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Union flag upside down ?


Ian L

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Traditionally that's normally an upside down ensign (or more formally you were supposed to put a knot in the ensign) but it was supposedly done during the Boer War by troops on land (who didn't have another flag to use). Let's face it at any distance you'd be hard pressed to tell if the Union flag was upside down and impossible prior to 1801.

And these days it's not an internationally recognised means of showing distress, not least because so many countries physically cannot fly their flag upside down (France, Ireland, Japan etc.) and there are so many other ways of signalling distress.

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As everyone else has said, you can only judge the flag to be 'upside down' if you can orient it in relation to a pole - which in this case you can't.

Generally it is accepted that, in the absence of a pole, the broad white stripe is at the top on the left - as on the back of the teeshirt, which is correct. The following link will add to the debate and clear up a few myths!

 

http://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/british-flags/the-union-jack-or-the-union-flag/

 

 

10 68

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Actually the International Flag Code for Distress is V a red diagonal cross on a white background. Unfrotunatley, for many years that was the flag of Jersey. In 1977 proposals were made to alter the flag to prevent confusion, so in 1979 the seal of jersey , three Golden Lions on a red background was added in the upper quarter of the flag.

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To me the simple way is this.

When on a t-shirt or so without a pole; the right lower side should have the red stripe on the upper 3rd of the white band.

This works also more or less on a pole, the lower corner away from the pole should have the red band on the top 3rd.

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At top of post,

 

The broad white band flies uppermost,

 

The other way means SOS,

 

Please save our soles, we're in distress.

 

This is not stated in the International Code of Signals nor under annex IV of the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. It has however been occasionally promoted as a distress signal in "helpful" guides, presumably mistaking it for the old practice of turning the ensign upside down. As said before, this and many other national flags are either identical or very similar either way up, or even become the flag of another national when flown this way.

General distress is shown by flying NC if using flags, with specific events (fire etc.) having their own letter combinations.

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I would say it still means distress on military bases.........

 

As on the rare occasions it occurred the squaddie that did it would be in distress or more to the point would soon be :-D

 

Our military flags had a rope lanyard attached for unfurling. short bit to the top with the long to the bottom.

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