union flag diagram

[Elf]

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

Thank you for noting that. To expand on the point, a jack flag is flown from the jack staff at the bow. On the square riggers I sail, the jack staff may be on the spritcap (not the jibboom). It is usually near square (but not quite) while land flags and the ensign (national flag at the stern or gaff peak) are closer to 2:1. (And just to be annoying) most nations have a jack, the United States even terms theirs the Union Jack also: Blue field with the 50 white stars but no stripes. As a merchant vessel, I fly it only on holidays and "dress ship occasions". Is this also true of merchant vessels in the Commonwealth?

Also interesting to note that when the St Patrick's cross was added it should be equal in width to the St Andrew's, and the white fimbration taken off the field. However, as I understand, the navy supplier found it easier to mass produce fields of equal size and took the fimbration off the St Patrick's cross instead. This being the most numerous in the 19th century, became the de facto standard. I often see images of the Union Device from College of Heralds sources with the saltire crosses equal and the fimbration taken off the field. I cannot recall a flag using anything but navy proportions. Yes, all small points, but then that is what we do best around here. Thank you for your patience.

Well, appears HarveyH was proving me wrong as I was typing. My apologies to all.

[Nathan]

Thank you for noting that. To expand on the point, a jack flag is flown from the jack staff at the bow. On the square riggers I sail, the jack staff may be on the spritcap (not the jibboom). It is usually near square (but not quite) while land flags and the ensign (national flag at the stern or gaff peak) are closer to 2:1. (And just to be annoying) most nations have a jack, the United States even terms theirs the Union Jack also: Blue field with the 50 white stars but no stripes. As a merchant vessel, I fly it only on holidays and "dress ship occasions". Is this also true of merchant vessels in the Commonwealth?

Also interesting to note that when the St Patrick's cross was added it should be equal in width to the St Andrew's, and the white fimbration taken off the field. However, as I understand, the navy supplier found it easier to mass produce fields of equal size and took the fimbration off the St Patrick's cross instead. This being the most numerous in the 19th century, became the de facto standard. I often see images of the Union Device from College of Heralds sources with the saltire crosses equal and the fimbration taken off the field. I cannot recall a flag using anything but navy proportions. Yes, all small points, but then that is what we do best around here. Thank you for your patience.

You should read the links on post #10.

[madmacs]

It might look kind of odd if scotland votes yes... Not political, just an observation.

And if you want to see union jack gaffs, there's more than a few in the tv series Turn... Including the opening credits.

[Pleater]

Aboard a yacht belonging to an ex navy man he had both a 'flag' - the long one, and the 'jack', the squarer one - presumably for different purposes, but he'd thought it necessary to have an extra hole in the flag box so as to have both variants.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Mike_Oettle]

There are probably flag gaffes made regarding the ensigns of most nations.
In South Africa in the 1980s, the Union Jack was used to make political points. A series made about subversion during the Second World War (widely supported among Afrikaner nationalists) showed an army camp (quite definitely South African) sporting a Union Jack and no South African flag.
While in law the SA flag had equal status with the UK flag, and in some places the two were hoisted side by side, in South African military installations it was always the SA flag, or a military ensign derived from it, that was flown.
At flying schools erected under the British Joint Training Scheme, the South African Air Force ensign and the RAF ensign flew side by side – because the personnel were both South African and British, not because of any undue British influence.
The producer of the TV series was trying to prove that in the 1939-45 conflict, South Africa was under the British jackboot. The contrary is true. South Africa voluntarily joined in the war effort. But had Prime Minister J B M Hertzog won the parliamentary division in 1939 (instead Jan Smuts won it and became Prime Minister), South Africa would have been under the Nazi jackboot to a greater or lesser extent.
Regards,
Mike