yellow, blue, and red, dating to the original flag introduced in 1811, in the Venezuelan War of Independence.
Further modificat ...
as the National Colour, there are also Organizational Colours for each of the 6 service branches and the Ministerial Colour of the Ministry of Defence and Unit Colours, which differ per service branch and arm. Every military unit from the Ministry of defence down to all individual units have a stand of colours like in the United Kingdom, but differ from the battalion to the service and the national level. The national flag, until the 1940s, served also as the unit state colour in the same manner as the National Colour of the United States Army and the State/Sovereign's Colour in the Commonwealth of Nations, and was based on the national flag but with the unit inscription replacing the stars in the centre in white lettering. The Venezuelan National Militia is the only service branch that uses a battle colour, similar to the flag of the Cuban July 26 Movement: the colour is red and black with the service name on it in white, and a separate colour is used for the service headquarters at the Montana Barracks in Caracas. Starting from July 2013 onward it was granted permission to use a 4th colour for its battalions: red with the eyes of the late President
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (; 28 July 1954 – 5 March 2013) was a Venezuelan politician who was president of Venezuela from 1999 until his death in 2013, except for a brief period in 2002. Chávez was also leader of the Fifth Republ ...
and the inscription ''Chavez Vive'' (Chavez Lives On) below, topped with a scarlet star.
Since 2014 the National Armed Forces uses two additional colours (the National Militia its 5th and 6th): that of the Supreme Commander's Colour, which is red bearing the portrait of the late President Chávez surrounded by a wreath and the Armed Forces Motto (''Independence and Socialist Fatherland, we will live on and triumph!'') below and the inscription ''Supreme Commander of the Bolivarian Revolution'' (''Comandante Supremo de la Revolución Bolivariana'') and the eight golden stars from the National Flag above it, plus the Memorial Colour of the Liberator and Father of the Nation (introduced in the summer of 2016), which is of the same colour facing but with the wreath containing the portrait of Simon Bolivar, the eight gold stars and his title above and the words ''Freedom, Sovereignty, Independence'' (''Libertad, Soberania e Independencia'') below the title, all in gold.
The colours used on the Unit Colours are as follows:
* Red: Ministry of Defence (formerly grey), Service units, Marine Corps, National Militia, Military Technical Academy, Presidential Honour Guard Brigade, Caracas HQ Battalion of the Ministry of Defence
* Dark blue and red: Venezuelan Army HQ and units directing to Army HQ, Division and Brigade Colours
* Yellow: Infantry, Jungle Infantry, Airborne Units
* Orange: Rangers
* Green: Army Engineers
* Dark blue: Venezuelan Army Special Forces
* Red and Black: Rapid Action (Infantry) Battalions
* Black: Armor
* Burgundy red: Artillery and Air Defence Artillery
* Grey: Logistics, National Armed Forces Communications and Electronics College
* Navy blue: Navy
* Ultramarine blue: Air Force (formerly light green)
* Maroon: National Guard
* Dark blue and white:
Bolivarian Military University of Venezuela
The Bolivarian Military University of Venezuela (in Spanish ''Universidad Militar Bolivariana de Venezuela''. The Military Bolivarian University of Venezuela (UMBV), is a National Experimental University of Venezuela, which operates under the mil ...
,
Military Academy of the Bolivarian Army
The Military Academy of the Bolivarian Army (in Spanish ''Academia Militar del Ejército Bolivariano''), historically known as the Military Academy of Venezuela, is an academy to train members of the officer corps of the National Army of the Boli ...
and Armed Forces Health Sciences Academy
* Light blue and white: Venezuelan Naval Academy
* White: Venezuelan Army military high schools
Asia
Cambodia
In
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
, the Colours of the
Military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
and other uniformed institutions follow British, US, and French practice. It is basically a large version of the Cambodian flag with the unit name below in white in the bottom blue stripe.
People's Republic of China
The
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...
is the overall body for the entire armed forces of the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, and is represented by a single flag, which serves as a ceremonial colour for all regiments and larger formations. This is based on the
national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...
, but has instead of the four smaller gold stars the Chinese characters for the numerals '8' and '1', which stands for the 1 August, which was the date in 1927 that the PLA was founded. When paraded, the flag is fringed with gold, and is mounted on a red and gold pole. However, each branch of the PLA has its own flag, based on the Army Flag, but are not taken out on public parades except with the same gold fringe as the latter:
*Ground forces: This is the Army Flag with the lower 40% coloured green.
*Navy: This is the Army flag except that the lower 40% has three blue and two white horizontal stripes of equal width.
*Air Force: This is the Army Flag with the lower 40% coloured air force blue.
*Rocket Forces: This is the Army Flag with the lower 40% being a gold stripe. Banners of the PLA
Individual unit colours based on the PLA service colour would only come in a test basis beginning 2018, when mobile contingents of units of the Northern Theater Command who took part in the joint military exercise "Vostok 2018" with the
Russian Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (, ), commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military forces of Russia. In terms of active-duty personnel, they are the world's fifth-largest military force, with at least two m ...
carried red colours with the unit name on the white fringe nearest the flagpole. Test battle colours were formerly given out to the
People's Armed Police
)
, abbreviation = PAP ("People's Armed Police") CAPF ("Chinese Armed Police Force"), formerly abbreviated''Wujing'' ( zh , s = 武警 , p = Wǔjǐng , l = Armed Police , labels = no ), or WJ as on vehicle license plates
, patch ...
in recent years before the practice was adopted by the PLA Ground Forces on an experimental period. During the 1 October 2019 civil military parade marking the
70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China
The 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China () was observed with a series of ceremonial events including a grand military parade as its spotlight to celebrate National Day of the People's Republic of China that too ...
, a mobile colour guard unit debuted after many years the garrison colours awarded to every PLA formation and agency, which are red with the formation or agency name in Mandarin Chinese in white or gold lettering (but without the white fringe), with some colours bearing additional inscriptions bearing either battle honours or decorations awarded to the formation or agency concerned.
Republic of China
The
army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
of the
Republic of China
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
(Taiwan) also has a single flag that it uses, which is red, with a banner of the
Blue Sky with a White Sun
The Blue Sky with a White Sun () serves as the design for the party flag and emblem of the Kuomintang, the canton of the flag of the Republic of China, the national emblem of the Republic of China, and as the naval jack of the ROC Navy.
In th ...
in the centre. It has a red flagpole with silver spearhead
finial
A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...
and red tassels immediately underneath. Individual units use a variation of the Army Flag as their own identifying Colour; this features a white strip next to the hoist, which has the unit's name in black characters, as well as a golden fringe (as is the case since 1961 for all units of the
Republic of China Armed Forces
The Republic of China Armed Forces (ROC Armed Forces) are the armed forces of the Republic of China (ROC), once based in mainland China and currently in its remaining jurisdictions which include the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu ...
, but since 1947 were limited only to Army units above the regimental level). The army honour guard colour is in gold with the unit coat of arms in the centre.
The
Republic of China Navy
The Republic of China Navy (ROCN; ), also called the ROC Navy and colloquially the Taiwan Navy, is the maritime branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces (ROCAF).
The service was formerly commonly just called the Chinese Navy during World Wa ...
's colours were red but with the seal of the Navy in a dark blue canton in the centre until the 1980s, the honour guard company's colours only use both dark blue and the Navy seal, which are the same colours used today in other ROCN units.
For the
Republic of China Marine Corps
The Republic of China Marine Corps (ROCMC; ), also known colloquially as the Taiwan Marine Corps, is the amphibious arm of the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) responsible for amphibious combat, counter-landing and reinforcement of the areas under th ...
, its unit battle colours, since 1960, mirrors that of the USMC but since the 1980s the unit name is on the white stripe near the hoist (just as the rest of the armed forces, formerly it was on a scroll similar to the USMC's).
The colours used by the
Republic of China Air Force
The Republic of China Air Force, retroactively known by its historical name the Chinese Air Force and unofficially referred to as the Taiwanese Air Force, is the military aviation branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces, currently based i ...
are in sky blue with the air force seal in the centre (formerly it was red with the sky blue canton featuring the coat of arms, the old design only used today by the honour guard).
Units of the
Republic of China Military Police
The Republic of China Military Police (ROCMP; ) is a military police body under the Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan. Unlike military police in many other countries, the ROCMP is a separate branch of the ROC Armed Forces. ROCMP is res ...
, formerly using a blue colour, now use a brown colour with the ROCMP arms.
Units reporting to the
Ministry of National Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
sport an orange colour with the coast arms of the Ministry in the centre. Garrison colours are in blue with the Kuomintang emblem, a wheat wreath and 3 interlocked circles in yellow, red and blue respectively. Reserve units carry a red colour while the Taiwan Reserve uses a green one.
Only the following military academies sport their colours as the ROCAF colour is used by the
Republic of China Air Force Academy
The Republic of China Air Force Academy (CAFA; ) is the service academy for the air force of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and is located in Gangshan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
Mainland China
The Republic of China Air Force Academ ...
:
*
Republic of China Military Academy
The Republic of China Military Academy () is the service academy for the army of the Republic of China, located in Fengshan District, Kaohsiung. Previously known as the the military academy produced commanders who fought in many of China' ...
*
Republic of China Naval Academy
The Republic of China Naval Academy (CNA; ) is the service academy for the navy of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and is located at Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The academy was originally established as the Chinese Naval Academ ...
In all events whenever the ROCAF is involved, the ROC flag is used as the National colour.
Indonesia
In
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, the Colours of the
Military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
,
Police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...
and other uniformed institutions are known as '. The Panji-panji is carried and escorted by a
Colour guard
In military organizations, a colour guard (or color guard) is a detachment of soldiers assigned to the protection of regimental colours and the national flag. This duty is so prestigious that the military colour is generally carried by a young ...
known as "Pataka", an abbreviation from ''Pasukan Tanda Kehormatan'' in
Indonesian
Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to:
* Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia
** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago
** Indonesian ...
.
= National Colour and Service Colours
=
During graduation and passing out parades, whenever the enlistment or commissioning pledge is taken, the
flag of Indonesia
The Flag of Indonesia is a simple bicolor with two horizontal bands, red (top) and white (bottom) with an overall ratio of 2:3. It was introduced and hoisted in public during the proclamation of independence on 17 August 1945 at 56 Proklamasi ...
is used as a national colour.
Mostly seen in parades are the service colours of the Indonesian National Armed Forces or TNI, the
Indonesian National Police
''
, mottotranslated = (Serving the Nation)
, formed =
, preceding1 =
, dissolved =
, superseding =
, employees = 440,000 (2020)
, volunteers =
, budget =
, nongovernment ...
and the Municipal Police Units (known as the ). Within the TNI, service colours exist for all three service branches. means the military/service colours in
Indonesian
Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to:
* Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia
** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago
** Indonesian ...
.
* Indonesian National Armed Forces Tri-Service Colour: Red with coat of arms on the observe and the national coat of arms on the reverse
*
Indonesian Army
The Indonesian Army ( id, Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Darat (TNI-AD), ) is the land branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It has an estimated strength of 300,000 active personnel. The history of the Indonesian Army has its ...
Colour: Green with coat of arms on the obverse
*
Indonesian Navy
The Indonesian Navy ( id, Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Laut, , Indonesian National Military-Naval Force, TNI-AL) is the naval branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It was founded on 10 September 1945 and has a role to patrol I ...
Colour: Dark blue with coat of arms on the obverse
*
Indonesian Air Force
The Indonesian Air Force ( id, Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU), literally "''Indonesian National Military-Air Force''") sometimes shortened as IDAF / IdAF, is the aerial branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The ...
Colour: Sky blue with coat of arms on the obverse
Non-military:
*
Indonesian National Police
''
, mottotranslated = (Serving the Nation)
, formed =
, preceding1 =
, dissolved =
, superseding =
, employees = 440,000 (2020)
, volunteers =
, budget =
, nongovernment ...
Colour: Black and the national coat of arms on the reverse
*
Municipal Police
Municipal police, city police, or local police are law enforcement agencies that are under the control of local government. This includes the municipal government, where it is the smallest administrative subdivision. They receive funding ...
Colour: Dark blue
= Colours of commands and below
=
and are terms used to identify colours below the command or service specialty level within the Armed Forces, National Police and Municipal Police. The former are for battalion/squadron level units and military territorial commands or equivalents, the latter for brigades/regiments, divisions/regional commands and service specialty and operational commands. They share a common design: the unit heraldic arms is featured in the observe while the emblem of its reporting formation is featured in the reverse side. All colours are gold fringed and carry a Garuda finial based on the national arms.
Within the TNI,
Police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...
and
Municipal Police
Municipal police, city police, or local police are law enforcement agencies that are under the control of local government. This includes the municipal government, where it is the smallest administrative subdivision. They receive funding ...
, the speciality colours are:
* Green:
Infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
, Army Corps of Engineers, Regional Military Commands, Operational and Administrative Commands, Agencies and Departments
* Red: Army Strategic Reserve Command, Army Special Force battalions and brigades, Reserve Component
* Black: Armor and Cavalry,
Air Force Infantry
Air force ground forces and special forces are ground forces, and may include special operations units that are part of a nation's air force. Airmen assigned to such units may be trained, armed and equipped for ground combat and special operati ...
, Raider Infantry (Airborne and Mechanized units inclusive), Municipal Police, Police
* Brown : Artillery and Air defence Artillery,
Indonesian Military Academy
The Military Academy ( id, Akademi Militer or ) is a service academy of the Indonesian Army, part of the Indonesian National Armed Forces Academy (). Founded on the early stages of the Indonesian Revolutionary War and located in the city of Mage ...
* Gray: Logistics and Transportation, Military Police, Army Services
* Navy blue: Navy
* Ultramarine blue: Air Force
* Maroon: Mobile Brigade Corps (Police)
* Magenta:
Marine Corps
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
* Violet: Army Aviation Command
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
The
Korean People's Army
The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) is the military force of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). Under the ''Songun'' policy, it is the central institution of North Korean society. Currently, WPK General Sec ...
is the overall body for the entire armed forces of the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and ...
. Until 1993 the KPA was represented by a single flag, which served as a ceremonial colour for all regiments, educational institutions and larger formations. The colour is on the basis of the
national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...
but with the
national emblem
A national emblem is an emblem or seal that is reserved for use by a nation state or multi-national state as a symbol of that nation. Many nations have a seal or emblem in addition to a national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents ...
replacing the star and on parades the colours were surrounded by gold fringe. The gold lettering in Hangul was until 1992 "For the unification and independence of the motherland and the people" (), replaced by the current motto "For the unification and independence of the motherland, and the freedom and happiness of the people" ().
In 1993, as part of the 40th anniversary of the conclusion of the Korean War and the 45th since the founding of the DPRK, the old colour was replaced by the designs currently seen today in major holiday parades. All the colours share the same reverse with the emblem of the
Workers' Party of Korea
The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) is the founding and sole ruling party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea. Founded in 1949 from the merger of the Workers' Party of North Korea and the Workers' Party of ...
in gold and, save for the Worker-Peasant Red Guards, have identical gold letting in Hangul which states "Revolutionary armed forces of the Workers' Party of Korea, Korean People's Army nit name/ No.425 unit (in ceremonies)" (), the 425 number honouring the date (25 April) of the 1932 foundation of the People's Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Army, whose lineage is continued by the current service, but with the same colours as in the observe, which also shows the 4.25 mark in gold numbering. The
Guards unit
Guards units (russian: Гвардия, translit=Gvardiya) were elite units and formations in the Soviet Armed Forces that continue to exist in the Russian Armed Forces and other post-Soviet states. These units were awarded Guards status after di ...
s also have its badge beneath the 4.25 mark. These colours are in gold fringe when brought out in public parades in
Pyongyang
Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...
, the national capital, and during state visits by the honour guards of the Supreme Guard Command, which is an inter-service formation unlike the rest of the command whose personnel are drawn from the Ground Forces. The 1948 and 1992 design colours, since the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the conclusion of the Korean War in 2013, have been brought out only by guards units and KPA battalions sporting historical dress uniforms of the 1940s and early 1950s, the 1992 colours have a gold Guards Badge outline in the reverse to denote Guards status of the unit's colour while the colours only use the 1948 arms and motto instead of the current one.
