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The Grenadier Guards colours
In the age of line tactics, the unit colour was an important rallying point for infantry soldiers.
Stitching the Standard by Edmund Leighton (1911), oil on canvas.

In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours, 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 also made battle standards reading SPQR a part of their vast armies. It was formalized in the armies of Europe in the High Middle Ages, with standards being emblazoned with the commander's coat of arms.

General use

Napoleon I awarding the Legion d'Honneur to a dragoon for the capture of an Imperial regimental flag.
Watercolour painting showing a Hindu priest garlanding the regimental colours of the 35th Bengal Light Infantry, a regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry in the Army of East India Company's Bengal Presidency in c. 1847 (British Library)

As armies became trained and adopted set formations, each regiment's ability to keep its formation was potentially critical to its, and therefore its army's, success. In the chaos of battle, due to the amount of dust and smoke on a battlefield, soldiers needed to be able to determine where their regiment was.

Regimental flags are generally awarded to a regiment by a head of state during a ceremony. They were therefore treated with respect 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).

Regiments tended to adopt "colour guards", 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.[citation needed]

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

Asia

Cambodia

In Cambodia, the Colours of the Military and other uniformed institutions follow British, US, and French practice.

Until 2022 basically a large version of the Flag of Cambodia with the unit name below in white in the bottom blue stripe was used as the King's Colour of RCAF formations before being reassigned as the National Colour for parades and ceremonies. In 2023, a new Chinese-derived design but also harking to the days of the old kingdoms on Cambodian territories, debuted - it's a unified design with the insignia of the unit or formation at the center and the unit name in Khmer below but with the colors differing per service:

China, People's Republic of (Mainland China)

Army flag of the People's Republic of China

The People's Liberation Army is the overall body for the entire armed forces of the People's Republic of China, 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, but has instead of the four smaller gold stars the Chinese characters for the numerals '8' and '1', which stand for 1 August, the day in 1927 that the PLA was founded. When paraded, the flag is fringed in gold and mounted on a red-and-gold pole.

Each branch of the PLA has its own flag, based on the Army Flag (Banners of the PLA):

These, too, are not paraded publicly except with the same gold fringe as the Army flag.

Individual unit colours based on the PLA service colour would be introduced only from 2018 (and that, only on a test basis), when mobile contingents of units of the Northern Theater Command which took part in the joint military exercise "Vostok 2018" with the Russian Armed Forces carried red colours with the unit name on the white fringe nearest the flagpole. Test battle colours had been given to the People's Armed Police some 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, 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.

China, Republic of (Taiwan)

Army flag of the Republic of China

The army of the Republic of China (Taiwan) also has a single flag that it uses, which is red, with a banner of the Blue Sky with a White Sun in the centre. It has a red flagpole with silver spearhead finial 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, 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'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, 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 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, formerly using a blue colour, now use a brown colour with the ROCMP arms.

Units reporting to the Ministry of National Defence 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:

In all events whenever the ROCAF is involved, the ROC flag is used as the National colour.

Indonesia

In Indonesia, the Colours of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, Indonesian National Police and other uniformed institutions are known as Panji-panji. The Panji-panji is carried and escorted by a colour guard known as "Pataka", an abbreviation from Pasukan Tanda Kehormatan in Indonesian.[1]

National colour and service colours
Indonesian National Armed Forces, Army, Navy, and Air Force colour guards

During graduation and passing out parades, whenever the enlistment or commissioning pledge is taken, the flag of Indonesia 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 and the Municipal Police units (known as the Panji-Panji Kesatuan/Lambang-Lambang Kesatuan). Within the TNI, service colours exist for all three service branches. Panji-panji means the military/service colours in Indonesian.

Non-military:

Colours of commands and below
An Indonesian Army battalion colour guard

Tunggul and Pataka 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 obverse 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 and Municipal Police, the speciality colours are:

Korea, Democratic People's Republic of (North Korea)

The KPA's first flag, used in 1948.
The KPA's flag from 1992 to 1993. Since this flag's retirement in 1993, the KPA has not had its own dedicated flag, but the 1992 design has been reinstated only as a ceremonial colour for guards units but retaining the arms and motto from the earlier flag of 1948

The Korean People's Army is the overall body for the entire armed forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. 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 but with the national emblem replacing the star[2] 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" (조국의 통일 독립과 인민을 위하여), replaced by the current motto "For the unification and independence of the motherland, and the freedom and happiness of the people" (조국의 통일, 독립과 인민의 자유와 행복을 위하여).

