union flag diagram

[Theyoungkiltman]

This is a interesting diagram showing how the union jack was formed. RE: the flag by Ron Abbott, I was in no way referring to the referendum. I do not show my politics on this forum.

[JohntheBiker]

Once upon a time, more than half a century ago, studied that as a young Cub Scout - actually had a two fold learning aid that built the union flag the way your diagram does. Why would a Canadian be taught about the components of the union flag, way back when? In those days the Canadian Flag was based on the Red Ensign (red flag with the union jack in the corner). The current Canadian Flag was not adopted until 1965.

[Father Bill]

I had to learn that too, but the explanation I had was that Canada technically had no flag. While we used the red ensign to separate us from the UK, the Union Jack was still Canada's flag.

[Mike_Oettle]

Wolf Cubs (as they were known in those days) and Boy Scouts in South Africa also had to learn the British Union Flag (of Union Jack) diagram, because the South African Union Flag in use at the time incorporated a miniature Union Jack.
The claim that Canada technically had no flag makes no sense to me, but requiring Canadian Scouts to learn about the Union Jack makes a great deal of sense, because the Red Ensign (initially used by both Canada and South Africa with the respective national coat of arms in the fly) incorporates the Union Jack in its upper hoist quarter.
When I was a Scout, the South African version of the Red Duster was no longer in use, having been retained as a merchant flag until 1951.
When South African forces captured Windhoek in 1915, General Louis Botha ensured that it was the Red Duster that was hoisted over the town, indicating that it was a South African conquest, not a British one.
The emblem in the middle of the orange-white-blue flag (adopted in 1928) had the Oranje Vrij Staat flag in the middle, “hanging” vertically, the flag of the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek on the fly side, horizontally (both these flags were known as Vierkleur, each having four colours). And on the hoist side of the OVS flag was the Union Jack.
An odd aspect was that the British flag was shown in reverse, its hoist side being adjacent to the OVS flag, the object being to prevent it being said that it had precedence over the other two.

Since 1965 Canadian Scouts have no doubt first had to learn about the Maple Leaf flag, but because the Canadian Red Duster was used for so long, it would surprise me if no information about it was either available or required to be learnt.
Regards,
Mike

[Father Bill]

As an explanation; my understanding is that while we used the ensign to distinguish ourselves from the Brits, it was never actually adopted by parliament as a Canadian flag, thus, in the absence of anything else, we technically had none except the Union Jack under whose banner we were founded. Early Canadian history is exceptionally British, particularly Scottish and English.

[JohntheBiker]

As an explanation; my understanding is that while we used the ensign to distinguish ourselves from the Brits, it was never actually adopted by parliament as a Canadian flag, thus, in the absence of anything else, we technically had none except the Union Jack under whose banner we were founded. Early Canadian history is exceptionally British, particularly Scottish and English.

To be precise, the Canadian Red Ensign was formally adopted by parliament in 1945 and lasted until replaced in 1965. From Confederation in 1867 until 1945, versions of the red ensign were in common use (although so was the Union Flag - I have one that is over 100 years old that my grand parents flew on Victoria Day and now I do as well). I was a Wolf Cub (correction noted) in the '50's, so, indeed the Canadian Red Ensign was the Canadian flag at the time.

[Nathan]

The Royal Union Flag is, at present, still one of Canada's official flags.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Canadian_flags

[Grizzly]

Just a small technical point, it is only the Union Jack when flown at sea. On land it is the Union Flag.

[Mike_Oettle]

Quite right, Grizzly, but most people would look at you and wonder what you were talking about if you said Union Flag.

Father Bill, you are entirely correct in saying the Union Flag was the definitive flag of Canada, as it was of South Africa until 1928.
But as I mentioned, we used the Red Duster where we could to assert our nationality.
And, similar to the situation in Canada today still, the British Union Flag remained an official flag of South Africa until 1958. In Natal, it was still hoisted alongside the South African Union Flag (1928) until the proclamation of the republic in 1961.
Regards,
Mike

[HarveyH]

Just a small technical point, it is only the Union Jack when flown at sea. On land it is the Union Flag.

Quite right, Grizzly, but most people would look at you and wonder what you were talking about if you said Union Flag.

There is a significant degree of myth about whether it is the Union Jack or the Union Flag. It is, in fact, a very modern thing to make this absolutist distinction and completely incorrect (although a myth I also believed for a number of years).

The Flag Institute have set out the history succinctly at http://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/brit...he-union-flag/ .

The question was settled in Parliament in 1908 when it was confirmed that the Union Jack could be flown on land by all British subjects, and on all Government buildings, as the flag of the nation: the relevant extract from Hansard may be seen on this link http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/l...the-union-jack.

So whatever one chooses to think about a Jack being flown on land, as with many other strange British anomalies, the Union Jack is the name of the union flag flown on land - in its current form since 1801.