* Ground Forces 1993–97 and 2012–present (also used as unofficial flag of the entire KPA): Colour in national flag colours but with KPA emblem in gold (sheaves of wheat and a stylized dam with a red star surrounded by a gold circle with wreath below) and gold Hangul motto in the obverse
** Ground Forces 1997–2011 (also used as unofficial flag of the entire KPA): Colour in national flag colours but with KPA emblem in gold and gold Hangul motto on the top and bottom blue stripes reading "Let us defend the headquarters of the revolution headed by the great Comrade Kim Jong Il with our lives!" () with the name of Kim Jong Il slightly enlarged, gold motto also used in the flags of the other branches
* Air Force 1993–present: Emblem of KPA with wings (emblem updated in 2012), top large half in air force blue and small bottom half dark blue, with 6 alternating stripes (3 dark blue, 3 air force blue) below the emblem, formerly gold wings and a gold star above the emblem
* Navy 1993–present: Emblem of KPA with gold four anchor above, bicolour of white and navy blue with 5 alternating stripes between the large stripes (3 dark blue, 2 white)
* Strategic Forces (present colour): Green with emblem of the KPA and a larger wreath above a stylized top of a globe, with light yellow stripes below the globe
* Special Operations Forces: Dark Blue with emblem of the KPA and a larger wreath, with the
Big Dipper
The Big Dipper ( US, Canada) or the Plough ( UK, Ireland) is a large asterism consisting of seven bright stars of the constellation Ursa Major; six of them are of second magnitude and one, Megrez (δ), of third magnitude. Four define a "bowl" ...
below the 4.25 mark
* Revolutionary military schools: Red with KPA emblem and Hangul motto in gold lettering above and below
* Worker-Peasant Red Guards: Red with service emblem (red star and gold wreath) in the centre and the Hangul motto in gold above and below the emblem in the observe, and name of the service in Hangul below the WPK emblem in the reverse, from 1997 to 2011 the gold Hangul motto read "Let's us defend the leadership of the revolution led by Comrade Kim Jong Il with our lives!"
Republic of Korea
The traditions of military unit and branch colours of the
Republic of Korea Armed Forces
The Republic of Korea Armed Forces (), also known as the ROK Armed Forces, are the armed forces of South Korea. The ROK Armed Forces is one of the largest and most powerful standing armed forces in the world with a reported personnel strength of ...
are mostly derived from the Western practice with the
Flag of South Korea
The national flag of South Korea, also known as the Taegukgi (also spelled as ''Taegeukgi'', ) and colloquially known as the flag of Korea, has three parts: a white rectangular background, a red and blue Taegeuk in its center, accompanied by fo ...
treated as a National Colour.
Today each of the ROKAF's service branches have branch regimental colours, all gold fringed, which are carried by colour guards following a mix of Western traditions. The colours are as follows:
* Army: Blue and white with service emblem
* Navy: Blue with white canton (
taegeuk
''Taegeuk'' (, ) is a Korean term cognate with the Chinese term '' Taiji'' ( Wade-Giles spelling: ''T'ai-chi''), meaning "supreme ultimate", although it can also be translated as "great polarity / duality". The symbol was chosen for the desig ...
with crossed anchors)
** Marine Corps: Scarlet with service emblem
* Air Force: Air force/sky blue with gold service emblem
In major holiday parades two additional colours are paraded as part of the national colour guard.
* Honorary Colour of the Armed Forces and Ministry of National Defence: Red with armed forces emblem
* Colour of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the MND and ROKAF: Purple
Unit and specialty colours follow a mix of the Western models with influences from the Western model, sharing since the 1990s a common design with the unit name in Hangul below the emblem (in the Navy, the unit/command name is on a white scroll below following US precedence).
* Colours of units under the ROK Army
** Regimental, brigade, division and corps colours: Army Colour with unit DUI/emblem replacing the service arms
** Infantry: Blue
** Armour: Yellow
** Artillery and Missile Command: Burgundy red
** Air defence artillery: Green
** Engineers: Light blue
** Special operations: Black
** Logistics and service support: White/Orange
** Reserve units: Dark blue
** Army aviation: Blue
* Colours of units under the ROK Navy
** Fleet forces and other commands: Navy blue
** Marine Corps: Scarlet
** Service support: White
** Educational and training institutions: White/Navy blue
* All ROK Air Force formations: Sky blue
In addition, the traditional guard unit under the 3rd Infantry Division of the ROKA carries replica colours similar to those used during the Imperial era, that was used by Sumunjang or royal palace guards with its traditional military band,
Daechwita
Daechwita () is a genre of Korean traditional music consisting of military music played by wind and percussion instruments, generally performed while marching or as a static performance.
Instrumentation
Instruments used include ''nabal'' (b ...
. They are only brought out during state visits to the republic and on major holidays.
Laos
In
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
, the Colours of the
Military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
and other uniformed institutions follow North Korean practice. It is basically a large version of the
Laotian flag
The flag of Laos ( Lao: ທຸງຊາດລາວ; ''thungsad Lāo'') consists of three horizontal stripes, with the middle stripe in blue being twice the height of the top and bottom red stripes. In the middle is a white disc, the diameter o ...
with the unit name below in white in the top and bottom red stripe.
Philippines
Philippine military colours are the
Flag of the Philippines
The national flag of the Philippines ( tgl, Pambansang watawat ng Pilipinas; ilo, Nailian a bandera ti Filipinas; ceb, Nasudnong bandila ng Pilipinas; es, Bandera Nacional de Filipinas) is a horizontal List of flags by design#Bicolour, bicol ...
as the National Colour, the Organizational Colours, and the Unit Battle Colour. The Flag of the Philippines is the National Colour of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The P ...
, but unlike the US colour has no markings on the flag. The Organizational Colours are the flags of the AFP's four Major Service Commands while the Unit Battle Colour differs per service arm and unit. Like the US, it also has 2nd order guidons for companies and troops, but these are also based on the Spanish military guidons and banners, not on the American ones, reflecting the long history of the military establishment here. These guidons are therefore not swallow tailed save for the PMA, the Philippine Army's Escort and Security Btn and some other units under the Philippine Army.
The color facings of the Organizational Colours are:
* Army: Green
* Navy: Ultramarine blue
* Air Force: Air Force Blue
* AFP GHQ: Air force blue, dark blue and green
Thailand
Each unit of the
Royal Thai Armed Forces
The Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) ( th, กองทัพไทย; ) are the armed forces of the Kingdom of Thailand.
The nominal head of the Thai Armed Forces (จอมทัพไทย; ) is the King of Thailand. The armed forces are ...
is given a colour called the ''"Thong Chai Chalermphol"'' ( th, ธงชัยเฉลิมพล) or Victory Colours. These are presented to each unit personally by the
King of Thailand
The monarchy of Thailand (whose monarch is referred to as the king of Thailand; th, พระมหากษัตริย์ไทย, or historically, king of Siam; th, พระมหากษัตริย์สยาม) refers to the c ...
. The colours are divided into four different designs, for:
Royal Thai Army
The Royal Thai Army or RTA ( th, กองทัพบกไทย; ) is the army of Thailand and the oldest and largest branch of the Royal Thai Armed Forces.
History
Origin
The Royal Thai Army is responsible for protecting the kingdom's so ...
,
Royal Thai Navy
The Royal Thai Navy ( Abrv: RTN, ทร.; th, กองทัพเรือไทย, ) is the naval warfare force of Thailand. Established in 1906, it was modernised by the Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse (1880–1923) who is known a ...
,
Royal Thai Air Force
"Royal Thai Air Force March"
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 9 April 1937 (Royal Thai Air Force Day)
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles ...
and
King's Guard
The King's Guard and King's Life Guard (called the Queen's Guard and the Queen's Life Guard when the reigning monarch is female) are the contingents of infantry and cavalry soldiers charged with guarding the official royal residences in the ...
units. Colours of the Navy carry no fringe, the rest have gold fringe. All carry the reigning monarch's cypher on the top right corner near the hoist.
Before their presentation, the colours are ceremonially blessed in a religious ceremony attended by Buddhist monks and other high ranking dignitaries inside the
Temple of the Emerald Buddha
Wat Phra Kaew ( th, วัดพระแก้ว, , ), commonly known in English as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and officially as Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram, is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. The complex co ...
in
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
. During the ceremony amidst the chanting of the monks, the King will personally hammer the brass nails into the staff of each colour using a silver hammer. Each colour contains about 32–35 nails, in which the cloth is attached to the wooden staff. Within the same ceremony, the King will also take a strand of his own hair and conceal it within a compartment at the top of the staff, which is closed by a round silver screw top. The King will also attach each colour with its own ceremonial Buddha image, and bless each colour with holy water. The ceremony is steeped in Buddhist and Brahmic heritage; it symbolizes and cements the King's role as Chief
Kshatriya
Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...
(กษัตริย์) or Warrior ruler of his realm. It also emphasizes his constitutional role as Head and Chief of the Thai Armed Forces (จอมทัพไทย: Chomthap Thai).
These colours are similar to the
Flag of Thailand
, RTGS: ''thong trai rong''), 'Tricolour flag'
, Morenicks =
, Use = 111110
, Symbol =
, Proportion = 2:3
, Adoption = 28 September 1917 (standardized on 30 September 2017)
, Design = Five horizontal stripes of red, ...
and therefore are treated like the State Colours of the Commonwealth, but are not lowered to the ground but kept above it to the tune of
Sansoen Phra Barami
"Sansoen Phra Barami" ( th, สรรเสริญพระบารมี, ; ) is the current royal anthem of Thailand. It was a de facto national anthem of Siam before 1932.
History
The first song to be used as royal anthem and de facto ...
(the Royal Anthem) when salutes are rendered by these Colours to the Thai Royal Family (most especially the King and Queen) in all military events that they attend.
Vietnam
Similar to Chinese practice, the
Flag of Vietnam
The flag of Vietnam, officially the National Flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (), or (), also (), was designed in 1940 and used during an uprising against the French in southern Vietnam that year. The red background symbolizes revolut ...
is used as a National Colour by all formations of battalion level above within the
People's Army of Vietnam
The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; vi, Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam, QĐNDVN), also recognized as the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) or the Vietnamese Army (), is the military force of the Vietnam, Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the ...
. It is fringed in gold, and when used in ceremonies, often has the gold motto ("determination to win") at the top right corner of the colour near the hoist, with any decorations and/or medals attached to it.
Commonwealth of Nations
The colours of the infantry and standards of the cavalry are a set of large flags, unique to each regiment, that the ordinary soldier would be able to identify straight away.
United Kingdom
=Line infantry and foot guards
=
In regiments of
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
and the armies of other Commonwealth countries, each
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
carries two colours, which collectively are called a stand. These are large flags, usually , and mounted on a
half pike
A spontoon, sometimes known by the variant spelling espontoon or as a half-pike, is a type of European polearm that came into being alongside the pike. The spontoon was in common use from the mid-17th century to the early 19th century, but it was ...
which is long; the king's/queen's colour is usually a version of the country's
national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...
, often trimmed with
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
fabric, and with the regiment's
insignia
An insignia () is a sign or mark distinguishing a group, grade, rank, or function. It can be a symbol of personal power or that of an official group or governing body.
On its own, an insignia is a sign of a specific or general authority and is ...
placed in the centre. The regimental colour is a flag of a single colour, usually the colour of the uniform facings (collar/lapels and cuffs) of the regiment, again often trimmed and with the insignia in the centre. Most regiments that are designated as 'royal' regiments (that is either have the word 'Royal' or the sponsorship of a royal personage in their name) have a
royal blue
Royal blue is a deep and vivid shade of blue. It is said to have been created by clothiers in Rode, Somerset, a consortium of whom won a competition to make a dress for Queen Charlotte, consort of King George III.
Brightness
The ''Oxford E ...
regimental colour, most royal regiments have a Union Flag canton in that background. Irish regiments, today the Royal Irish Regiment, have a dark green regimental colour.
The colours of the five regiments of Foot Guards have the pattern of the
line infantry
Line infantry was the type of infantry that composed the basis of European land armies from the late 17th century to the mid-19th century. Maurice of Nassau and Gustavus Adolphus are generally regarded as its pioneers, while Turenne and Monte ...
reversed, with the king's colour of each of the 1st Battalions being crimson with the regimental insignia, a royal crown and honours and the regimental colour a variation of the Union Flag with the
battle honours
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In European military t ...
embroidered. The king's colours of any additional battalions from these regiments (currently held by the four incremental companies from four out of the six regiments) feature a Union Flag canton at the top corner.
=Additional colours
=
*The Grenadier, Coldstream and Scots Guards each have at least one state colour; this is usually crimson with various regimental devices and honours, and the royal cypher at the corners of it. They are only used by
guards of honour
Guard or guards may refer to:
Professional occupations
* Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault
* Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street
* Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning
* Prison gu ...
from any unit from these regiments, not found by the King’s Guard, mounted on state occasions when the King is present. They are only lowered to the King and the Queen Consort and on state occasions only when the king is present, even if the guard of honour is mounted in honour of some other personage. The colour design is larger than the normal colours of the Guards Division used in ceremonies.
* The 1st Battalion, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, as the lineal descendant, bears the Third Colour initially born by the 2nd Regiment of Foot, later renamed the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) which, for one reason or another, was never taken away from the regiment in the 18th century when new regulations on colours were implemented.
* The 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers bears the Drummer's Colour awarded after the
Battle of Wilhelmsthal
The Battle of Wilhelmsthal (sometimes written as the Battle of Wilhelmstadt) was fought on 24 June 1762 during the Seven Years' War between the allied forces of Britain, Prussia, Hanover, Brunswick and Hesse under the command of the Duke of ...
to the 5th Regiment of Foot, (later The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers) of which it is the direct descendant.
* The 3rd Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Duke of Wellington's), as the linear descendant, carries the honorary King’s and Regimental Colours that were given to the 76th Regiment of Foot by the
Honourable East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
following their actions at
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
Battle of Assaye
The Battle of Assaye was a major battle of the Second Anglo-Maratha War fought between the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company. It occurred on 23 September 1803 near Assaye in western India. An outnumbered Indian and British forc ...
, which is paraded every year on Assaye Day.
* The
Honourable Artillery Company
The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is a reserve regiment in the British Army. Incorporated by royal charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII, it is the oldest regiment in the British Army and is considered the second-oldest military unit in the w ...
has both a stand of colours (king's and regimental) and guns. The latter are also regarded as colours and accorded the same compliments just as the
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
regard their guns as their colours.
=Rifle regiments
=
By tradition,
rifle regiments
A rifle regiment is a military unit consisting of a regiment of infantry troops armed with rifles and known as riflemen. While all infantry units in modern armies are typically armed with rifled weapons the term is still used to denote regiments t ...
do not carry colours; this goes back to their formation, when they were used as skirmishers and sharpshooters. While individual units may have had banners or pennants to distinguish themselves from other units, regiments as a whole never needed a full stand of colours. Today, the two rifle regiments in the British Army,
The Rifles
The Rifles is an infantry regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of four Regular battalions and three Reserve battalions, plus a number of companies in other Army Reserve battalions. Each battalion of The Rifles was formerly ...
and the
Royal Gurkha Rifles
The Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR) is a rifle regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. Unlike other regiments in the British Army, RGR soldiers are recruited from Nepal, which is neither a dependent territory of the Unite ...
carry their battle honours on their
drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...
s, while the Royal Green Jackets also had theirs inscribed on their
cap badge
A cap badge, also known as head badge or hat badge, is a badge worn on uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearer's nationality and/or organisation. The wearing of cap badges is a convention commonly found among military and police forces, as w ...
; this tradition is maintained by The Rifles, who wear the Maltese Cross badge of the Royal Green Jackets, inscribed with the regimental honours, as the belt badge. In place of a regimental colour, the Gurkhas carry the
King's Truncheon
The King's Truncheon is a ceremonial staff carried by the Royal Gurkha Rifles that serves as the equivalent of and is carried as the Colour. It is made of bronze and silver. The top represents the minaret of Delhi Palace with three Gurkhas standin ...
awarded in 1863.
The
Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment
The Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (SLSR) ( Sinhala: ශ්රී ලංකා සිංහ රෙජිමේන්තුව ''Śrī Laṃkā Sinha Rejimēnthuva'') is an infantry regiment of the Sri Lanka Army; it is the second oldest infantry ...
was the first modern non-British regiment to receive Truncheons when they were awarded to that unit in 2017. Formerly, the Malaysian Army
Royal Ranger Regiment
The Royal Ranger Regiment ( ms, Rejimen Renjer Diraja; RRD) is an infantry regiment of the Malaysian Army. Although it is second in seniority to the Royal Malay Regiment (''; RAMD''), the RRD can trace its origins back to the mid 19th century an ...
was granted a regimental truncheon in 1966.