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 seen for over three decades in major holiday parades. All the colours shared the same reverse with the emblem of the Workers' Party of Korea 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 [unit name] / No.425 unit (in ceremonies)" (조선로동당의 혁명적무장력인 조선인민군 제425 군부대), 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 obverse, which also shows the 4.25 mark in gold numbering. The Guards units also had its badge beneath the 4.25 mark. In 2023, a new amended design based on the 1992-93 templates was adopted for the KPA with the motto kept, and the 4.25 mark was finally removed, with the date of the service branch or unit raising now replacing it. Guards formations retained their official emblem below the foundation date. The reverse of these colours was updated. These colours are in gold fringe when brought out in public parades in Pyongyang, 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.

Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

The traditions of military unit and branch colours of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces are mostly derived from the Western practice with the Flag of South Korea 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:

In major holiday parades two additional colours are paraded as part of the national colour guard.

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).

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. They are only brought out during state visits to the republic and on major holidays.

Laos

In Laos, the Colours of the Military and other uniformed institutions follow North Korean practice. It is basically a large version of the Laotian flag with the unit name below in white in the top and bottom red stripe.

Philippines

Philippine military colours are the Flag of the Philippines 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, 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:

Thailand

The Unit Colour of the 1st Engineer Bataillion, King's Guard of the Royal Thai Army during the funeral procession of Princess Galyani Vadhana in 2008.

Each unit of the Royal Thai Armed Forces is given a colour called the "Thong Chai Chalermphol" (Thai: ธงชัยเฉลิมพล) or Victory Colours. These are presented to each unit personally by the King of Thailand. The colours are divided into four different designs, for: Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy, Royal Thai Air Force and King's Guard 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 in Bangkok. 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 (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 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 (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.

  • Royal Thai Army Unit Colour
    Royal Thai Army Unit Colour
  • Royal Thai Navy Unit Colour
    Royal Thai Navy Unit Colour
  • Royal Thai Air Force Unit Colour
    Royal Thai Air Force Unit Colour
  • Colours of the Royal Guard units
    Colours of the Royal Guard units

Turkey

The Flag of Turkey is used by the Turkish Armed Forces as a National Colour, and thus has distinguishing features:

Vietnam

Similar to Chinese practice, the Flag of Vietnam is used as a National Colour by all formations of battalion level above within the People's Army of Vietnam. It is fringed in gold, and when used in ceremonies, often has the gold motto Quyết thắng ("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

See also: Commonwealth of Nations

A moth-eaten rag on a worm-eaten pole,
It does not look likely to stir a man's Soul,
'Tis the deeds that were done 'neath the moth-eaten rag,
When the pole was a staff, and the rag was a flag.

Sir Edward Hamly on seeing some old Colours of the 32nd Foot in Monmouth Church.[3]

So long as its colors remain, and there is one man left to carry them, a regiment can never die; they can recruit it again around that one man, and the regiment will continue on its road to future glory with the same old traditions behind it and the same atmosphere surrounding it that made brave men of its forbears. So although the colors are not exactly the soul of a regiment, they are the concrete embodiment of it, and are even more sacred than the person of a reigning sovereign.

Talbot Mundy, The Soul of a Regiment

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.[citation needed]

Australia, Canada, and New Zealand

George VI presents the King's Colours to the Royal Canadian Navy at a ceremony in Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, in 1939
The Australian National Flag (top) was the basis of the Australian White Ensign (bottom).
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, presents new colours to the Royal Regiment of Canada and Toronto Scottish Regiment at Varsity Stadium in Toronto, 5 November 2009
Queen's colours of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, New Zealand Army Officer Cadet School and Royal New Zealand Navy

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 state that the First, or Senior Colours symbolizes the unit's loyalty to the Crown; 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 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.[4]

Air Force
Army
All colours of the Army were on parade for the centenary of the Army, 10 March 2001.
Navy

India

Given its Commonwealth heritage as a former British colony, the Indian Armed Forces sports colours which are equivalent to those used in the British military.

Presidential Colours to service branches of the armed forces
  • President's Colour of the Indian Navy
    President's Colour of the Indian Navy
  • President's Colour of Indian Air Force
    President's Colour of Indian Air Force

Only the Navy and Air Force sport President's Service Colours which are their respective naval ensign and air force flag which are gold fringed with modifications:

President's Colours/Standards/Guidons/Banners of military units
The President, Shri Ramnath Kovind presenting the prestigious President's Regimental Colours to all five Ladakh Scouts Battalions and Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre, at Leh on August 21, 2017.

