On Tue, 07 Sep 1999
"John T. Nichols" <jtnichols@earthlink.net>
Wrote: Re: union-jack
The ensign or flag of the Royal Navy and of the Merchant Marine has the
Union Flag as its canton, i.e., in the upper left corner of the flag
(the canton is called the union in the Stars and Stripes just to confuse
matters still more). When flown as a jack the fly part of the flag is
not used and only the canton, in this case the Union Flag, is flown. In
other words, the Union Flag is used as the Union Jack by the Royal Navy
and as the canton of the Navy and Merchant Marine ensign. Calling the
Union Flag the Union Jack is technically correct because of this and
widely used.
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>>>It never ceases to impress me, when I travel around the world, quite how
many places I visit still have the British Union Flag incorporated as the
canton, within their own national flag,
e.g.: Hawaii, (eight horizontal stripes-representing the main islands, from
the top white,red,blue,white,red,blue,white & red, with the Union Flag as the
canton),
I seemed to see this flag being flown more than the American National Flag.
then, the provincial flag of Ontario in Canada, which is red, with a shield
in the centre,
comprising a green background with three golden maple leaves, and a small
St.Georges cross = a red cross on a white background. The Union Flag is again
the canton.
I recall the flag of the ex-Crown Colony of Hong Kong, before it was ceded
back to the Chinese. is Blue with an Heraldic emblem of Lion and Dragon
holding a shield on a white circle in the middle. The Union Flag, again being
the canton.
The flag of British Colombia in Canada has the Union Flag across the entire
top third of the flag, not really a canton but a beautiful flag nonetheless.
Of course, the National Flags of Australia and New Zealand are quite
stunning, with their rich dark blue background and the Southern Cross
stars...and the Union Flag as the canton.
I even have a flag here from Natal province in the Republic of South Africa,
which calls itself, 'The Last Outpost' (of the British Empire)!
It is Bright Red, with a black-ringed white circle in the middle, with an
heraldic emblem, comprising a regal lion and unicorn, and the royal families
motto of
"Dieu et mon Droit", also the words "Victoria dei Gratia Britannia Reg. F.D."
and "Colony of Natal"
The Union Flag is again the canton.
It all nearly brings a lump to the throat and a tear to the eye, to think
what once was.
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By the by, what we Americans think of as the Confederate Battle Flag is
also the Confederate Naval Jack since it forms the canton in both the
Second (The Stainless Banner) National Flag and the Third National Flag
of the Confederacy. The original Battle Flag of the Army of Northern
Virginia was square rather than rectangular but in the West it was
changed to a rectangle by units in the Army of Tennessee and as such was
incorporated into the national flags.
Vexillogically yours,
John T. Nichols
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Last autumn/fall, I was lucky enough to be shown around the civil war museum
at Knoxville by Dan Masters, a terrible conflict surely with a great many
seemingly unnecessary deaths, but your point above reminds me to ask about
the flags I purchased in the museum...which is which ?
I have four flags.
1) White background with the confederate blue cross with 13 stars across it,
on a red canton.
2) The same again, but with a wide vertical red stripe down the right hand
side.
3) The 'normal' square confederate flag, red with the blue cross and the 13
stars thereon.
4) A flag with three wide horizontal stripes, from the top, red, white & red.
The canton is blue with 7 white stars in a circle.
I assume the number of stars is related to the number of (southern) states
involved in that terrible conflict when the flags were current ?
Any elucidation would be appreciated.
Thanks
Léon
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