In
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, colours or banners are given instead of truncheons, following Russian practice, to all the rifle and scout infantry regiments by the
President of India
The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murmu ...
.
=Colours in the cavalry regiments
=
In the British Army's cavalry units, the king's cavalry standard and the regimental standard (for the heavy cavalry) and the king's cavalry guidons and regimental guidons (for the light cavalry) are the equivalents to the line infantry colours. The king's standard is crimson with the royal coat of arms and cypher, plus the regimental honours, while the regimental (squadron/union) standard has an adaptable background colour per unit (the colour is sometimes scarlet) and includes sometimes the Union Badge below the crown and the royal cypher at the sides of the badge, with the unit honours below. The light cavalry guidon is swallow-tailed and includes the regimental coat of arms and honours. Before the 1950s, however,
Timpani
Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionall ...
in the drumhorses (and later snare, bass and tenor drums in the dismounted bands) carried the regimental honours and insignia of the light cavalry regiments. For dragoon guards regiments, the sequence is mixed, since these regiments have a king's cavalry standard and regimental guidons.
The Household Cavalry has the following unique colours:
* The Life Guards: King's cavalry standard only
* The Blues and Royals: King's cavalry standard, regimental guidon
=Embellishments
=
Woven onto the colours are
battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In European military t ...
s; the king's colour has honours from the First World War and Second World War, while the regimental colour has honours from other campaigns. The regimental colour can also have other distinctions, including antecedent emblems and unique honours; one significant example is the
Sphinx
A sphinx ( , grc, σφίγξ , Boeotian: , plural sphinxes or sphinges) is a mythical creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of a falcon.
In Greek tradition, the sphinx has the head of a woman, the haunches of ...
emblem carried by regiments who took part in the Egypt campaign of 1801. If the regiment has more than a single battalion, then there are identifying marks on the colours to show which battalion they belong to.
There are various other embellishments that can be added to the colours on various occasions:
*On anniversaries of various battle honours, and certain other events, a laurel wreath is added to the top of the pike.
*Battle honour equivalents awarded by foreign countries may be added to the colours, subject to permission being given by the
head of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...
3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
The 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) is a mechanised infantry battalion of the Australian Army, based in Kapyong Lines, Townsville as part of the 3rd Brigade. 3 RAR traces its lineage to 1945 and has seen operational serv ...
**
6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6 RAR) is a mechanised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in Brisbane, Queensland, on 6 June 1965 and has since then served in a number of overseas deployments and conf ...
Royal Marines
The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
, and the 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, were also awarded the PUC and permitted to display the streamer of their regimental colours.
Because of their importance to the regiment, prior to a new stand of colours being presented, they are
consecrated
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...
.
=Royal Hospital, Chelsea
=
The
Royal Hospital, Chelsea
The Royal Hospital Chelsea is a retirement home and nursing home for some 300 veterans of the British Army. Founded as an almshouse, the ancient sense of the word "hospital", it is a site located on Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea. It is an ...
had neither colours nor other distinctive device during its entire history, until 2002 when Queen
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
presented the hospital with the Sovereign's Mace. This is now paraded by a party of in-pensioners at all of the Royal Hospital's ceremonial events.
=Royal Marines
=
The
Corps of Royal Marines
The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marines ...
has a single pattern king's colour, which is the Union Flag with the foul anchor and the reigning sovereign's cypher interlaced in the centre. Above is a scroll with the single battle honour Gibraltar surmounted by
St Edward's Crown
St Edward's Crown is the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Named after Saint Edward the Confessor, versions of it have traditionally been used to crown English and British monarchs at their coronations since the 13th cen ...
. Below is the globe (which represents the many battle honours the Royal Marines had earned) surrounded by a laurel wreath (which represents the Battle of Belle Isle) and below this is a scroll with the corps' motto. Each of the four commandos (the battalion-sized formations that make up the bulk of the corps) has a King’s colour, with the only difference being the colour of the cords and tassels. Each commando also has its own regimental colour. The regimental colour is a dark blue flag (because the corps is classed as a 'royal regiment') with a small Union Flag at the pike head. The colour carries similar central embellishments as the king's colour, with the exception that the cypher of George IV replaces that of the reigning monarch and the unit numeral is below. The royal cypher is at the other corners. The regimental colours also have the coloured cords and tassels, which are gold combined with the following colours:
* 40 Commando: Light blue
*
42 Commando
42 Commando (42 Cdo) (pronounced as Four-Two Commando) is a subordinate unit within the Royal Marines 3 Commando Brigade. Based at Bickleigh Barracks near Plymouth, personnel regularly deploy outside the United Kingdom on operations or training. ...
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, and was thus permitted to carry the streamer on its Regimental Colour.
=The Royal Navy
=
The colours of His Majesty's ships in the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
consist of:
* a
White Ensign
The White Ensign, at one time called the St George's Ensign due to the simultaneous existence of a cross-less version of the flag, is an ensign worn on British Royal Navy ships and shore establishments. It consists of a red St George's Cross on ...
(worn at the stern, or from the gaff or main yardarm when at sea);
* a
Union Jack
The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...
(worn at the ship's jackstaff at the bow when not underway or when the ship is dressed);
* a
Masthead pennant
The commissioning pennant (or masthead pennant) is a pennant (also spelled "pendant") flown from the masthead of a warship. The history of flying a commissioning pennant dates back to the days of chivalry with their trail pendants being flown fr ...
(worn at the masthead, except when displaced by an
admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
's flag or
commodore
Commodore may refer to:
Ranks
* Commodore (rank), a naval rank
** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom
** Commodore (United States)
** Commodore (Canada)
** Commodore (Finland)
** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore''
* Air commodore ...
's broad pennant).
In addition, each principal command in the Royal Navy also has its own king's colour which is a variation of the
White Ensign
The White Ensign, at one time called the St George's Ensign due to the simultaneous existence of a cross-less version of the flag, is an ensign worn on British Royal Navy ships and shore establishments. It consists of a red St George's Cross on ...
, with its dimensions altered to mirror those of the colours of infantry regiments. In the centre is the royal cypher of the reigning monarch within the
Garter
A garter is an article of clothing comprising a narrow band of fabric fastened about the leg to keep up stockings. In the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, they were tied just below the knee, where the leg is most slender, to keep the stocking ...
, surmounted by the
crown
A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
.
Unlike the colours of regiments in the Army, every king's colour of the Royal Navy is identical. The following units hold a king's colour of the Royal Navy:
* Naval Aviation Command (ACOS(AV), HMS ''Heron'')
* Submarine Command (CAPTFASFLOT, HMS ''Neptune'')
* Fleet ( CINCFLEET HQ)
*
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), commonly known as Dartmouth, is the naval academy of the United Kingdom and the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy. It is located on a hill overlooking the port of Dartmouth, Devon, En ...
* Surface Flotilla (MWS, )
*
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original Ro ...
(COMMARRES, )
The
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by ...
also holds a king's colour, unique for a civilian organisation. It is a variation of the RFA's
Blue Ensign
The Blue Ensign is a flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated or formerly associated with the United Kingdom. It is used either plain or Defacement (flag), defaced with a Heraldic badge, ...
, with the dimensions altered to mirror the Royal Navy King’s Colour. It has the same royal cypher in the centre.
=The Royal Air Force
=
RAF colours are made of sky blue silk and measure approximately 36" × 36". The following colours have been awarded:
* RAF College, Cranwell, approved 27 December 1947, presented 6 July 1948.
*The RAF in the UK, approved 27 December 1947, presented, 16 May 1951.
* No. 1 School of Technical Training RAF, approved 27 December 1947, presented 25 July 1952.
* RAF Regiment, presented 17 March 1953.
*Near East Air Force, presented 14 October 1960, laid up 31 May 1976.
* Far East Air Force, presented 13 July 1961, laid up 30 January 1972.
*
Central Flying School
The Central Flying School (CFS) is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 at the Upavon Aerodrome, it is the longest existing flying training school. The school was based at ...
, presented 26 June 1969.
*
RAF Germany
The former Royal Air Force Germany (RAFG) was a command of the Royal Air Force and part of British Forces Germany. It consisted of units located in Germany, initially as part of the occupation following the Second World War, and later as part o ...
, presented 16 September 1970, laid up 27 June 1993.
* Royal Auxiliary Air Force, presented 12 June 1989.
* RAF Halton, presented 31 October 1997.
*
Royal Air Force Regiment
The Royal Air Force Regiment (RAF Regiment) is part of the Royal Air Force and functions as a specialist corps. Founded by royal warrant in 1942, the Corps carries out soldiering tasks relating to the delivery of air power. Examples of such t ...
, presented July 2017.
The king's colour for the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
in the United Kingdom is a variation of the
RAF Ensign
The Royal Air Force Ensign is the official flag which is used to represent the Royal Air Force. The ensign has a field of air force blue with the United Kingdom's flag in the canton and the Royal Air Force's roundel in the middle of the fl ...
with its dimensions altered. The RAF Roundel is moved to the lower fly, with its place in the centre again taken by the royal cypher surmounted by the crown. Other colours feature the unit's badge in the centre with the royal cypher and crown in the first quarter.
The RAF's squadron standards are its counterpart to the regimental colours. They are in air force blue surrounded by a gold fringe, with the squadron insignia and honours.
Australia, Canada and New Zealand
The naval and air forces of all three of these countries also have similar colours based on their own ensigns. Rules stipulated by the Canadian
Department of Defence Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to:
Current departments of defence
* Department of Defence (Australia)
* Department of National Defence (Canada)
* Department of Defence (Ireland)
* Department of National Defense (Philipp ...
state that the First, or Senior Colours symbolizes the unit's loyalty to
the Crown
The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...
; authorization to possess a king's colour may only be granted, and the colour presented, by the monarch or his vice-regal representative. The design based on the
flag of Canada
The national flag of Canada (french: le Drapeau national du Canada), often simply referred to as the Canadian flag or, unofficially, as the Maple Leaf or ' (; ), consists of a red field with a white square at its centre in the ratio of , in ...
reflects the custom established for infantry line regiments in the mid-18th century, when the sovereign's colour was based on the national flag, as was the practice in British and French units in Canada.
=Navy
=
*
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
: The King's Colour of the RAN is the
Australian White Ensign
The Australian White Ensign (also known as the Australian Naval Ensign or the Royal Australian Navy Ensign) is a naval ensign used by ships of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) from 1967 onwards. From the formation of the RAN until 1967, Australi ...
it is a reverse of the
Australian national flag
The flag of Australia, also known as the Australian Blue Ensign, is based on the British Blue Ensign—a blue field with the Union Jack in the upper hoist quarter—augmented with a large white seven-pointed star (the Commonwealth Star) and a r ...
(white with blue stars), with Elizabeth II's royal cypher and Garter band positioned between the Commonwealth Star and the stars representing the Southern Cross. (See former colours at Naval Chapel, Garden Island NSW.) The RAN possesses two colours, the first is the Fleet Colour held on behalf of the fleet units by Fleet Headquarters, . The second, known as the Establishment Colour, is held by on behalf of the shore establishments.
*
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack s ...
: The King's Naval Colour is a variation of the
Canadian Naval Ensign
The Canadian Naval Ensign (french: Pavillon naval canadien) is the flag worn at the stern or (optionally when at sea) at the gaff of His Majesty's Canadian Ships. The ensign is also the flag of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and is used on land in ...
it is white, with the
Canadian flag
The national flag of Canada (french: le Drapeau national du Canada), often simply referred to as the Canadian flag or, unofficially, as the Maple Leaf or ' (; ), consists of a red field with a white square at its centre in the ratio of , in ...
in the canton, the cypher from Elizabeth II's personal flag for the Commonwealth (a crowned "E" surrounded by a wreath of roses) in the centre, and the symbol of the navy in the lower fly. The edge of the colour is trimmed in gold. Until 1979 the RCN possessed two identical colours: one for the Atlantic fleet and one for the Pacific fleet. Since then, a single colour has been held at Naval Service Headquarters.
*
Royal New Zealand Navy
The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN; mi, Te Taua Moana o Aotearoa, , Sea Warriors of New Zealand) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The fleet currently consists of nine ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act ...
: Since 1968 the RNZN King's Colour is a variant of the Naval Ensign of New Zealand itself the Flag of New Zealand but in white, with Elizabeth II's royal cypher and Garter band situated near the Southern Cross.
=Army
=
* Australian infantry battalions formed just prior to or during World War I had a pair (a stand) of colours, being a King's Colour based on the Union Flag and a separate Regimental Colour emblazoned with the battalion number and its colour patch (shoulder badge). Battle honours were also emblazoned on the Regimental Colour. These customs followed the British tradition. Some of those World War I battalions were amalgamated prior to or during World War II. For example, the 57th Battalion amalgamated with the 60th Battalion in 1930, forming the 57th/60th Battalion which saw action in the South West Pacific campaigns during World War II. The 57th/60th Battalion did not have its own colours, but by dint of history inherited both stands of colours from the 57th and the 60th. In accordance with the order of battle the 57th/60th wore the colour patch of the 57th on its uniforms, but they still paraded and presented the colours of both the 57th and the 60th. Queen Elizabeth II gave permission in 1960 for the battle honours from World War II (South-West Pacific 1943–45, Liberation of Australian New Guinea, Commando Road, etc.) to be emblazoned on the Queen’s colours, rather than on the Regimental Colours, which were already emblazoned with honours from World War I (The Somme, Passchendaele, Villers-Bretonneux, Amiens, etc.). A similar situation occurred with the amalgamation in 1942 of the 58th Battalion and the 59th Battalion to form the 58th/59th Battalion, which wore the colour patch of the 58th Battalion on its uniforms but inherited and paraded both stands of colours from the 58th Battalion and 59th Battalion. The 57th/60th Battalion and the 58th/59th Battalion were disbanded soon after World War II and the colours were laid up in the
Shrine of Remembrance
The Shrine of Remembrance (commonly referred to as The Shrine) is a war memorial in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in Kings Domain on St Kilda Road. It was built to honour the men and women of Victoria who served in World War I, but ...
in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
where they are on display in the Crypt. The
Shrine
A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy sacred space, space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor worship, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, Daemon (mythology), daem ...
and other war memorials and churches around
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
display many other stands of battalion colours that have been laid up in their care, such as St Stephens Church,
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
.
* While the colours of the
Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...
infantry regiments follow the British tradition, starting in the 1960s colours based on the
Australian national flag
The flag of Australia, also known as the Australian Blue Ensign, is based on the British Blue Ensign—a blue field with the Union Jack in the upper hoist quarter—augmented with a large white seven-pointed star (the Commonwealth Star) and a r ...
are now used as the king's colour. Armoured units carry Standards and Guidons – flags smaller than Colours and traditionally carried by cavalry, lancer, light horse and mounted infantry units. The 1st Armoured Regiment is the only unit in the Australian Army to carry a Standard, in the tradition of heavy armoured units. Guidons are also carried by aviation units. Only the Royal Australian Artillery uses guns rather than flags as the colours. Non-combat units (combat service support corps) do not have Colours, but have Standards or Banners instead. The
Royal Military College, Duntroon
lit: Learning promotes strength
, established =
, type = Military college
, chancellor =
, head_label = Commandant
, head = Brigadier Ana Duncan
, principal =
, city = Campbell
, state = ...
also has an additional colour, the Sovereign's Banner, carried yearly by the RMC's Champion Company from the Corps of Staff Cadets formed from the best cadet company for the year, which on parades takes precedence over the other companies as the Sovereign's Company. The Army itself since 2001 has a banner known as the Army Banner, carried on all events of the service (as the Army is the protector of the traditions of the Flag of Australia, and thus does not have its own service colour). It is trimmed with gold fringe, has gold and crimson cords and tassels, and is mounted on a pike with the usual British royal crest finial. The Army Banner bears the Australian Coat of Arms on the obverse, with the dates "1901–2001" in gold in the upper hoist. The reverse bears the "rising sun" badge of the Australian Army, flanked by seven campaign honours on small gold-edged scrolls:
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
,
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
,
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
,
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
, Peacekeeping and East Timor. It was presented to the Army in celebration of its 2001 centennial year.
* In the
Canadian Army
The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
,
Royal Canadian Armoured Corps
The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (RCAC; french: links=no, Corps blindé royal canadien) is the armoured corps within the Canadian Army, including 3 Regular and 18 Reserve Force regimentsThe Regiments and Corps of the Canadian Army (Queen's Printe ...
(RCAC) regiments designated horse guards and dragoon guards, along with the
Canadian Special Operations Regiment
The Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR; french: links=no, Régiment d'opérations spéciales du Canada, ROSC) is a Special Forces unit of the Canadian Armed Forces and forms part of the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM ...