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, who is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, these are the equivalents to British regimental colours. In the Army, these colours carry the regimental/battalion insignia and any recognized battle honours won by the unit.

Only the President's Bodyguard has had in times a full strand following British practice, consisting of the President's Standard and a Regimental Standard.

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 are the flags given by the King of Malaysia 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, 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, 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:

In addition the Royal Johor Military Force was granted its privilege in the 1910s, as the sole state defense force in the country, to have its own Regimental Colour.

Victoria Institution is the only private educational institution granted Colours for its role in the Second World War.

Singapore

Singaporean military colours of the Singapore Armed Forces 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 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.

Sri Lanka

President's Colour of 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:

Regimental colours follow the British model, and the two light infantry regiments (Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment and Sri Lanka Rifle Corps) do not carry colours at all. Unlike the British Royal Artillery, the Sri Lanka Artillery 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.

United Kingdom

See also: Regulation Colours
Line infantry and foot guards
Colour party of the Royal Bermuda Regiment at Queen's Birthday Parade on 10 June 2017
King's colour of the 1st Battalion, the Grenadier Guards. In contrast with those of the line infantry regiments, the king's colours of Foot Guards regiments are crimson, and it is their regimental colours that are based on the Union Flag. Foot Guards regiments also emblazon the same honours (from all conflicts, including both World Wars) on both colours.

In regiments of infantry of the British Army and the armies of other Commonwealth countries, each battalion carries two colours, which collectively are called a stand. These are large flags, usually 36 by 45 inches (91 cm × 114 cm), and mounted on a half pike which is 8 feet 7+1⁄2 inches (2.629 m) long; the king's or queen's colour (state or president's colour if the country is a republic) is usually a version of the country's national flag, often trimmed with gold fabric, and with the regiment's insignia 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 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 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 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
Additional colours of the 3rd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment (Duke of Wellington's).
Rifle regiments

By tradition, rifle regiments 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 and the Royal Gurkha Rifles carry their battle honours on their drums, while the Royal Green Jackets also had theirs inscribed on their cap badge; 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 Queen's Truncheon awarded in 1863.

The Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment was the first modern non-British regiment to receive truncheons when they were awarded to that unit in 2017. In 2019, a similar truncheon, the Rana Parashuwa, was granted to the Sri Lanka Army Special Forces Regiment, the first of their kind granted to a Commonwealth special forces formation. Formerly, the Malaysian Army Royal Ranger Regiment was granted a regimental truncheon in 1966.

In India, colours or banners are given instead of truncheons, following Russian practice and in line with the ancient Indian traditions of old, to all the rifle and scout infantry regiments by the president of India.

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 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:

Embellishments

Woven onto the colours are battle honours; 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 emblem carried by regiments who took part in the Egypt campaign of 1801. The Foot Guards carry battle honours from all engagements in both of their colours. 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:

In the United Kingdom, 41 Commando, Royal Marines, 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.

Royal Air Force
King's Colour of the Royal Air Force

RAF colours are made of sky blue silk and measure approximately 36" × 36". The following colours have been awarded:

The King's colour for the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom is a variation of the RAF Ensign 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.

Royal Hospital, Chelsea

The Royal Hospital, Chelsea had neither colours nor other distinctive device during its entire history, until 2002 when Queen Elizabeth II 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 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. 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:

The former 41 Commando was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for its service in the Korean War, and was thus permitted to carry the streamer on its Regimental Colour.[9]

Royal Navy

The colours of His Majesty's ships in the Royal Navy consist of:

In addition, each principal command in the Royal Navy also has its own king's colour which is a variation of the White Ensign, 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, surmounted by the crown.

Unlike the colours of regiments in the Army, the king's colours of the Royal Navy are identical with no battle honours. The following units hold a king's colour of the Royal Navy:

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary also holds a king's colour, unique for a civilian organisation. It is a variation of the RFA's Blue Ensign, with the dimensions altered to mirror the Royal Navy King's Colour. It has the same royal cypher in the centre.

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 on the reverse, in straight lines.

Denmark

The Guard Hussar Regiment's Colours

Danish Navy, Army and Air Force units carry a unit colour (Danish: regimentsfane) and for the Life Guards a battalion colour (bataljonsfane), which measures 105 × 140 cm, former horse units a slightly smaller guidon.[10] The flag is a variation of the Dannebrog, 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 is an ornate gold openwork spearhead with the royal cypher in the centre. Attached below the spearhead can be one or more campaign streamers (fanebånd). 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 the Finnish Defence Forces 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 is always given in the presence of the active colour of the unit.