, have regimental standards. RCAC standards have a crimson field and the CSOR standard has a tan field. RCAC regiments other than horse guards and dragoon guards have crimson regimental guidons. Each battalion of the
Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
The Royal Canadian Infantry Corps (french: Corps d'infanterie royal canadien) is the infantry corps of the Canadian Army and includes regular and reserve force regiments.
Originally formed as the Canadian Infantry Corps on 2 September 1942 to en ...
, except those of rifle regiments, has a stand of two colours: a king’s colour and a regimental colour. For foot guards, the King’s colours have a crimson field, and the regimental colours are based on the Canadian national flag. For other infantry regiments, the king's colours are based on the national flag, and the regimental colours are of the regimental facing colour. Only the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery uses guns for its colours. The rifle regiments share the traditions of the former British rifle regiments of having their battle honours carried on their drums. The Royal Canadian Engineers do not have colours but have the motto , Latin for 'everywhere', on their cap badges and other insignia to represent their service everywhere.
*Only the
Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment
The Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment is the parent administrative regiment and corps of regular and reserve infantry battalions in the New Zealand Army. It was originally formed in 1947 with a singular Regular regiment and multiple reserve r ...
, the sole infantry regiment of the New Zealand Army, has a stand of colours, with the king's colour now based on the Flag of New Zealand, with the Union Flag canton carrying the regimental insignia, and the regimental colour being royal blue due to its status as a royal regiment. Stands of Colours are present in the regiment's two regular and three reserve battalions. Until 1964, when the New Zealand infantry was reorganized into a single regiment, all the reserve infantry regiments also carried their own colours. The sole armoured regiment,
Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles
Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles (QAMR) is an armoured regiment of the New Zealand Army and forms part of the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps. The regiment was formed in 1864 and is currently an armoured cavalry unit equipped with NZLAV.
Hist ...
, carries a guidon in the traditions of cavalry units raised in New Zealand since the 19th century.
=Air Force
=
*
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
: The king's colour of the RAAF is the
Royal Australian Air Force Ensign
The Royal Australian Air Force Ensign is used by the Royal Australian Air Force and the Australian Air Force Cadets in Australia and overseas. It is based on the Australian national flag, with the field changed to Air Force blue, and the sou ...
. It is similar to that of the RAF – however, in addition to the RAAF roundel, which is in the lower fly, it has the Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist and the stars of the Southern Cross in the upper fly, with the royal cypher in the centre. The flag has a border of golden wattle as well as golden fringe. Squadron and command colours are in air force blue with the honours and the heraldic emblem of the formation.
*
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
: The king's colour of the RCAF is different from that of other Commonwealth air forces in that it is not based on the ensign but instead is similar to the King’s colours of infantry regiments: it is a silk national flag of Canada with a red circlet on the maple leaf inscribed with the name of the command, surrounding the royal cypher, and ensigned with the royal crown. Uniquely among Commonwealth air forces, the RCAF also has a command colour, analogous to an infantry regimental colour. This is light blue with the RCAF badge in the centre and a maple leaf in each corner, stems inward. Squadrons with 25 years or more of active service receive squadron standards with battle honours surrounding the unit badge on the same light blue background edged with flowers (the ten provincial floral emblems).
Sri Lanka
When Sri Lanka declared itself a republic in 1972 the units that had a King’s colour, first using the Union Jack and then the current national flag, retired them. These were replaced by the new President's Colour, which was first awarded in 1972.
The following colours have been awarded:
*
Sri Lanka Army
ta, இலங்கை இராணுவம்
, image = File:Sri Lanka Army Logo.png
, image_size = 180px
, caption = Emblem of the Sri Lanka Army
, start_date ...
**Regiments
***
Sri Lanka Light Infantry
The Sri Lanka Light Infantry (SLLI) is the oldest regiment in the Sri Lanka Army and the oldest infantry regiment in the army. It is made up of ten regular battalions and five volunteer battalions, and is headquartered at the Panagoda Cantonment ...
– 1978
***
Gemunu Watch
The Gemunu Watch (GW) ("King Dutugemunu's Own") is a infantry regiment of the Sri Lanka Army, formed with troops from the Ceylon Light Infantry and the Ceylon Sinha Regiment in 1962. It has been deployed in many major operations against the LTTE ...
– 1980
***
Gajaba Regiment
The Gajaba Regiment (GR) is an elite infantry regiment of the Sri Lankan Army. Formed on 14 October 1983 at the Saliyapura Camp in Anuradhapura, it is named after the famous Sinhalese warrior King Gajabahu the First. It consists of 14 regula ...
Sri Lanka Artillery
The Sri Lanka Artillery (SLA) is the artillery arm of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of ten regular regiments and two volunteer regiments. The SLA is headquartered at Panagoda Cantonment, Panagoda.
The emblem of the SLA is modeled after that ...
SLAF Regiment
The Sri Lanka Air Force Regiment is a specialized ground combat corps within the Sri Lanka Air Force, responsible for capturing and defending airfields and associated installations. Its members are the SLAF Regiment Officers and the airmen of oper ...
Naval and Maritime Academy
Naval and Maritime Academy (NMA), Trincomalee, is the naval academy of the Sri Lanka Navy, and is located within SLN Dockyard, Trincomalee. It received university status in 2001 under the leadership of Commodore SR Samaratunga.
History
The Sri ...
– 2000
Regimental colours follow the British model, and the two light infantry regiments (
Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment
The Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (SLSR) ( Sinhala: ශ්රී ලංකා සිංහ රෙජිමේන්තුව ''Śrī Laṃkā Sinha Rejimēnthuva'') is an infantry regiment of the Sri Lanka Army; it is the second oldest infantry ...
and Sri Lanka Rifle Corps) do not carry colours at all. Unlike the British Royal Artillery, the
Sri Lanka Artillery
The Sri Lanka Artillery (SLA) is the artillery arm of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of ten regular regiments and two volunteer regiments. The SLA is headquartered at Panagoda Cantonment, Panagoda.
The emblem of the SLA is modeled after that ...
carries a set of President's and Regimental Colours, the same case for the Sri Lanka Engineers.
Unlike the Air Force which uses a single colour design similar to the RAF, the Navy sports unit and command colours in the same fashion as the Army.
The design of the President's Colours of Navy and Air Force units are the gold fringed versions of their service flags. The Army President's Colour is a gold fringed national flag with the national arms in between the teal and orange stripes on the left.
India
Given its Commonwealth heritage as a former British possession, the
Indian Armed Forces
The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.—— Additionally, the Indian Armed Forces are supported by ...
sports colours which are equivalent to those used in the British military.
= Presidential Colours to service branches of the armed forces
=
Only the
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
and
Air Force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
sport President's Service Colours which are their respective
naval ensign
A naval ensign is an ensign (maritime flag) used by naval ships of various countries to denote their nationality. It can be the same or different from a country's civil ensign or state ensign.
It can also be known as a war ensign. A large ver ...
and air force flag with an elephant at the bottom left end.
= President's Colours/Standards/Guidons/Banners of military units
=
President's Colours (Standard and Guidon for mounted units of the Army and Air Force flying units and Banners for service arms and the light infantry) are awarded to distinguished units of the Armed Forces by the
President of India
The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murmu ...
, who is the Supreme Commander of the
Armed Forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
, these are the equivalents to British regimental colours. In the
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
battle honours
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In European military t ...
won by the unit.
*
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
** Cavalry Standards – per colour facing
** Cavalry Guidons – same as standards
** Artillery and Air Defence Artillery Banners - burgundy red and blue
** Infantry Colours – per respective colour facing
** Light Infantry and Rifle Banners – same as regular infantry
** Service Corps Banners – per respective colours
*
Air Force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
– sky blue
Malaysia
The same format of Sovereign's and Regimental Colours also apply in Malaysia. The King's Colours and Regimental Colours of the
Malaysian Armed Forces
The Malaysian Armed Forces (: MAF; ms, Angkatan Tentera Malaysia; Jawi: ), are the armed forces of Malaysia, consists of three branches; the Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force. The number of MAF active pers ...
are the flags given by the
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The of ...
in his responsibilities as Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and by the 8 other state monarchs. The colours are given to units recognized as Royal units and to flags of large formations (the King's Colour) and to units receiving their new regimental colours (the Unit Regimental Colour).
The King's Colour is yellow with the national arms surrounded by paddy on the centre. Thus Malaysia is one of only two Commonwealth countries, the other being
Brunei
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...
, that does not use its national flag as a senior Colour (the flag is the senior colour of the entire Armed Forces establishment). The sides are emblazoned with the battle honours of the unit. On the canton the service emblem of either service of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy and Air Force) can be seen. The Regimental Colour, however, differs by service arm or branch (the latter case being used in the Army) and unit. Both flags have gold fringes surrounding them. These colours are only present in formal parades.
During the Independence Day Parade and on Armed Forces Day on 21 September, as the armed services on parade do not wear their dress uniforms, only the 1st Battalion,
Royal Malay Regiment
The Royal Malay Regiment ( ms, Rejimen Askar Melayu DiRaja; Jawi: ) is the premier unit of the Malaysian Army's two infantry regiments. At its largest, the Malay Regiment comprised 27 battalions. At present, three battalions are parachute train ...
, which wears dress uniforms, is present with its King's and Regimental Colours. For the rest of the services on public parade, the following order then applies:
* Service Colour/Regimental Camp Flag
* Flag of Malaysia (National Colour)
* Colour of the Malaysian Armed Forces
Singapore
Singaporean military colours of the
Singapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military services of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A military component of the Ministry of Defence (MINDE ...
are divided today into Service State Colours and Unit Regimental Colours. Until 1997 there were also Service Regimental Colours and Unit State Colours. The Service State Colours are similar to the
Flag of Singapore
The Flag of Singapore was adopted in 1959, the year Singapore became self-governing within the British Empire. It remained the national flag upon the country's independence from Malaysia on 9 August 1965. The design is a horizontal bicolour of ...
but differ per service, with the service emblem in the white field. But Regimental Colours are different, and they differ per unit or service arm (save for the flags of the Air Force and Navy that show their respective service colours instead and some SAF service-wide commands like the Military Police). Their common design is that of the regimental or command arms at the centre of the colour, which is in the colour of the unit uniform facings or service branch which it belongs. Both are gold fringed and are brought out on major occasions only. The former Unit State Colours carried the unit emblem or badge in the white field of the national flag.
Europe
Belgium
Infantry units have a ''drapeau'' / ''vaandel'', a square vertical tricolour of black, yellow, and red based on the national flag within a 15 mm wide gold fringe, the whole being 90 cm square. The names of battle honours for which the unit was cited are embroidered in gold in French on the obverse and in
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
on the reverse, in straight lines.
Denmark
Danish Navy, Army and Air Force units carry a unit colour ( da, regimentsfane) and for the Life Guards a battalion colour (), which measures 105 × 140 cm, former horse units a slightly smaller guidon. The flag is a variation of the
Dannebrog
Dannebrog (until the mid-20th century often spelled Danebrog) may refer to:
Flags and orders
* The national Flag of Denmark
* Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen, links=no), a Royal Danish decoration
Places
* Dannebrog Island, an i ...
, with a curvilinear white Dannebrog cross, called the Mantova cross, set with its centre about one-half the width of the hoist from the hoist edge. The royal cypher is embroidered in gold over the centre of the cross, the unit badge in gold in the upper hoist, and the unit number, name or both in gold in the lower hoist. Some regiments have additional marks in the upper fly. The Jyske Dragonregiment, for instance, has Prince Henrik's cipher in the upper fly. The
finial
A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...
is an ornate gold openwork spearhead with the royal cypher in the centre. Attached below the spearhead can be one or more
campaign streamer
Campaign streamers are decorations attached to military flags to recognize particular achievements or events of a military unit or service. Attached to the headpiece of the assigned flag, the streamer often is an inscribed ribbon with the n ...
s (). The colour is decorated with a gold cord with two tassels and bordered with a thin strip of gold cord. The sleeve holding the colour to the pike is attached with ornamental nails, the first three of which represent the sovereign, the Fatherland, and the Union.
Finland
Units of
Finnish Defence Forces
The Finnish Defence Forces ( fi, Puolustusvoimat, sv, Försvarsmakten) are the military of Finland. The Finnish Defence Forces consist of the Finnish Army, the Finnish Navy and the Finnish Air Force. In wartime the Finnish Border Guard (which i ...
have a single Colour. The Colours are either active or traditional. An active Colour belongs to a brigade or an equivalent unit in the FDF. A traditional Colour belongs to a battalion or a regiment that has formerly been separate, but is now part of a brigade. The difference between an active and traditional Colour is the way of presenting them. The active Colour always has a guard of two officers, while a traditional Colour is borne without one. The military
oath
Traditionally an oath (from Anglo-Saxon ', also called plight) is either a statement of fact or a promise taken by a sacrality as a sign of verity. A common legal substitute for those who conscientiously object to making sacred oaths is to ...
is always given in the presence of the active Colour of the unit.
The Finnish military vexillology is a mixture of Scandinavian and Russian tradition. The Colours are usually modelled after Swedish regimental flags of the 17th century, but some units carry flags modelled after Russian or German colour traditions. The Colour often bears the emblem of the province where the unit is located with an appropriate symbol of the service branch. No battle honours were awarded for units during the Second World War, but some units have battle honours from the
Finnish Civil War
The Finnish Civil War; . Other designations: Brethren War, Citizen War, Class War, Freedom War, Red Rebellion and Revolution, . According to 1,005 interviews done by the newspaper ''Aamulehti'', the most popular names were as follows: Civil W ...
.
Units and institutions of the Finnish Defence Force which have not been awarded a colour of their own use the unadorned swallow-tailed
Flag of Finland
The flag of Finland ( fi, Suomen lippu, sv, Finlands flagga), also called ' ("Blue Cross Flag"), dates from the beginning of the 20th century. On a white background, it features a blue Nordic cross, which represents Christianity.
The state ...
as their State Colour, and the oath of service for NCOs and volunteer enlisted personnel assigned to these are given in its presence.
File:KaartJR-lippu.jpg, Colour of the Finnish
Guard Jaeger Regiment
The Guard Jaeger Regiment ( fi, Kaartin jääkärirykmentti, sv, Gardesjägarregementet) is a Finnish Army unit located in Santahamina, an island district of Helsinki. The regiment trains Guard jaegers for fighting military operations in urban ...
. Note the Imperial Russian-style design of the flag which is symbolic of the lineage of the regiment as part of the Russian imperial guard
File:PsPr-lippu.jpg, Colour of the
Armoured Brigade
The Armoured Brigade ( fi, Panssariprikaati) is a Finnish Army training unit located in Parolannummi, near Hämeenlinna, in southern Finland. The brigade specialises in training tank, armoured and anti-aircraft troops. In case of mobilization, the ...
features the black and silver colours of Finnish armoured troops while the main emblem is a
cuirassier
Cuirassiers (; ) were cavalry equipped with a cuirass, sword, and pistols. Cuirassiers first appeared in mid-to-late 16th century Europe as a result of armoured cavalry, such as men-at-arms and demi-lancers, discarding their lances and adoptin ...
helmet symbolizing armoured force.
File:PorPr-lippu.jpg, Colour of
Pori Brigade
The Pori Brigade ( fi, Porin prikaati), based in Huovinrinne, Säkylä and Niinisalo, Kankaanpää is a Finnish Army unit, directly under the Army headquarters. It comprises six battalion-level units and also trains soldiers for the Finnish Ra ...
has the blue and yellow colours of Satakunta, and the coats of arms of
Satakunta
Satakunta (in both Finnish and Swedish, ) is a region ( / ) of Finland, part of the former Western Finland Province. It borders the regions of Southwest Finland, Pirkanmaa, South Ostrobothnia and Ostrobothnia. The capital city of the region is ...
and
Finland Proper
Southwest Finland, calqued as Finland Proper ( fi, Varsinais-Suomi ; sv, Egentliga Finland), is a region in the southwest of Finland. It borders the regions of Satakunta, Pirkanmaa, Tavastia Proper (Kanta-Häme), Uusimaa, and Åland. The regi ...
on its two sides. The colour carries the ribbon of the
Order of the Cross of Liberty
The Order of the Cross of Liberty ( fi, Vapaudenristin ritarikunta; sv, Frihetskorsets orden) is one of three official state orders in Finland, along with the Order of the White Rose of Finland and the Order of the Lion of Finland.
Organisation
...
as a streamer.