Finnish military heraldry is a mixture of Scandinavian and Russian tradition. The colours are usually modeled after Swedish regimental flags of the 17th century, but some units carry flags reminiscent of Russian or German traditions. Colours often bear the emblem of the province where a unit is located. They also commonly feature the traditional colours of a service branch or a shared design element, for example the black flags of most engineer units. There were no battle honours awarded during the Continuation War (co-belligerent with Nazi Germany), but some units have battle honours from the Finnish Civil War and the Winter War.

Units and institutions of the Finnish Defence Forces which have not received a colour of their own use the unadorned swallow-tailed Flag of Finland as their State Colour, and the oath of service for NCOs and volunteer enlisted personnel assigned to these units are given in its presence.

France

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In January 1188, in a meeting between Henry II of England and Philip II of France, 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.[11] Later on,[year needed] this usage was inverted, and the English took to using a red cross on white, and the French a white cross on red.[citation needed]

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.

After the French Revolution and the appearance of the new Tricolore, crosses disappear in 1794 and various arrangements of the tricolour come into use. Napoleon 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 the Imperial Eagle (modelled after the Ancient Roman Aquila) was placed, which actually rose to be more important symbol of the regiment than colours itself.

Battle honours on current colours
Standard of the 1st Spahi Regiment in 2008. This unit has inherited the flag and battle honours of the 1st Moroccan Spahis of the Army of Africa.

The modern French Armed Forces 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 (such as Patay, Fontenoy, Chesapeake, Porto Praya and so on) do not appear as battle honours on regimental colours. The names of battles of the old times, however, which are rightly still considered as glorious by the modern French Army, are honoured by being given to ships or armoured vehicles, and remembered by anniversaries.

As an example, the 1st Infantry Regiment, founded in 1479 during the reign of Louis XI, has fought a number of battles since the 15th century, but its battle honours are only recorded from 1792 onwards:

Latest official regulations

The following official documents relate to the colours of the Land Army (armée de Terre) :

Army in general
Flag of the 22nd Marine Infantry Regiment

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 with a cartouche bearing the initials "RF" for République française 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 and fourragères[note 1] 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:

Reverse of a colour:

Rifle battalions (chasseurs à pied)
The Drapeau des chasseurs

By tradition, all the Army's rifle battalions (the bataillons de chasseurs à pied together with the chasseurs alpins) share a single collective colour. Individual battalions have pennants (fanions) 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
Colour of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Rgt bearing the motto "Honneur et Fidélité"
Air Force
Flag of Sqn 1/30 Normandie-Niémen kept at BA112 Reims-Champagne

The colours of Air Force (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.

National Gendarmerie

The units of the National Gendarmerie (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:

National Navy
Regimental flag of the 1st Naval Fusiliers at the Bastille Day Military Parade

The Colours worn by the ships of the National Navy (Marine nationale) consist of the National Ensign and the jack:

Currently, only eight individual National Navy units have colours[14] 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):

French influence
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 and navy rank structures and uniform styles. Indeed, in countries where the decolonisation process had been conducted through peaceful political negotiations (chiefly French West Africa and French Equatorial Africa), 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 and Algeria, due to the Cold War context, French military culture was strongly rejected often only to be replaced by communist Soviet or Chinese style military culture (colours, ranks, uniforms, parade pace, etc.).

Other nations

As one of the World's great powers 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 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 and Confederate armies during the American Civil War, the Chilean Army of the War of the Pacific, the Imperial Russian Army, 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 kepis 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.

Germany

German Truppenfahne

Units of the Bundeswehr have only a single Colour. The Truppenfahne is a square version of the national flag 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 is a gilt bronze openwork spearhead surrounding a black and silver Iron Cross. 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.[15]

The tradition was also observed by the National People's Army of East Germany, whose unit colours mirrored the national flag.

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 pattern.

Greece

Hellenic Army War Flag

Traditionally, Army infantry and tank/cavalry regiments have a single colour/standard or war flag (Greek: Πολεμική Σημαία). This is blue, with a white cross and features St George and the Dragon in the centre.[16] 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 or republic. The Hellenic Army Academy has also been awarded a war flag, its cadets having participated in the Battle of Crete in 1941. Similar flags exist also for the Air Force, featuring the archangel Michael. Recently war flags were assigned to the Army NCO Academy and the Police Academy.

Unlike the Army, Police and Air Force, the Hellenic Navy uses as both the naval ensign and national colour the flag that later became the modern official national Flag of Greece. The Hellenic Coast Guard and the Hellenic Fire Service use the Navy pattern.

Holy See

Main article: Flag of the Pontifical Swiss Guard
Banner of the Swiss Guard with the coat-of arms of commander Daniel Anrig, Pope Francis and Pope Julius II.

The flag of the Swiss Guard, the army of the Vatican City, consists of four-quarters. The Coat of Arms of the current pope is in the first quarter, while the arms of Pope Julius II 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

Unit colour of the Hungarian Defence Force

The 120 cm × 140 cm Unit colour of the Hungarian Defence Force is the current regulation colour of all Hungarian Defence Forces 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.[17]

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 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 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 (obverse) and unit emblem (reverse) in the centre. The Naval Forces uses a ceremonial form of the naval ensign as an overall branch colour with gold fringe following British precedence.

Netherlands

The regimental colour of the Garderegiment Grenadiers en Jagers

In the Dutch armed forces, 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,[clarification needed] which is red). All are gold fringed.

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), areas (West-Java or Afghanistan) (seas included, for example Java-zee), or to a military campaign (Tiendaagse Veldtocht or Veldtocht van 1815); the year or years of engagement are always added, except on the colours of the Netherlands Marine Corps.

On the reverse is the arms of the Kingdom of the Netherlands 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 royal motto Je maintiendrai (French for 'I will maintain') 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 or other decorations are attached to the pike when awarded. The pike has a finial 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. Standards measure 50 cm × 50 cm with a pike 2 m long.[18]

Only Regiment van Heutsz has a full British-styled stand as a variant of the national flag used by the regiment in the Korean War is used as the Regimental Colour with the orange colour as the King's Colour (or Queen's).

Norway

Norwegian infantry units have a stand of colours – the first (King's Colour) is the national flag, while the second (Regimental Colour) is unique to each unit:

Poland

Military colours of the Representative Honor Guard Regiment of the Polish Armed Forces

The standard military colours of the Polish Armed Forces 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" (Polish: Bóg, Honor, Ojczyzna) are at the reverse while the Polish military eagle (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

National colours of Portugal

Each of the commands, units, forces and establishments of the Portuguese Armed Forces has a national colour, which is considered the parade version of the Flag of Portugal. The National Republican Guard, the Public Security Police and some fire departments also have national colours.

The traditional distinction between colours (Portuguese: 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 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 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 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 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 or the director of the Romanian Intelligence Service. According to the Ministry of National Defence, the complete description of this military insignia is as follows:

Romanian Military colours. Air Force design

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:

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 (similar to the Roman aquila), 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 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 și 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 armed escort of the colour guard and the colour ensign 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. They are flown in their vessels in accordance with relevant regulations.

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 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 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.

Russian Armed Forces (top); Russian Army (middle); Russian Aerospace Force (bottom).

From 1942 onwards, each regiment in the armed forces of the Soviet Union (especially the Army and Air Force) had its own colour, which was produced to a standard design:

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 surrounding it, and the obverse had the unit inscription below the coat of arms of the Soviet Union, which had the Soviet Union state motto ("Workers of the world, unite!") and the red star with the hammer and sickle inside (both were on the flag of the Soviet Union) 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 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, 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 and of the Order of the October Revolution 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, 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 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[19] 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

See also: Russian Armed Forces

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, and with the unit insignia in the middle of the obverse 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 Spanish Army Colour

Sweden

Guards colour of the Svea Life Guards (I 1).

The design of the colours of the Swedish Armed Forces 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 were modelled in 1938. Most older colours are embroidered by hand while younger ones can be both machine and handmade.[20] 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.[20]

Exceptions from this rule are:[20]

A colour is normally granted to the following by the King, by the Prime Minister or the Commander of the Armed Forces:[20]

Ukraine

Flag of Galicia-Volhynia

At the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, quadrangular flags with wedge panels on the free end appeared. The most used colors were red, followed by white, blue, and occasionally yellow. The most widely used flag images were crosses, holy and princely symbols and ancestral tridents-bidents. The flag of the Galicia-Volynia principality was blue with a golden lion.

In 1410, Ruthenian troops took part in the Battle of Grunwald on the side of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (VKL) against their old ally from the time of the Principality of Galicia-Volhynia, the Teutonic Order. The Polish chronicler Jan Dlugosz left a description of the banners of the troops from the ruthenian lands who appeared to fight the crusaders.