File:Kymen_J%C3%A4%C3%A4k%C3%A4ripataljoonan_lippu.jpg, The traditional colour of the ''Kymen jääkäripataljoona'' (Kymi Jaeger Battalion), nowadays a part of
Karelia Brigade
Karelia Brigade (''Finnish: Karjalan Prikaati'', KARPR) is one of the three Finnish Army readiness brigades. It is currently based at Valkeala. With some three thousand soldiers it is the second largest brigade in Finland. It is the only Finnish ...
, is of the form defined for light infantry. The Kymi Jaeger Battalion follows the traditions of the 3rd Bicycle Battalion and carries that number on its colour, and the Order of the Cross of Liberty both as a streamer and as the point of the staff.
File:I-SVP_flag.jpg, The traditional colour of ''Itä-Suomen Viestipataljoona'' (Eastern Finland Signals Battalion), part of Karelia Brigade, has the branch colours of signals corps: purple and gold. The device featuring
Western Capercaillie
The western capercaillie (''Tetrao urogallus''), also known as the Eurasian capercaillie, wood grouse, heather cock, cock-of-the-woods, or simply capercaillie , is a heavy member of the grouse family and the largest of all extant grouse species. ...
is a throwback to the earlier designation as Central Finland Signals Battalion. The main device, the three lightning bolts, is symbolic of communication.
File:7_Ohjuslaivue_lippu.jpg, The traditional Colour of the ''7. Pintatorjuntalaivue'' (7th Surface Combat Flotilla) of the Coastal Navy features a blue
Lion of Finland
The coat of arms of Finland is a crowned lion on a red field, the right foreleg replaced with an armoured human arm brandishing a sword, trampling on a sabre with the hindpaws. The coat of arms was originally created around the year 1580.
Back ...
with a fish tail, striking with a trident.
File:PvKvK-lippu.jpg, The Colour of the Finnish Defence Forces International Centre features a Lion of Finland holding a herald's staff in addition to the sword. The shade of blue of the colour is the same as in the flag of
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
.
File:Karjalan Lennoston lippu.svg, The Colour of the Karelian Air Command features, like all
Finnish Air Force
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, equipment = 159
, equipment_label ...
Colours, a swastika within a winged circle. The identifying device is a small coat of arms of Karelia
France
In January 1188, in a meeting between
Henry II of England
Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin king ...
and
Philip II of France
Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), byname Philip Augustus (french: Philippe Auguste), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks, but from 1190 onward, Philip became the first French ...
, it was agreed that both would go on a crusade, and that Henry II would use a white cross and Philip II would use a red cross. Later on, this usage was inverted, and the English took to using a red cross on white, and the French a white cross on red.
=Background
=
As the use of regimental colours spread in Europe, the habit developed of using a symmetric white cross as the basis of the design of the French regimental flags, and by the 18th century almost every regiment had a white cross. The regiments were distinguished by the colours of the
cantons
A canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared with other administrative divisions such as counties, departments, or provinces. Internationally, t ...
.
After the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
and the appearance of the new '' Tricolore'', crosses disappear in 1794 and various arrangements of the tricolour come into use.
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
standardizes first in 1804 to a white field chape-chausse of red and blue, and in 1812 to the modern French flag. Atop of the staff of colours of the
Napoleonic army
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
the
Imperial Eagle
The eagle is used in heraldry as a charge, as a supporter, and as a crest. Heraldic eagles can be found throughout world history like in the Achaemenid Empire or in the present Republic of Indonesia. The European post-classical symbolism of ...
(modelled after the Ancient Roman ''Aquila'') was placed, which actually rose to be more important symbol of the regiment than colours itself.
File:Vigiles du roi Charles VII 32.jpg, French, white cross, and English, red cross, fighting at the
battle of Formigny
The Battle of Formigny, fought on 15 April 1450, was a major battle of the Hundred Years' War between the kingdom of England and the kingdom of France. The destruction of England's last army in Normandy in the battle and the decisive French vi ...
during the
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...
.
File:Rég d Auvergne 1635.png, Regiment of
Auvergne
Auvergne (; ; oc, label=Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Auverg ...
.
Rég de Normandie 1616.png, Regiment of
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
.
Rég du Roi 1757.png, King's Regiment ('' Régiment du Roi'').
File:Franche de la Marine1.jpg, The pre- revolutionary regimental flags inspired the
flag of Quebec
The flag of Quebec, called the (), represents the Canadian province of Quebec. It consists of a white cross on a blue background, with four white fleurs-de-lis.
It was the first provincial flag officially adopted in Canada and was originally sh ...
(here, the Compagnies Franches de la Marine).
File:Drapeau-3e-reg-suisse-napoleon-p1030181.jpg, French Imperial regimental flag with its
Eagle
Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...
(1804–1812).
File:Grenadier Pied 1 1812 Revers.png, Regimental flag of the 1st Regiment of Grenadiers of the
French Imperial Guard
The Imperial Guard (French: ''Garde Impériale'') was originally a small group of elite soldiers of the French Army under the direct command of Napoleon I, but grew considerably over time. It acted as his bodyguard and tactical reserve, and he ...
(1812).
= Battle honours on current colours
=
The modern
French Armed Forces
The French Armed Forces (french: Forces armées françaises) encompass the Army, the Navy, the Air and Space Force and the Gendarmerie of the French Republic. The President of France heads the armed forces as Chief of the Armed Forces.
Franc ...
are not officially considered to be the successors of the Royal Army and Navy, although many of their individual units trace their histories to before the foundation of the First Republic. Accordingly, battles fought and won by the Royal Army and Navy before the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
Chesapeake Chesapeake often refers to:
*Chesapeake people, a Native American tribe also known as the Chesepian
* The Chesapeake, a.k.a. Chesapeake Bay
*Delmarva Peninsula, also known as the Chesapeake Peninsula
Chesapeake may also refer to:
Populated plac ...
,
Porto Praya
Praia (, Portuguese for "beach") is the capital and largest city of Cape Verde.1st Infantry Regiment, founded in 1479 during the reign of
Louis XI
Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (french: le Prudent), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII.
Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revol ...
, has fought a number of battles since the 15th century, but its battle honours are only recorded from 1792 onwards:
* Valmy 1792
*
Fleurus
Fleurus (; wa, Fleuru) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It has been the site of four major battles.
The municipality consists of the following districts: Brye, Heppignies, Fleurus, Lambusart, ...
Miliana
Miliana ( ar, مليانة) is a commune in Aïn Defla Province in northwestern Algeria. It is the administrative center of the daïra, or district, of the same name. It is approximately southwest of the Algerian capital, Algiers.r/sup>, which ...
1842
*
Guise
Guise (; nl, Wieze) is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. The city was the birthplace of the noble family of Guise, Dukes of Guise, who later became Princes of Joinville.
Population
Sights
The remains ...
1914
*
Verdun
Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department.
Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...
Résistance
The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...
=
The following official documents relate to the colours of the
Land Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
(''armée de Terre'') :
* recommendation (''circulaire'') 808 EMM/CAB of 5 December 1985 rules what sorts of units can be given colours, abiding to previous regulations of joint services;
* decision 12350/SGA/DPMA/SHD/DAT of 14 September 2007 deals with the inscriptions of battle honours upon the flags and standards of the units of the Army, the Defence Health service and the Military Fuel Service;
* government order of 19 November 2004 relates to the award of the '' AFN 1952–1962'' battle honour to flags and standards of Army and Services units.
=Army in general
=
* Regimental colours of units which are traditionally on foot, such as Infantry regiments of the line, Marine Infantry, Foreign Legion Infantry, Parachute Infantry, Engineers, Signal Corps and Military Colleges are called ''drapeaux'' (flags).
*Regimental colours of the (traditionally) mounted units of the Armoured Cavalry Branch and other cavalry units such as Dragoon Paratroopers, Hussar Paratroopers, Legion Cavalry, Artillery (including Marine Artillery, Legion Artillery, etc.), Transportation, Army Aviation, and Materiel, are called ''étendards'' (standards).
Regimental colours are 90 cm × 90 cm ''Tricolore'' silk square flags – standards are smaller: 64 cm × 64 cm – surrounded by a golden fringe. Both are set on a stave (2.11 m long and 32 mm diameter – staves for standards are slightly shorter) ended by a 38 cm pike-shaped
finial
A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...
with a cartouche bearing the initials "RF" for ''
République française
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area e ...
'' on one side, and the name or number of the unit on the other side.
The cravate hanging from the pike is made of two tricolour silk ribbons, 90 cm long and 24 cm wide, ended by an 8 cm gold fringe on which the unit number or monogram is embroidered in gold, encircled by an oak and laurel wreath. French
decorations
Decoration may refer to:
* Decorative arts
* A house painter and decorator's craft
* An act or object intended to increase the beauty of a person, room, etc.
* An award that is a token of recognition to the recipient intended for wearing
Other ...
and
fourragère
The ''fourragère'' () is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, in the form of a braided cord. The award was first adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, and Luxembourg. Fou ...
s awarded to the unit are pinned or tied to the cravate; foreign awards and decorations are borne on a red velvet cushion.
All writings on the colour are embroidered in gold, as well the unit number (or monogram) encircled in antique oak and laurel wreath in each corner of the colour.
Obverse of a colour:
* RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE
* (NAME OF THE UNIT)
Reverse of a colour:
* HONNEUR (Honour)
* ET (and)
* PATRIE (Fatherland)
* (BATTLE HONOURS)
=Rifle battalions (chasseurs à pied)
=
By tradition, all the Army's rifle battalions (the ''bataillons de chasseurs à pied'' together with the ''
chasseurs alpins
The ''chasseurs alpins'' ( en, Alpine Rangers) are the elite mountain infantry force of the French Army. They are trained to operate in mountainous terrain and in urban warfare.
History
France created its own mountain corps in the late 19th ...
'') share a single collective colour. Individual battalions have pennants (''
fanion
A fanion is a small flag used by the French military; the equivalent of an American guidon or British company colour. The name derives from the Italian word gonfanone, or gonfanon. They were often attached to a small staff which was placed in th ...
s'') and the flag of the Rifles (''Drapeau des chasseurs'') is held each year in turn by a different rifle battalion. As a result, the single flag displays all the battle honours earned by every rifle battalion.
=Other specific colours
=
* Since 1844, the obverse of Foreign Legion regimental colours do not carry the motto ''"Honneur et Patrie"'' but ''"Honneur et Fidélité"'' (Honour and Fidelity). This motto was originally written on the flags of the Swiss regiments in French service, such as the ''Régiment de Diesbach'' (85th Infantry of the line).
* The
École polytechnique
École may refer to:
* an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée)
* École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France
* École, Savoi ...
, as a military college, also has a colour which does not carry ''"Honneur et Patrie"'' but instead ''"Pour la Patrie, les Sciences et la Gloire"'' (For the Fatherland, Sciences and Glory). The reverse of the École polytechnique's colour has one battle honour written under the motto: '' Défense de Paris 1814'', awarded in 1901 by President Émile Loubet.
* Since 1880, the motto of the
Paris Fire Brigade
The Paris Fire Brigade (french: Brigade des sapeurs-pompiers de Paris, BSPP) is a French Army unit which serves as the primary fire and rescue service for Paris, the city's inner suburbs and certain sites of national strategic importance.
The ...
(which is a military unit belonging to the
Engineering Arm
{{unreferenced, date=September 2016
The Engineering Arm, or ''l'arme du génie'', is the Military engineering corps#Administrative corps, arm of the French Army.
The Engineering Arm's soldiers are known as sappers (''sapeurs''). Its soldiers ...
), ''"Dévouement et Discipline"'' (Devotion and Discipline), is written under ''"Honneur et Patrie"''.
*The reverse of the Saint-Cyr Military College's colour has seven lines: ''Honneur / et / patrie / Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre / Premier / bataillon / de France'' (Honour / and / Fatherland / They study for victory / First / battalion / of France).
=The National Navy
=
The Colours worn by the ships of the National Navy (''Marine nationale'') consist of the National Ensign and the jack:
* the National Ensign is flown at the stern and at the bowsprit if not replaced there by the FNFL jack or a military award jack;
* the FNFL jack is flown at the ship's jackstaff if the ship has fought with the
Free French Naval Forces
The Free French Naval Forces (french: Forces Navales Françaises Libres, or FNFL) were the naval arm of the Free French Forces during the Second World War. They were commanded by Admiral Émile Muselier.
History
In the wake of the Armistice a ...
, or is named after such a ship;
* military award jacks may also be flown at the ship's jackstaff if the ship has received mention in dispatches (in which case crew members wear the corresponding ''fourragère'').
Currently, only eight individual National Navy units have colours other than the National Ensign or the FNFL jack. Under recommendation 808 EMM/CAB of 5 December 1985, naval units to which colours can be bestowed must be those with manpower equivalent to that of a regiment, which are specialised in combat or services on land (or corps which have inherited their traditions from such units), and naval instruction centres or colleges. The flags are quite similar to those of Land Army units, the difference being the wreaths in corners which encircle anchors instead of the name of unit, except for the Naval Gunners (initials ''CM'') and the Fleet Engineering Cadets College (initials ''EAMF'').
As of today, these units are (between brackets is where the colours are currently kept):
*the ''1er Régiment de fusiliers marins (École des fusiliers marins)'' – the 1st Naval Fusiliers Regiment (Naval Fusiliers College);
*the ''Demi-brigade de fusiliers marins (Compagnie de fusiliers marins de Cherbourg)'' – the Naval Fusiliers Half-Brigade (Cherbourg Naval Fusiliers Company);
*the ''Canonniers marins (Centre d' instruction naval de Saint-Mandrier)'' – the Naval Gunners (Saint-Mandrier Naval Instruction Centre);
*the ''École navale (Groupe des écoles du Poulmic)'' – the
Naval College
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includ ...
(Poulmic Schools Group);
*the ''École militaire de la flotte (Groupe des écoles du Poulmic)'' – the Fleet Military College (Poulmic Schools Group);
*the ''École des mousses (Centre d'instruction naval de Brest)'' – the Cabin Boys College (Brest Naval Instruction Centre);
*the ''École des apprentis mécaniciens de la flotte (Centre d' instruction naval de Saint-Mandrier) – the Fleet
Engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
Cadets College (Saint-Mandrier Naval Instruction Centre);
*the ''Bataillon de marins pompiers de Marseille (Bataillon de marins pompiers de Marseille)'' – the
Marseille Marine Fire Battalion
The Marseille Naval Fire Battalion (french: Bataillon de marins-pompiers de Marseille, or ''BMPM''), is the fire and rescue service for the city of Marseille.
The battalion is a branch of the French Navy (french: Marine nationale), and consists o ...
(The Marseille Marine Fire Battalion).
=The Air Force
=
The colours of
Air Force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
(''armée de l'Air'') units are by all means similar to those of the Army from which it separated as an independent military arm in 1933. Colours are generally not bestowed to Air Army units smaller than ''escadres'' (wings), land combat regiments, air force bases, instruction centres or air force colleges.
=The National Gendarmerie
=
The units of the
National Gendarmerie
The National Gendarmerie (french: Gendarmerie nationale, ) is one of two national law enforcement forces of France, along with the National Police. The Gendarmerie is a branch of the French Armed Forces placed under the jurisdiction of the Minis ...
(''Gendarmerie nationale'') have colours which are very similar to those of the Land Army. Each region (formerly ''legion''), instruction centre, college or Republican Guard Regiment has its flag or standard, altogether 56 flags and 2 standards. The reverse of colours of the Departmental Gendarmerie units and Gendarmerie instruction centres have the same motto as the Land Army units (''Honneur et Patrie''), but the colours of the Mobile Gendarmerie have their own particular motto: ''Valeur et Discipline'' (Valour and Discipline). Most subordinate or smaller units use 50 cm large × 40 cm high pennants.
The National Gendarmerie also has a common flag, under the guard of the Director-general, on which five battle honours are registered:
*
Hondschoote
Hondschoote (; from Dutch; ''Hondschote'' in the modern Dutch spelling) is a commune of the Nord ''département'', in northern France.
Heraldry
Geography
Hondschoote borders Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. It lies 12 km f ...
Nations of the former French Empire
Many of today's armed forces of independent countries that once were part of the French Empire share customs and traditions closely similar if not identical to those of the French military regarding organisation of military arms,
army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
uniform
A uniform is a variety of clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, se ...
styles. Indeed, in countries where the decolonisation process had been conducted through peaceful political negotiations (chiefly
French West Africa
French West Africa (french: Afrique-Occidentale française, ) was a federation of eight French colonial territories in West Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Ivory Coast, Upper Volta (now Burki ...
and
French Equatorial Africa
French Equatorial Africa (french: link=no, Afrique-Équatoriale française), or the AEF, was the federation of French colonial possessions in Equatorial Africa, extending northwards from the Congo River into the Sahel, and comprising what are ...