The Zaporozhian Army received their first flags from foreign monarchs from the 16th century: during the Moldavian campaigns of the Austro-Turkish campaigns and the campaign of the Holy League.[21]

Flag of the Zaporozhian sich

In 1646, for the campaign against the Turks, Wladyslav IV Vasa provided a flag: ironically, it was under this banner that the Cossacks won their first resounding victories over the Polish army during the Khmelnytskyj uprising — at Yellow Waters, Korsun, and Pyliavtsi.

According to the system, there were regimental, sotnia and kish banners. Among the flags of the day, rectangular and trapezoidal panels prevailed. The insignia of numerous units had a triangular shape of various shades of red. Instead of a single state flag, the highest heraldic symbol of the Hetmanate was the image of the Archangel Michael on a red background. Most of the flags that have survived to our time contain an equilateral Cossack cross and eight-pointed stars, sometimes combined with images of the crescent moon, a symbol of the Christian-Muslim civilizational confrontation, the latter, from 1572 (in honor of Lepanto), had a pan-European distribution as a symbol of victory in the confrontation with the Islamic threat.[22] From the 18th century, primarily in the Poltava (1717) and Lubny (1758) regiments, two-color flags of yellow and blue became widespread.

In general, until the second half of the 18th century. there are relatively fragmentary data available, more detailed information from the time of the unification of flags during the time of Kyril Razumovsky: on March 8/18, 1755, he issued a form for the manufacture of flags according to a single model according to the project of Colonel Ivan Kulyabka of Lubny — one side was to contain the Coat of Arms of the Nation, and the other symbol of a military unit. Despite this, the colors and sizes of the flags were arbitrary. Similar standards existed until 1768 - the reign of Peter Rumyantsev, who began to introduce imperial symbols in the Cossack army.

Flag of the Cossack Hetmanate (17th-18th century)

The unification of the banners of the Hetmanate did not in any way affect the ensign of the Zaporizhzhya Army, the general banner — the Great Banner — still contained Archangel Michael on a red background, the flags of the kurin and palanquins were mostly crimson in color. The banner of sea campaigns with the image of St. Nicholas was white, besides it, after the Oleshkivsk sich period, there was also a titular red banner of imperial origin. Among the kurin banners, the red ones with the image of St. George.

The first Cossack colonizers of the Sloboda region formed the Slobid regiments, the banner of which also featured Christian and religious themes. In total, there were 36 flags in the five regiments, together with the sotnias. The reverse side of the sotnia flags contained the name of the regiment and the sotnia. In contrast to the banners of the rest of the Ukrainian Cossacks, the Slobid banners contained the image of the Mother of God, the patroness of the Cossacks, as the main motif. With the reorganization into regular hussars, the previous symbols of the units were abolished.

In 1792, the Zaporozhians were moved to the Kuban, where the Tmutarakan Principality was located, forming the Black Sea Cossack Army.

Flag of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 1917

Following the collapse of the Russian Empire, the Tsentralna Rada came to power in Ukraine in spring of 1917, it was forced to promptly put together an army to defend the new republic against their enemies. Nearly all units of the newly created army were detached from the Imperial Russian Army. After the first all-Ukrainian military congress that took place on May 18–21, 1917 in Kyiv, the Ukrainian General Military Committee was created. The committee was placed in charge for creation and restructuring of the army.

The next congress, defying a ban placed by the Russian Provisional Government, took place on June 18–23, 1917 in Kyiv. The main requests of the congress were proclamation of the Ukrainian Democratic Republic, full Ukrainization of army and navy, and an immediate peace treaty.

On January 27, 1918, the Ukrainian Central Rada approved the project of the Ukrainian naval flag, developed by the Ukrainian Maritime Council (it consisted of two stripes: blue at the top, yellow at the bottom; on the top - the golden sign of Prince Volodymyr - the Trident with a cross at the top).

Ukrainian Galician Army posing with a blue-yellow flag

In 1919, blue-yellow flags were adopted for units of the regular Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic and the Ukrainian Galician Army.

President Petro Poroshenko presents the colour to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine at the 2017 Independence Day Parade, Kyiv

With restored independence the Armed Forces of Ukraine adopted a maroon design for its colours, which were gold fringed and contained the official heraldic arms of the armed forces.

Maroon and gold are the colours used in the current military colours used in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with origins in the Imperial Russian Army's Cossacks and Ukrainian units. In the obverse the Coat of arms of Ukraine, 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 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 and the Ukrainian Marine Corps 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 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 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 and the flag of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia 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 of 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 obverse is the national flag design, a tricolour with the national coat of arms in the center of the colour, while the emblem and facing colour of the unit represented (combat formation or support unit) is in the reverse.

North America

Cuba

Cuba's military colours under the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces tend to follow a mix of the Soviet and US practice, as the Cuban flag is treated as a National Colour.

El Salvador

El Salvador's military colours under the Salvadoran Armed Forces heavily follow US models, as the Salvadoran flag, with gold fringe, is treated as a National Colour- but its design is based on the American Civil War example and Argentine and Mexican precedence: the name of the unit is on the bottom blue stripe of the colour in gold lettering.

Honduras

Honduran military colours under the Honduran Armed Forces heavily follow US models, as the Honduran flag is treated as a National Colour.

Mexico

The Mexican Armed Forces use the Flag of Mexico 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 are heavily following US practice, as the Nicaraguan flag 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

Joint colour guard showing the organizational colours of each branch: L-R:National, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.

In the United States military, each branch has its own flag, an organizational colour, sometimes also called a ceremonial flag. Each of these is 4 ft 4 in (132 cm) × 5 ft 6 in (168 cm), some using 2+1⁄2 in (6.4 cm) gold fringe during specific instances. The ceremonial flag is paraded with a National Color of equal dimensions in a colour guard, 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 is a nickel 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 and have the name of the campaign embroidered; or unit citation 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.[23] The streamers are 3 ft (91 cm) × 2+3⁄4 in (7.0 cm). The Army, for instance, currently has 178 service streamers,[24] embroidering the name of each battle on each, as does the Air Force. The Marine Corps and Navy instead embroider award devices onto streamers to consolidate them, having 62 and 34, respectively.

Colors of the Armed Forces of the United States
  • United States Army
    United States Army
  • United States Marine Corps
    United States Marine Corps
  • United States Navy
    United States Navy
  • United States Air Force
    United States Air Force
  • United States Space Force
    United States Space Force
  • United States Coast Guard
    United States Coast Guard
United States Air Force

Main article: Flag of the 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, 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.

United States Army

Main article: Flag of the United States Army
The 130th Engineer Brigade, its subordinate units and their colours.

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 36 in × 48 in (91 cm × 122 cm) version of the national flag trimmed with a 2+1⁄2 in-wide (6.4 cm) 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 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, when the Stars and Stripes became the National Color.[25] 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

Main articles: Flags of the United States armed forces, Guidon (United States), and Flag of the United States Marine Corps
A Marine colour guard dips the Marine flag for "The Star-Spangled Banner".
U.S. Naval Infantry Battalion flag, de facto flag of the United States Navy until 1959

In the Marine Corps, each battalion-sized unit or larger maintains a set of colours.[26][27] 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.[28] Instead, a red, white, and blue tassel can be used to decorate.

United States Navy

Main article: Flag of the 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.[29] While the Navy uses a number of maritime flags, such as the Ensign and Jack of the United States, the Flag of the United States Navy 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.[29] 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.[29] 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.

South America

Argentina

Each unit of the Argentine Armed Forces, the Argentine National Gendarmerie, the Argentine Federal Police and the Argentine Naval Prefecture bears the national colours on flags, called the National War Flags, which are the national flag 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 is 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 during Argentina's independence war also carry the Flag of the Army of the Andes as a 3rd Colour.

Brazil

Units of the Brazilian Armed Forces 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 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, 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 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's flag uses dark blue colours; the Brazilian Air Force flag uses ultramarine blue.

Brazilian military units also carry the national flag 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 carry one main colour, known as the estandarte de combate (combat standard). This is the same as the national flag, 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 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, the Chilean Navy, the Carabineros de Chile 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 and the National Police of Colombia is the Flag of Colombia with the Coat of arms of Colombia 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-influenced. 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.

Uruguay

Aside from the three state colours (the Flag of Uruguay, the Flag of Artigas and the Flag of the Treinta y Tres), 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. All are gold fringed.

Venezuela

In the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela, aside from the Flag of Venezuela 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 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:

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 by 30 in (69 by 76 cm), on an 8 ft 6 in-long (259 cm) 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 by 41 in (69 by 104 cm), with an 8 ft 6 in-long pole.

The word guidon is a corruption of the French guyde homme – 'the guide man'.[note 3] 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 fringe and with the regiment's insignia in the centre. The regiment's battle honours are emblazoned on both the obverse and reverse, up to a maximum of 22 on each side.