), French colonial units were sometimes directly inherited by the former colonies where they had been raised to form the basis of the new national armies. This legacy not only included colour etiquette (the way colours are respected, taken care of and paraded), but also design, adapted to new national flag designs.
On the contrary, in countries where independence came as the aftermath of bloody wars of liberation, such as in
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
context, French military culture was strongly rejected often only to be replaced by
communist
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
or
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
style military culture (colours, ranks, uniforms, parade pace, etc.).
Other nations
As one of the World's
great power
A great power is a sovereign state that is recognized as having the ability and expertise to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power inf ...
s together with Great Britain, France did not only exercise its influence by conquest, but also by the prestige of its military. At the height of European
colonial expansion
Colonial or The Colonial may refer to:
* Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology)
Architecture
* American colonial architecture
* French Colonial
* Spanish Colonial architecture
Automobiles
* Colonial (1920 au ...
in the 19th century, France's army and Britain's navy were each regarded as the most powerful forces ever on land and at sea. This lead many a military to copy both powers' military and naval cultures. As most navies in the World adopted the British naval looks (double-breasted navy blue jacket and peaked cap for officer, blue jean collar for ratings, etc.), numerous land armies adopted French-inspired uniforms during the 1860s and 1870s (both
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
and
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
armies during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, the Chilean Army of the
War of the Pacific
The War of the Pacific ( es, link=no, Guerra del Pacífico), also known as the Saltpeter War ( es, link=no, Guerra del salitre) and by multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought ...
, the
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...
, etc.) and even sometimes imported types of French units (e.g. Zouave regiments). France's influence on military fashion dimmed for the time being after the unexpected French defeat ending the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871. Many armies then changed to adopt Prussian military style (as a perfect example of this trend, Chilean soldiers traded their
kepi
The kepi ( ) is a cap with a flat circular top and a peak, or visor. In English, the term is a loanword of french: képi, itself a re-spelled version of the gsw, Käppi, a diminutive form of , meaning "cap". In Europe, this headgear is most ...
s for ''pickelhauben'').
As far as regimental colours are concerned, French influence was mainly to be seen in armies of smaller European powers with strong cultural, economical or political ties to France, notably in such countries whose national flag itself was patterned after the French national flag, such as Belgium or Romania.
File:Djibouti Army stand at attention.jpg, Djiboutian colours: French influence through legacy.
File:2-4e Régiment de chasseurs à cheval belges.jpg,
Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
colours: French influence through common culture.
File:Romanian soldiers.jpg,
Romanian
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
**Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
*** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...
colours: French influence through prestige.
Germany
Units of the
Bundeswehr
The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...
have only a single Colour. The ''Truppenfahne'' is a square version of the
national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...
with the Bundesadler (national shield) overall in the centre. The flag is surrounded by a black, red, and gold lacework border and edged on three sides by gold fringe. The
finial
A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...
is a gilt bronze openwork spearhead surrounding a black and silver
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia est ...
. Below the finial, a streamer is attached with the unit badge at the top and its designation embroidered in gold at the end. These streamers are red for army (Heer) units, blue for the navy (Marine), and white for the air force (Luftwaffe). The streamer is the same length as the hoist of the flag.
The tradition was also observed by the
National People's Army
The National People's Army (german: Nationale Volksarmee, ; NVA ) were the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1956 to 1990.
The NVA was organized into four branches: the (Ground Forces), the (Navy), the (Air Force) an ...
of East Germany, whose unit colours mirrored the
national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...
.
Until the Second World War German military units maintained colours of the Prussian pattern regardless of service branch, while the Waffen-SS followed the
national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...
pattern.
Greece
Traditionally,
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
infantry and tank/cavalry regiments have a single colour/standard or war flag ( el, Πολεμική Σημαία). This is blue, with a white cross and features St George and the Dragon in the centre. The flag has no distinguishing features for individual regiments, although battle honours are sometimes added to the flag; the regiment's identity is inscribed on the flagstaff. The pattern has been in use since the 1830s, with no changes between the periods of
monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutional monarchy) ...
or
republic
A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
. The
Hellenic Army Academy
The Hellenic Army Academy ( el, Στρατιωτική Σχολή Ευελπίδων), commonly known as the Evelpidon, is a military academy. It is the Officer cadet school of the Greek Army and the oldest third-level educational institution in ...
has also been awarded a war flag, its cadets having participated in the
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete (german: Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta, el, Μάχη της Κρήτης), codenamed Operation Mercury (german: Unternehmen Merkur), was a major Axis airborne and amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island ...
in 1941. Similar flags exist also for the
Air Force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
, featuring the
archangel
Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the hierarchy of angels. The word ''archangel'' itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions, but beings that are very similar to archangels are found in a number of other relig ...
Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
. Recently war flags were assigned to the Army NCO Academy and the Police Academy.
Unlike the Army, Police and Air Force, the
Hellenic Navy
The Hellenic Navy (HN; el, Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, War Navy, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Hellenic Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy historically hails from the naval forces of vari ...
uses the
Flag of Greece
The national flag of Greece, popularly referred to as the "blue and white one" ( el, Γαλανόλευκη, ) or the "sky blue and white" (, ), is officially recognised by Greece as one of its national symbols and has nine equal horizontal stri ...
as both the naval ensign and national colour. The
Hellenic Coast Guard
The Hellenic Coast Guard ( el, Λιμενικό Σώμα-Ελληνική Ακτοφυλακή, Limeniko Soma-Elliniki Aktofylaki, Port Corps-Hellenic Coast Guard) is the national coast guard of Greece. Like many other coast guards, it is a par ...
Vatican City
Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—'
* german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ')
* pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—'
* pt, Cidade do Vati ...
, consists of four-quarters. The Coat of Arms of the current
pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
is in the first quarter, while the arms of
Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II ( la, Iulius II; it, Giulio II; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope or th ...
are in the fourth quarter. In the second and third quarters are horizontal stripes of red, yellow and blue, the colours of the unit's uniforms.
The flag also has the coat of arms of the commander within a wreath, on a background of the colour of his canton. The design of the flag changes with the election of a new pope and the appointment of a new commander.
Hungary
The 120 cm × 140 cm Unit colour of the Hungarian Defence Force is the current regulation colour of all
Hungarian Defence Forces
The Hungarian Defence Forces ( hu, Magyar Honvédség) is the national defence force of Hungary. Since 2007, the Hungarian Armed Forces is under a unified command structure. The Ministry of Defence maintains the political and civil control over ...
units since 15 March 1991. The flag is made of white fibres-satin. The height of the coat of arms with the crown is 57, and the width is 58 cm along with the crown. The coat of arms is made of silk with gold and silver embroidery. The edges of the flagship are surrounded by 11–11, and 9–9, 10 cm, red and green flames on the longer sides, extending 15 centimetres. The flames of the flames start and end on each side with a red colour, with the flaming tongues separated by a green circle in the four corners of the flag. The flagpole has a 5 mmm national-colour silk ribbon on its 3 free edges that do not fit the rod, with 10–10 centimetres national colour silk ribs on two free tips. The white part of the flagpole outside the party is twisted once on the pole, fixed with 3 equally spaced brass nails - 25-25-25 mm equally spaced. The flagpole is a 21-centimeter long, stylized leaf-shaped sandblasted brass, on both sides with a baroque, bronze Coat of arms of Hungary, without shield holders. The rod is 238 centimetres long, cylindrical, scarlet-lacquered, bottom-foldable in the lower third. Brass rings at the pole separation lines and a brass cap at the bottom end.
Italy
The Colour (bandiera di guerra) for army units (other than cavalry) is a square version of the national tricolour in silk, 99 cm × 99 cm. It is mounted on a pike 2.2 m long, made of wood covered with green velvet and decorated with ornate brass nails arranged in a spiral. The pike is topped by a 35 cm high
finial
A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...
consisting of an ornate gilt brass spearhead chased with a five pointed star and the monogram RI (for ''Repubblica Italiana''), which is in turn mounted atop a gilt brass ball on which is the name and date of establishment of the unit. The pike is adorned with two silver cords 67 cm long, each with a 10 cm long silver tassel and a blue silk cravat 8 cm × 66 cm with an 8 cm silver fringe at each end, to which the unit's decorations are pinned, the ribbons of the decorations overlapping so that the medals hang down the cravat.
Lithuania
Lithuania's military colours under the
Lithuanian Armed Forces
The Lithuanian Armed Forces () are the military of Lithuania. The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Forces, the Lithuanian Naval Force and the Lithuanian Air Force. In wartime, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service ( ...
tend to follow a mix of the Russian and British practice, as well as of US tradition, with the national flag being designated as a National Colour, but only flown by guards of honour in ceremonies. Unit colours of the Land Forces follow the Imperial Russian pattern, with the fringe in gold or bi-colour of red/green and bearing
Vytis
The coat of arms of Lithuania consists of a mounted armoured knight holding a sword and shield, known as (). Since the early 15th century, it has been Lithuania's official coat of arms and is one of the oldest European coats of arms. It is als ...
(obverse) and unit emblem (reverse) in the centre. The Naval Forces uses a ceremonial form of the naval ensign as a overall branch colour with gold fringe following British precedence.
Netherlands
In the
Dutch armed forces
The Netherlands Armed Forces ( nl, Nederlandse krijgsmacht) are the military services of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The core of the armed forces consists of the four service branches: the Royal Netherlands Navy (), the Royal Netherlands Ar ...
, the colour (or standard in case of the mounted (i.e. cavalry and field and horse artillery) regiments) is orange (except for the colour of the midshipman corps, which is red).
On the obverse is the royal cypher of the monarch that gave the regiment its (original) colour, with the unit's name underneath (including the year the regiment or corps was established), both in gold; around the four edges is a laurel branch. Battle honours are added in the corners of the obverse and sometimes also on the left and right of the royal cypher; if additional honours are awarded, they are placed on streamers that are attached to the pike until the presentation of a new colour. Battle honours refer to places (e.g. Waterloo or
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
Kingdom of the Netherlands
, national_anthem = )
, image_map = Kingdom of the Netherlands (orthographic projection).svg
, map_width = 250px
, image_map2 = File:KonDerNed-10-10-10.png
, map_caption2 = Map of the four constituent countries shown to scale
, capital = ...
without the mantle. The shield is blue and is strewn with small upright rectangles; the main device is a crowned rampant lion, holding a sword in its upper paw and a bundle of seven arrows in its lower paw. The lion and rectangles are gold, whilst the blade of the sword is silver. Supporting the shield on either side is a gold rampant lion, facing outwards towards the viewer. There is a gold crown above the shield; whilst below it is a blue scroll with the motto in gold. The shield and lions are surrounded by a wreath of green palm and oak leaves tied together with an orange and blue ribbon, and there is another wavy gold laurel wreath around the four edges.
The
Military Order of William
The Military William Order, or often named Military Order of William (Dutch: , abbreviation: MWO), is the oldest and highest honour of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is named after St. William of Gellone (755–814), the first Prince of Oran ...
or other decorations are attached to the pike when awarded. The pike has a
finial
A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...
of a lion on a plinth holding a sword and a bunch of seven arrows. Traditionally a colour is 87 cm × 87 cm (with a pike 2.50 m long). Guards regiments carry the same colour, with some differing details. The same applies to the colours carried by the Royal Military Academy and the
Royal Military School
Koninklijke Militaire School (KMS) is a Dutch military school in the Netherlands training soldiers and non-commissioned officers for the Royal Netherlands Army.
History
The KMS began as the Onderofficiers School (OOS), in 1952, in Weert; it was ...
. Standards measure 50 cm × 50 cm with a pike 2 m long.
Norway
Norwegian infantry units have a stand of colours – the first (King's Colour) is the
national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...
, while the second (Regimental Colour) is unique to each unit:
*Infantry: Norwegian line infantry units carry regimental colours, either of a solid colour or divided vertically into two or three stripes, with the Norwegian lion in the centre, the name of the unit, and battle honours embroidered on the field. The colours vary by regiment and derive either from historic associations with predecessor regiments or from the colours of the regiment's oldest known uniform.
*Guards: The Royal Norwegian Guards regiment has a regimental colour that is all white, again with the lion in the centre, and with the royal cypher of the reigning monarch in each corner.
Poland
The standard military colours of the
Polish Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland ( pl, Siły Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, abbreviated ''SZ RP''; popularly called ''Wojsko Polskie'' in Poland, abbreviated ''WP''—roughly, the "Polish Military") are the national armed forces of ...
are in red and white, with the design tracing back to the Polish Second Republic, a standardized form based on earlier colours. The motto of the Armed Forces, " God, Honour, Fatherland" ( pl, Bóg, Honor, Ojczyzna) are at the reverse while the
Polish military eagle
Military eagles ( pl, orły wojskowe) are military insignia used in the Polish Armed Forces, based on the White Eagle of the Polish coat of arms. They are used on elements of military uniforms such as hats and buttons, as well as on military banne ...
(which differs per service) surrounded by a gold wreath is at the centre of the obverse. The unit's name is inscribed on the obverse. The eagle is also featured as the finial in all colours.
Portugal
Each of the commands, units, forces and establishments of the
Portuguese Armed Forces
The Portuguese Armed Forces ( pt, Forças Armadas) are the military of Portugal. They include the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the other unified bodies and the three service branches: Portuguese Navy, Portuguese Army and Portuguese Air ...
has a , which is considered the parade version of the
Flag of Portugal
The national flag of Portugal ( pt, Bandeira de Portugal) is a rectangular bicolour with a field divided into green on the hoist, and red on the fly. The lesser version of the national coat of arms of Portugal ( armillary sphere and Portuguese ...
Public Security Police
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
and some fire departments also have national colours.
The traditional distinction between colours ( pt, bandeiras, literally "flags") - carried by foot units - and standards (''estandartes'') - carried by mounted units - was abolished in the 1960s, with all of them being uniformly reclassified as "national standards" (''estandartes nacionais''). At the same time, another type of standard was introduced, this being the heraldic standard, each of which reflects the particular heraldic symbology of the corresponding unit.
The official model for the military colours was established in 1911 and states that they should measure 120 cm in the hoist by 130 cm in the fly, the field being vertically divided in green and red, with the
National coat of arms
A national coat of arms is a symbol which denotes an independent state in the form of a heraldic achievement. While a national flag is usually used by the population at large and is flown outside and on ships, a national coat of arms is normally ...
in the centre, surrounded by two golden olive branches tied by a white scroll containing the motto ''Esta é a Ditosa Pátria Minha Amada'' (This is my Beloved Blissful Motherland). Despite the existence of this official model, the various branches of the Armed Forces adopted different models of colours over the years, with various designs and dimensions.
In March 2020, a uniform model of national colours was adopted for all the branches. This is based in the 1911 official model, but measuring 120 cm both in the hoist and in the fly. The name of the unit, its heraldic symbol and their
battle honours
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In European military t ...
are embroidered in a gravat attached to the base of the finial, the colour of the gravate varying accordingly with the branch of service. Naval units were allowed to keep the traditional
Order of Christ Cross
The Cross of the Order of Christ (Portuguese: ''Cruz da Ordem de Cristo''), also known as the Cross of Christ (''Cruz de Cristo'') or the Portuguese Cross (''Cruz Portuguesa''), is a cross symbol of Portugal, originating in the Portuguese Order ...
embroidered in the canton of the cloth of their national colours. The several commands, units, forces and establishments of the Armed Forces will have to replace their old national colours by the new model within 10 years.
The national colours of the National Republican Guard and of the Public Security Police follow the 1911 model and continue to keep the traditional practice of having the names of the units inside white scrolls which are inserted on the field of the flag itself.
Romania
According to the
Romanian General Staff
The Chief of General Staff ( ro, Șeful Statului Major General) is the highest professional military authority in the Romanian Armed Forces. He is appointed by the President of Romania, at the National Defense Minister's proposal (with the appro ...
, "The military colours (''drapel de luptă'') are the symbol of military honour, bravery and glory. They evoke the past struggle of the Romanian people for national liberty and the traditions of unity, reminding each soldier of his sacred duty to serve the Fatherland with trust, and to defend at all costs the unity, sovereignty and independence of Romania".