Denmark

The standard of the Guard Hussar Regiment

Cavalry (armour) units carry a standard (Danish: 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.[30]

France

In the French Army, mounted units carry étendards (standards). Mounted units include armoured corps and cavalry, artillery, transportation, army aviation, and supplies. The étendard is a 64 × 64 cm square flag similar to the drapeaux carried by the units of foot, with the same design: the regimental name at the obverse and the battle honours at the reserve.

Italy

In the Italian Army, cavalry units carry a stendardo (standard) of the same pattern as the bandiera di guerra, but which measures 60 cm × 60 cm.

Netherlands

The five hussar regiments of the Royal Netherlands Army carry a standaard (standard), of similar design to the infantry colour, but smaller (50 cm × 50 cm).

Portugal

Guidon of a unit of the former Portuguese Fiscal Guard.

Until the 1960s, the Portuguese Military followed the traditions of its foot units having colours (Portuguese: 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, 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 (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

Main article: Guidon (United States)

In the United States armed forces, guidons are much more prevalent, with units below battalion size being authorized to use them. In the US Army, 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

World War I German Field Gun displayed in North Sydney. The gun was allocated to the local council by the State War Trophy Committee in 1921.

In regiments of the (British) Royal Artillery, and artillery regiments of other Commonwealth countries, the guns are afforded the status of colours.[31] 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.[citation needed]

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.[32] For example, the last action of gunners of the Royal Artillery during the fall of Singapore was to destroy their guns.[33][34]

The Honourable Artillery Company, the oldest regiment in the British Army, and not part of the Royal Artillery,[citation needed] 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, which presents colours in dismounted parades, and the Sri Lanka Artillery, which has a strand of colours similar to the HAC.

Etiquette

Ceremonies of colours

Royal Navy

The British Royal Navy and other navies of the Commonwealth of Nations 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 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 clubs 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.

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:

Notes

  1. ^ The modern fourragère of the French Army is awarded to all members of military units which have been awarded a mention in despatches. It should not be confused with unit awards of particular decorations, where the medal itself is hung on the colour of the unit. For example, there are many units wearing the fourragère of the Médaille militaire, whereas only six units wore the medal on their colours. See also the article dealing with the Croix de Guerre.
  2. ^ The ensign of the National Navy differs from the French national flag by its slightly darker blue shade, and by the dimensions of the stripes: while the stripes of the national flag has 1:1:1 proportions, the naval ensign has 30:33:37.
  3. ^ The medieval "guidon, a name derived from the Fr. Guyd-homme, was somewhat similar to the standard, but without the cross of St George, rounded at the end, less elongated and altogether less ornate. It was borne by a leader of horse, and according to a medieval writer 'must be two and a half yards or three yards long, and therein shall no armes be put, but only the man's crest, cognisance, and devyce.'" (Swinburne 1911, pp. 457, 458)

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ "FULL LIVE STREAMING PRASPA TNI-POLRI 2019". Retrieved 29 June 2023 – via www.youtube.com.
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  11. ^ "In January 1188 there was a meeting between Henry II and Phillip II under an old tree at Gisors on the border between France and Normandy. The meeting was attended also by Phillip of Alsace, the Count of Flanders. The two rivals agreed to stop the wars between them and swear to 'take the cross' (i.e. to go in a crusade). They also agreed to establish symbols to the different corps: white cross for the Plantagenet corps of Henry II, a red cross for the Capetian corps of Phillip II, and a green cross for the Flemish." Joshua Prawer, A history of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (Hebrew, 3rd edition, vol. II, pp. 17–18)[unreliable source?]
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  15. ^ "• Flags Forum". Flags Forum. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
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  17. ^ "3/1996. (IV. 12.) HM rendelet - 1.oldal - Hatályos Jogszabályok Gyűjteménye". Archived from the original on 23 February 2019.
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  20. ^ a b c d Braunstein, Christian (2004). Svenska försvarsmaktens fälttecken efter millennieskiftet [The flags and standards of the Swedish armed forces after the turn of the millennium] (PDF). Skrift / Statens försvarshistoriska museer, 1101-7023 ; 7 [dvs 8] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Statens försvarshistoriska museer. pp. 8–9. ISBN 91-971584-7-X. SELIBR 9815350. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 May 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  21. ^ наук, Однороженко Олег, доктор історичних. "Однороженко Олег. Козацька геральдика в Україні XVI-XVII ст". history.sumy.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 22 August 2023.((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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  28. ^ Marine corps drills and ceremony manual marines.mil
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