The military colours are granted to military units by presidential decree, on the advice of the Minister of National Defence, the
Minister of Internal Affairs
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of governme ...
or the director of the
Romanian Intelligence Service
The Romanian Intelligence Service ( ro, Serviciul Român de Informații, abbreviated SRI) is Romania's main domestic intelligence service. Its role is to gather information relevant to national security and hand it over to relevant institutions, ...
. According to the Ministry of National Defence, the complete description of this military insignia is as follows:
The military colours of Romania are made of double silk cloth and have dimensions of 100 × 66 cm (2:3 ratio). The canvas has the colours of the Romanian flag and its obverse is identical with the reverse. The national coat of arms, measuring 29 × 21.5 cm, is applied in the middle of the yellow stripe, 18 cm above its base. In each corner, 5 cm from the edge of the canvas, is sewed a wreath of oak leaves, which surrounds the weapon signs, all of golden thread:
* two crossed swords for land forces
* a helicopter blade juxtaposed over a pair of wings in downward flight, a radar and a crossed rocket and telescope for aerial forces
* an anchor for naval forces.
* the letter J in a rhombus over two crossed swords for
gendarmerie
Wrong info! -->
A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (literally, ...
units
* the emblem of the
Romanian Intelligence Service
The Romanian Intelligence Service ( ro, Serviciul Român de Informații, abbreviated SRI) is Romania's main domestic intelligence service. Its role is to gather information relevant to national security and hand it over to relevant institutions, ...
for its units
The three sides of the flag not attached to the pole are decorated with fringes of golden thread (5–7 cm long) and tassels of the same material (10–12 cm long) hang from the corners of the fly. The flag is attached to the pole by an antioxidant metal rod 70 cm long.
The pole, of brown wood, is 240 cm high and 3.5 cm in diameter. A brass cylinder is at the base, 4 cm long and closed on the bottom. The rod is attached to the pole by a brass ring, gilt on its lower part, and a 6 cm high cylindrical protective tube of the same material and gilt on its upper part. The ring (3.2 cm high) is inscribed with the name of the unit. Another brass cylinder is placed on the tip of the pole, 6 cm long and of brass. The eagle, of gilt copper, sheet, 15 cm high and 11.5 cm wide, is placed over this. Looking rightward, the eagle's wings are pointed downward and it holds the thunderbolts of
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but ...
in its talons. It is placed on a parallelepipedal support of the same metal (10 × 3.5 × 2 cm), which has a 3.4 cm high ornament on its lower part. The support is screwed onto the brass cylinder and has inscribed into the front the motto ''Onoare şi Patrie'' ("honour and Fatherland"). The name of the respective unit is engraved into the reverse.
Other features of the military colours are a tie for attaching decorations, six sashes for the troops in the flag's guard and a protective cover of impermeable fabric.
The military colours of navy vessels are identical to their ensign. The ensign is in turn identical to the national flag, being made of ordinary canvas in various dimensions, according to the ship's rank, size and place of hoisting.
Russia and Soviet Union
Until Peter the Great assumed the office and throne of Tsar in 1685, various flag designs were used by land and naval units of Imperial Russia.
In the 18th century the
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...
started to have colours of its own. Starting from the 1730s, Cross style flags in the colours of the various military units appeared in various units: large flags for the infantry and the other arms and small flags for the cavalry and horse artillery. These flags mirrored the Commonwealth military colours of today, with one colour set as the state colour and the rest as the regimental and battalion or squadron colours. 1797 regulations introduced new designs for the infantry—for regular units, the state colour being white with the state emblem and the company, battalion and/or regimental colours using the assigned colours of their units, for the Imperial Guard a different emblem was used, and the design was identical. New colours were issued in 1800, but only Guards units used them.
Regulations set in 1813 unified infantry unit colours into one. Guards units used the orange and black of the
Order of Saint George
The Order of Saint George (russian: Орден Святого Георгия, Orden Svyatogo Georgiya) is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. Originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian (7 December 1769 Gregorian) a ...
with the facing colours and unit emblem at the centre.
All these years, the cavalry colours were different.
Naval flags, until 1861–62 (with a brief break in the late 1790s) whilst using the St. Andrew's cross in blue on white, mirrored the British Royal Navy.
From 1942 onwards, each regiment in the
armed forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
of the Soviet Union (especially the Army and Air Force) had its own colour, which was produced to a standard design:
*Obverse: red field, a red star yellow bordered and the full name and number of a military unit/school below. Each unit has its own inscription.
*Reverse: red field, a gold hammer and sickle and the motto "For our Soviet Motherland!" (''За нашу советскую родину!'', ''Za nashu sovyetskuyu rodinu'')
The colour was gold fringed.
The former designs had a red star on the reverse with the name of the Central Executive Committee and later, the
Supreme Soviet of the USSR
The Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( rus, Верховный Совет Союза Советских Социалистических Республик, r=Verkhovnyy Sovet Soyuza Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respubl ...
surrounding it, and the obverse had the unit inscription below the
coat of arms of the Soviet Union
The State Emblem of the Soviet Union; be, Дзяржаўны герб СССР; kk, ССРО мемлекеттік елтаңбасы; lt, TSRS Valstybinis herbas; lv, PSRS valsts ģerbonis; et, NSVL riigivapp} was adopted in 1923 and was ...
, which had the Soviet Union state motto ("
Workers of the world, unite!
The political slogan "Workers of the world, unite!" is one of the rallying cries from ''The Communist Manifesto'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (german: Proletarier aller Länder, vereinigt Euch!, literally "Proletarians of all cou ...
flag of the Soviet Union
The State Flag of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (), commonly known as the Soviet flag (), was the official state flag of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) from 1922 to 1991. The flag's design and symbolism are derived from ...
) above it (the latter was near the hoist). Naval flags until 1935 sported different designs. (Distinguished units would be given a second colour, the Revolutionary Red Banner of Honour, by the all-Union CEC (before 1924 by the
All-Russian Central Executive Committee
The All-Russian Central Executive Committee ( rus, Всероссийский Центральный Исполнительный Комитет, Vserossiysky Centralny Ispolnitelny Komitet, VTsIK) was the highest legislative, administrative and r ...
).)
The Soviet Navy colours had the 1935 official design with them (it was later revised in 1950), with additions for units honoured with the
Order of the Red Banner
The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...
, but in 1964 the Supreme Commander's and Defence Minister's own naval colour and the colours of the Navy Commander-in-Chief (formerly the Minister for the Navy) and Chief of Naval Operations were issued with different designs used, with the addition of the Armed Forces General Staff's own naval colour. The first colour was red with the USSR state arms, the next two had the arms with blue stripes indicating office rank, and the final two were adaptations of the naval ensign (with a different ensign with the rank) plus the stripes. The 1935 design (that of a white field with a blue lower stripe and the red star plus the hammer and sickle above the blue stripe) replaced a much earlier, post-revolutionary naval colours design adopted in 1925. In 1944 a different flag was issued to the Navy for its land based units – the same design used by the Army with a different obverse having the unit name below the naval ensign.
Early flags even had the RKKA and RKKF insignia (the Army General Staff, represented by crossed blue rifles and later became the General Staff's naval colour until 1964, the Naval General Staff and the Army Naval Operations Staff, later the flag of the People's Comissariat for the Navy on its 1938 creation and was issued with two new colours for the Navy Commissar and Deputy Commissar) beside the hammer and sickle, even the flags of the People's Commissar for National Defence and that of the Navy General Staff and the various flags of naval officers which had the ensign on a canton surrounded by a red field, derived from the Navy Commissar's. The cruiser ''Aurora'' since 1968 has had a different version of the ensign, flanked by the
Order of the Red Banner
The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...
and of the
Order of the October Revolution
The Order of the October Revolution (russian: Орден Октябрьской Революции, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on October 31, 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferr ...
on the top sides of the star, as the ''Aurora'' was the only naval recipient of the latter order in 1967 while in 1918, the Order of the Red Banner was conferred to the ship.
=Regimental colours of the Guards units
=
The colours of those regiments that were classed as " Guards" was slightly different as per 1942 regulations. These had the portrait of
Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 19 ...
, the ''Za nashu'' motto and the abbreviation "USSR" (''СССР'', ''SSSR'') on the obverse and the small star with hammer and sickle in its centre, unit's name and a motto on the reverse of the colour. The mottoes were different for every regiment (for example, those regiments made Guards in the
Great Patriotic War
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of conflict between the European Axis powers against the Soviet Union (USSR), Poland and other Allies, which encompassed Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Northeast Europe (Baltics), and Sout ...
bore the motto "Death to the German invaders", ''Смерть Немецким захватчикам'', ''Smyert' Nyemyetskim zahvatchikam''). In some Guards Armies and Corps, different designs on the obverse and reverse were used. Even the Lenin portrait was different in these colours. All of them were gold fringed.
The Navy's Guards units still had the 1935 design, with the addition of the Guards ribbon below, except for units which were honoured with the Order of the Red Banner and became Guard units later. The difference is in the red five-pointed star, in which Red Banner Guard unit flags had applied the Guards ribbon below aside from the Order of the Red Banner on the star for units that had the order bestowed on their colours earlier. Units which used the 1944 regimental colour design but adapted for the navy's guards units included air and marine units which still had the obverse of Army and Air Force guards units standards.
=Colours of the present-day
Russian Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (, ), commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military forces of Russia. In terms of active-duty personnel, they are the world's fifth-largest military force, with at least two m ...
=
Since the birth of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the old Soviet unit colours were retained. Starting in 1998, the traditional Imperial Russian Armed Forces flag designs were reinstated; however, the new designs began to appear in the early years of the 21st century in the Army and Air Force. But the Russian Navy's old naval colour ( St. Andrew's cross in blue on a white field) began to be used again in 1992. It has several variations, and the old jack colour of the Soviet Navy (pre-1935) soon became its jack colour, with the red star with the hammer and sickle removed. The unit colours (especially those of the Navy honour guards) have the same design with the unit insignia at the centre of it while Guards units and bemerited and decorated units apply a different version of the colour.
The new Army and Air Force unit colours are square shaped, have a St. Andrew's cross in the colours of the
Ribbon of Saint George
The ribbon of Saint George (also known as Saint George's ribbon, the Georgian ribbon; russian: Георгиевская ленточка, Georgiyevskaya lentochka; and the Guards ribbon in Soviet context: see Terminology for further information) ...
, and with the unit insignia in the middle of the observe and the national arms at the reverse, with the service branch emblem on the corners. These colours are the basis for similar ones used today in the various Russian uniformed services.
Spain
* Standard colours: Units of the
Spanish Armed Forces
The Spanish Armed Forces are in charge of guaranteeing the sovereignty and independence of the Kingdom of Spain, defending its territorial integrity and the constitutional order, according to the functions entrusted to them by the Constitution o ...
have a single colour based on the
national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...
. This has the coat of arms in the centre of the flag, surrounded by the regiment's name in black lettering. Red and yellow tassels are attached to the
finial
A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...
which have the battle honours embroidered on them. Formerly a white regimental colour with the unit insignia on the middle of a red
Cross of Burgundy
The Cross of Burgundy (french: Croix de Bourgogne; es, Cruz de Borgoña/Aspa de Borgoña; german: Burgunderkreuz; it, Croce di Borgogna; ca, Creu de Borgonya; nl, Bourgondisch kruis) is a saw-toothed ( raguly) form of the Cross of Saint Andr ...
or at the sides was used by these units until the adoption of the present colours design in 1843.
* Coronelas: Up until the early years of the 20th century, some Spanish regiments had a ''coronela'' , or King's Colour in addition to their Regimental Colour based on the national flag. Although officially the only colour is the standard one, some older regiments continue to carry a copy of their old ''coronela'' which are used on some occasions to maintain regimental traditions. However, the coronelas no longer have any official standing and are not used on official occasions. The design of such colours are white with the royal arms at the centre and the unit insignia and honours at the sides.
* Second order colours – regimental/wing guidons and banners: In the Spanish Armed Forces, guidons and banners are second order colours, but are more smaller (guidons are medium square shaped while banners are small square shaped). Guidons are used by battalions, squadrons and groups (even vessels) in the Armed Forces while the banners are used by companies, troops, flights and batteries. All have different and unique designs with some of these having the old Burgundy cross on them. These have also the unit insignia at the centre. Like the Regimental Colour the finials of these colours have the attached unit battle honours and decorations.
Sweden
The design of the colours of the
Swedish Armed Forces
The Swedish Armed Forces ( sv, Försvarsmakten, "the Defense Force") is the government agency that forms the armed forces of Sweden, tasked with the defense of the country as well as with promoting Sweden's wider interests, supporting internati ...
of today dates back to several separate regulations from early 19th century up to the first united regulations of the three fighting services in 1972. The majority of the army colours are dated back to the summarized regulations of 1950. The colours of the Swedish Amphibious Corps (former Swedish Coastal Artillery) were decided in model 1944. The colours of the
Swedish Air Force
The Swedish Air Force ( sv, Svenska flygvapnet or just ) is the air force branch of the Swedish Armed Forces.
History
The Swedish Air Force was created on 1 July, 1926 when the aircraft units of the Army and Navy were merged. Because of the es ...
were modelled in 1938. Most older colours are embroidered by hand while younger ones can be both machine and handmade. When a military unit, as regards traditions, is amalgamated with another, both colours will be carried together. In principle this will go on as long as both colours are usable. When one of the two (or more) no longer can be repaired, the unit will be granted a new colour. This new colour will reflect the traditions of both units without altering the prescribed model.
Exceptions from this rule are:
* The Life Guards (LG) which maintains its privilege to present both the colour of the former
Svea Life Guards
The Svea Life Guards ( sv, Svea livgarde), also I 1, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that was active in various forms 1521–2000. The unit was based in the Stockholm Garrison in Stockholm and belonged to the King's Life and Household Tro ...
South Scanian Regiment
South Scanian Regiment ( sv, Södra skånska regementet), designation P 7, is a Swedish Army armoured regiment that traces its origins back to 1811. It was converted from an infantry regiment in 1963 and renamed from South Scania Infantry Re ...
(P 7) which maintains its privilege to present both the colour of the South Scanian Regiment (P 7) and the standard of the former Scanian Dragoon Brigade (''Skånska dragonbrigaden'', MekB 8)
* The Artillery Regiment (A 9) which maintains its privilege to present both the standard of the Artillery Regiment (A 9) and the honorary standard of the former
Wendes Artillery Regiment
The Wendes Artillery Regiment ( sv, Wendes artilleriregemente), designation A 3, was a Swedish Army artillery regiment that traced its origins back to the 17th century. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from Scania, where it was ...
(A 3)
* The
Uppland Regiment
The Uppland Regiment ( sv, Upplands regemente), designation I 8, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traced its origins back to the 16th century. It was disbanded in 1957. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from the province ...
(S 1) which maintains its privilege to present both the colour of the former Royal Signal Regiment (S 1) and the colour of the former Royal Uppland Regiment (I 8)
A colour is normally granted to the following by the King, by the Prime Minister or the Commander of the Armed Forces:
* an army unit belonging to the Infantry Branch, the Armoured Troops, the Engineer Troops, the Signal Troops and the Service Troops
* the regiments of the Amphibious Corps
* the wings of the Swedish Air Force
Turkey
The
Flag of Turkey
The national flag of Turkey, officially the Turkish flag ( tr, Türk bayrağı), is a red flag featuring a white star and crescent. The flag is often called "the red flag" (), and is referred to as "the red banner" () in the Turkish national an ...
is used by the
Turkish Armed Forces
The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; tr, Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK) are the military forces of the Republic of Turkey. Turkish Armed Forces consist of the General Staff, the Land Forces, the Naval Forces and the Air Forces. The current Chi ...
as a National Colour, and thus has distinguishing features:
* the golden TC (Turkish monogram for Republic of Turkey) on the top left corner, surrounded by golden rays
* the regimental name, abbreviated, below the crescent and star in white
Ukraine
Maroon and gold are the colours used in the military colours used in the
Armed Forces of Ukraine
, imports =
, exports =
, history =
, ranks = Military ranks of Ukraine
, country=Ukraine
The Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Збро́йні си́ли Украї́ни), most commonly known ...
, with origins in the
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...
's Cossacks and Ukrainian units. In the observe the
Coat of arms of Ukraine
The coat of arms of Ukraine is a blue shield with a gold trident. Officially referred to as the ''Emblem of the Royal State of Volodymyr the Great'', or, colloquially, the ''tryzub'' ( uk, тризуб), the insignia derives from the seal-tri ...
, surrounded by a gold wreath, is at the centre of an Orthodox Cross – both symbols form the emblem of the Armed Forces – with a St. Andrew's Cross under it with the same emblem in the sides, with the Armed Forces Motto (''For Ukraine, For its glory'') surrounding the emblem and crosses. The unit's name is in the reverse. The colour is gold fringed and is mounted on a pole with a trident finial modeled on the national arms. The same design is used in the
National Guard of Ukraine
The National Guard of Ukraine (NGU; uk, Націона́льна гва́рдія Украї́ни, Natsionalna hvardiia Ukrainy, , ) is the Ukrainian national gendarmerie and Internal Troops, internal military force. It is part of the Minist ...
but in blue and with the 2015 grenade badge. Active duty NG units sport dark blue colours with the Orthodox Cross, grenade and the coat of arms at the corners.
Only the 93rd Mechanized Brigade (Ground Forces), the
Ukrainian Air Assault Forces
The Ukrainian Air Assault Forces (, or ), known until 2017 as the Ukrainian Airmobile Forces (, ), are the airborne forces of Ukraine. They formed in 1992 and were part of the Ukrainian Ground Forces until 2016, when they separated to become one o ...
and the
Ukrainian Naval Infantry
The Ukrainian Naval Infantry Corps ( uk, Морська піхота України, translit=Morsʹka pikhota Ukrayiny), also known as the Ukrainian Marines, is part of coastal defense troops of the Ukrainian Navy. It is used as a component part o ...
have been granted additional colours so far in addition to the official maroon unit colours.
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine shares a similar colour design to the Armed Forces but with the green colour added to distinguish its units.
Yugoslavia and post-Yugoslav nations
The first Yugoslav military colours came about when the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was established in 1918. These were the square versions of the Flag of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia with the state coat of arms and the motto of the
Yugoslav Royal Army
The Yugoslav Army ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Jugoslovenska vojska, JV, Југословенска војска, ЈВ), commonly the Royal Yugoslav Army, was the land warfare military service branch of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (originally Kingdom of Serbs, ...
. The unit names were attached to a ribbon at the pole. The colours were inspired by the military colours of Serbia and of the Croat, Slovene and Bosnian military units of resistance against Austria-Hungary during the First World War.
With the birth of the communist Partisans in 1941 in time for the Second World War, their flags showed the same
Pan-Slavic colours
The pan-Slavic colours (or colors) — red, blue and white — were defined by the Prague Slavic Congress, 1848, based on the flag of Russia, which was introduced in the late 17th century. The tricolor flag of Russia was itself inspired by the f ...
on them (arranged according to nationality) but this time a red star was added in the middle. The naval units had a different ensign used and these flags became the basis for the military colours of Democratic Federal Yugoslavia at the time of its 1943 proclamation.
By the time, these flags had the unit name on the pole pennants and were gold fringed. The Partisan General Staff had their own version of it.
Post-war colours (from 1947, when the nation became a Federal People's Republic) used various flag design with the Yugoslav People's Army motto in Serbo-Croatian (''For the freedom and independence of the socialist fatherland'') both in Cyrillic and Latin and differed per unit or service arm of the YPA, but was longer and were gold fringed. Just as before, the unit name stayed on the attached ribbon. Both the
Flag of Yugoslavia
The flag of Yugoslavia / ; sl, zastava Jugoslavije; mk, знаме на Југославија, translit=zname na Jugoslavija was the official flag of the Yugoslav state from 1918 to 1992. The flag's design and symbolism are derived from the ...
and the flag of the
League of Communists of Yugoslavia
The League of Communists of Yugoslavia, mk, Сојуз на комунистите на Југославија, Sojuz na komunistite na Jugoslavija known until 1952 as the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, sl, Komunistična partija Jugoslavije mk ...
were used as National Colours in parades. Unique colours were issued to the Navy, to YPA reserve units and the Territorial Defence Forces of the republics.
Today all the nations comprising the former Yugoslavia have separate colour traditions per armed forces, but keep their unique appearance.
= Serbia
=
The Serbian Armed Forces colour design is very much unique, while gold fringe can be seen in these colours. At the observe is the national flag design, a tricolour with the national coat of arms, while the emblem and facing colour of the unit represented is in the reverse.
Guidons and standards
Commonwealth of Nations
The standard is the colours-equivalent for the heavy cavalry (e.g., horse guards and dragoon guards). At 27 in × 30 in, on an 8 ft 6 in long pole, it is much smaller than infantry colours, so that it can be carried by a soldier on horseback. The guidon is the equivalent for the light cavalry (e.g., dragoons, light dragoons, hussars and lancers). It is swallow-tailed, 27 in × 41 in, with an 8 ft 6 in long pole.
The word ''guidon'' is a corruption of the French ''guyde homme'' – 'the guide man'. Originally each troop had its own, but this was quickly reduced to a single, regimental one. With the increased dispersion of troops required in the light cavalry role, their operational function had ceased by the 1830s and they were discontinued. The regiment's kettledrums, with the battle honours woven onto the drum banners (with the exception of 3rd The King's Own Hussars and its successors, where they are uncovered, with the battle honours engraved onto the kettledrums themselves) became the focal point of the regiment's loyalty. In 1952 King George VI reintroduced the guidons of the light cavalry for ceremonial purposes.
Both the standard and the guidon are usually of crimson trimmed in gold and with the regiment's
insignia
An insignia () is a sign or mark distinguishing a group, grade, rank, or function. It can be a symbol of personal power or that of an official group or governing body.
On its own, an insignia is a sign of a specific or general authority and is ...
in the centre. The regiment's battle honours are emblazoned on both the
obverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ...
and
reverse
Reverse or reversing may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Reverse'' (Eldritch album), 2001
* ''Reverse'' (2009 film), a Polish comedy-drama film
* ''Reverse'' (2019 film), an Iranian crime-drama film
* ''Reverse'' (Morandi album), 2005
* ''Reverse'' ...
, up to a maximum of 22 on each side.
Denmark
Cavalry (armour) units carry a standard ( da, estandart), of similar design to the infantry colour, but smaller and square, with the cross centred on the field. The royal cypher is in the upper hoist and the initials of the regiment in the lower hoist. The Guard Hussar Regiment's standard is unique, as it has two monograms – with King Frederick VI's monogram in top right corner.
France
In the
French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...
, mounted units carry (standards). Mounted units include armoured corps and cavalry, artillery, transportation, army aviation, and supplies. The is a 64 × 64 cm square flag similar to the carried by the units of foot, with the same design: the regimental name at the observe and the battle honours at the reserve.
Italy
In the
Italian Army
"The safeguard of the republic shall be the supreme law"
, colors =
, colors_labels =
, march = ''Parata d'Eroi'' ("Heroes's parade") by Francesco Pellegrino, ''4 Maggio'' (May 4) ...
, cavalry units carry a ''stendardo'' (standard) of the same pattern as the ''bandiera di guerra'', but which measures 60 cm × 60 cm.
The Netherlands
The five hussar regiments of the
Royal Netherlands Army
The Royal Netherlands Army ( nl, Koninklijke Landmacht) is the land branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Though the Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, its origins date back to 1572, when the was raised – making the Dutc ...
carry a (standard), of similar design to the infantry colour, but smaller (50 cm × 50 cm).
Portugal
Until the 1960s, the
Portuguese Military
The Portuguese Armed Forces ( pt, Forças Armadas) are the military of Portugal. They include the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the other unified bodies and the three service branches: Portuguese Navy, Portuguese Army and Portuguese Air ...
followed the traditions of its foot units having colours ( pt, bandeiras, literally "flags"), while mounted units had standards (''estandartes''), the latter being smaller versions of the colours. Standards were also carried by naval and aviation units. In the 1960s, the traditional separation between colours and standards was abolished, with all being reclassified as "national standards" (''estandartes nacionais''). At the same time, a new type of standard, the heraldic standard, was introduced. Presently, the military units, commands, forces and establishments have both a national standard and an heraldic standard. While the design of the national standards reflects the
National Flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...
, the designs of the heraldic standards reflect the individual heraldic symbology of each of the units.
In the Portuguese military parlance, a guidon (''guião'') is a small square flag of a battalion sized unit. Guidons of a very simple design were introduced in the 19th century, as the tactical field signs of the foot units that didn't carry colours, namely the second battalions of the infantry regiments and the independent ''
caçadores
The Caçadores (hunters) were the elite light infantry troops of the Portuguese Army, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Units of ''Caçadores'' – with features somewhat different from the original ones – continued to exist in the P ...
'' (light infantry) battalions. In the early 20th century, the tactical role of the guidons was discontinued. The guidons assumed then a ceremonial role, coming to have a more elaborate design which incorporated the symbology of their respective units. Guidelines for the design of guidons accordingly with heraldic rules were introduced in the 1950s, these becoming mandatory and standardized in the 1960s. The present guidon design - similar in all branches of the Military - consists in the quadrature of the coat of arms of the corresponding unit or of its parent unit, framed by a bordure. The colours of the bordure can be used to identify a sub-unit inside its parent unit.
Besides heraldic standards and guidons, the Portuguese military units also use heraldic pennants (''flâmulas''). These are small swallow-tailed or triangular flags used to identify company sized units.
Some of the Portuguese uniformed security forces and civil emergency organizations also make use of heraldic standards, guidons and pennants, usually modelled after the military ones.
United States
In the
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
, guidons are much more prevalent, with units below battalion size being authorized to use them. In the
US Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
, these are swallow tailed flags that are 20 in × 27 in, and are in the colour of the branch of the service the unit is from, with the branch's insignia the most prominent device. Also on the guidon is included the unit's identifying letter, and the number(s) of its parent unit. War service and campaign streamers are not attached to these guidons, but unit citation streamers can be.
Guns
In regiments of the (British)
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
, and artillery regiments of other Commonwealth countries, the guns are afforded the status of colours. This is due to the difficulty of artillery regiments being able to carry flags onto the battlefield, and the fact that the guns themselves were the rallying points for the soldiers manning them. As a consequence, whenever artillery regiments parade, the etiquette that would normally be applied to the colours is applied to the guns. During the Battle of Balaclava gunners abandoned their guns, in effect abandoning their colours, causing disgrace.
Because the guns have the status of colours, gunners of commonwealth countries will attempt to prevent their guns falling intact into enemy hands both for practical reasons (so that the guns can not be turned and used against their own side) and for the honour of the regiment. For example, the last action of gunners of the Royal Artillery during the
fall of Singapore
The Fall of Singapore, also known as the Battle of Singapore,; ta, சிங்கப்பூரின் வீழ்ச்சி; ja, シンガポールの戦い took place in the South–East Asian theatre of the Pacific War. The Empire o ...
was to destroy their guns.
The
Honourable Artillery Company
The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is a reserve regiment in the British Army. Incorporated by royal charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII, it is the oldest regiment in the British Army and is considered the second-oldest military unit in the w ...
, the oldest regiment in the British Army, and not part of the
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
, is the only artillery regiment to have both colours and guns, which are treated with equal respect.
In Singapore, however, since its independence the Singapore Army's artillery arm (the Singapore Artillery) uses colours instead of guns; this is also the case for the Malaysian Army, Pakistan Army, Royal Cambodian Army and the Royal Thai Army, whose artillery units use colours and not guns on parade. This has been the same case for the Indian
Regiment of Artillery
The Regiment of Artillery is a combat/fighting arm of the Indian Army, which provides massive firepower during all ground operations of the Indian Army. It is a successor to the Royal Indian Artillery (RIA) of British Indian Army, which itsel ...
, which presents colours in dismounted parades, and the
Sri Lanka Artillery
The Sri Lanka Artillery (SLA) is the artillery arm of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of ten regular regiments and two volunteer regiments. The SLA is headquartered at Panagoda Cantonment, Panagoda.
The emblem of the SLA is modeled after that ...
, which has a strand of colours similar to the HAC.
Etiquette
*The Regimental Colour (or Standard or Guidon) is always paraded whenever the regiment is on a formal parade. However, the Sovereign's (King's or Queen's)/Presidential Colour is only paraded on certain occasions.
*Compliments (for example saluting and presenting arms) are always paid to the (uncased) Colours.
*When the Colours are being paraded, they are carried either by a
subaltern
Subaltern may refer to:
*Subaltern (postcolonialism), colonial populations who are outside the hierarchy of power
* Subaltern (military), a primarily British and Commonwealth military term for a junior officer
* Subalternation, going from a univer ...
or
warrant officer
Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mos ...
, dependent on the regiment. On parade, the Colours always have an armed escort, the Colour Party, who would normally be
non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...
s. In the infantry this role usually falls to Colour Sergeants.
*When the Colours are not being paraded, most regiments house them in their
Officers' Mess
The mess (also called a mess deck aboard ships) is a designated area where military personnel socialize, eat and (in some cases) live. The term is also used to indicate the groups of military personnel who belong to separate messes, such as the o ...
. They are ''cased'' and secured every night.
*When a regiment is presented with new Colours, the old Colours, which will now never again be paraded, are laid up (i.e.: put on permanent display) in a place sacred to the Regiment (for example the Regimental Chapel).
Ceremonies of colours
Royal Navy
The British
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
and other navies of the
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...
call the flag-raising ceremony that happens every morning when a ship is in harbour ''colours''. In British home waters, colours is conducted at 0800 (eight bells in the morning watch) from 15 February to 31 October inclusive, and at 0900 (two bells in the forenoon watch) during the winter.
When sunset is at or before 2100, flags are lowered at sunset at the ceremony of ''sunset''. When sunset is after 2100, the evening flag lowering ceremony is called ''evening colours'' and carried out at 2100.
United States Navy
The
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
performs the same ceremonies, called "Morning Colors" and "Evening Colors", at 0800 and sunset each day. When "Colors" is played aboard Navy and Marine Corps bases, those outdoors must stop to render proper courtesies by saluting if in uniform or, if out of uniform, by standing at attention, until "Carry On" is sounded. Marines and sailors driving on base during this time are expected to stop their vehicles and stand at attention until the ceremony is over.
Yacht clubs
Many traditional
yacht club
A yacht club is a sports club specifically related to yachting.
Description
Yacht clubs are mostly located by the sea, although there some that have been established at a lake or riverside locations. Yacht or sailing clubs have either a mari ...
s worldwide also conduct morning and evening colour ceremonies. At 0800 each morning and at sunset during the club's active sailing season the ceremony is performed by the launchmen or
harbourmaster
A harbourmaster (or harbormaster, see spelling differences) is an official responsible for enforcing the regulations of a particular harbour or port, in order to ensure the safety of navigation, the security of the harbour and the correct opera ...
.
* First, a bell is sounded as an alert for all members and guests present to stand at attention.
* A cannon is then fired and the national ensign hoisted (or lowered if sunset).
* At the conclusion of the ceremony the most senior officer present says: "As you were" and members and guests may carry on.
In games
Capturing an enemy's flag was formerly a major goal in war, and it is still practised today, and so capturing the enemy flag also appears in several games:
*
Capture the flag
Capture the flag (CTF) is a traditional outdoor sport where two or more teams each have a flag (or other markers) and the objective is to capture the other team's flag, located at the team's "base", and bring it safely back to their own base. ...
*'' Stratego'', a board game where the goal is to capture the enemy's flag
*
Chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...
: In Estonian the
queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
is known as ''lipp'' ("standard"), while in Italian the
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
is called ''alfiere'' ("standard-bearer")
See also
*
Glossary of vexillology
Flag terminology is the nomenclature, or system of terms, used in vexillology, the study of flags, to describe precisely the parts, patterns, and other attributes of flags and their display.
Flag types
...
*
Historical colours, standards and guidons
The following is a list of historical military colours, standards and guidons in different countries that do not exist today.
France
Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages, units did not have specific colours attached to them; rather, they often ...
*
Trooping the Colour
Trooping the Colour is a ceremony performed every year in London, United Kingdom, by regiments of the British Army. Similar events are held in other countries of the Commonwealth. Trooping the Colour has been a tradition of British infantry regi ...
*
Presentation of Colours
The Presentation of Colours is a ceremony that marks an anniversary or event in the history of a particular regiment. This involves the presentation of a new version of the regimental colour to a regiment or equivalent formation in the armed for ...
*
Vexillum
The ''vexillum'' (; plural ''vexilla'') was a flag-like object used as a military standard by units in the Ancient Roman army.
Use in Roman army
The word ''vexillum'' is a derivative of the Latin word, ''velum'', meaning a sail, which co ...
*
War flag
A war flag, also known as a military flag, battle flag, or standard, is a variant of a national flag for use by a country's military forces when on land. The nautical equivalent is a naval ensign. Under the strictest sense of the term, few countri ...