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Dictionary of Vexillology: U (Uncase - Upright Triangle)

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UNCASE
UNDEFACED
UNDY
UNEQUAL (or UNEVEN) TRIBAND
UNEQUAL (or UNEVEN) TRICOLOUR
UNFURL
UNION, THE
UNION FLAG
UNION JACK
UNION MARK
UNION PENDANT (or PENNANT)
UNION STANDARD
UNIQUE FLAG
UNIT(S) COLOUR/FLAG (or COLOR/FLAG)
UNIT DESIGNATION
UNREP (UNDERWAY REPLENISHMENT) FLAG
UPRIGHT
UPRIGHT PALL
UPRIGHT PILE
UPRIGHT TRIANGLE

UNCASE

(v) To remove a regimental, unit, service or national colour, usually with the appropriate ceremony, from its protective case (see also ‘case’).

UNDEFACED

(adj) The term used to describe a flag which may (and sometimes does) carry authorized additions, but in this case is seen without any such additions (see also ‘archivexillum’, ‘blue ensign’, ‘deface’ and ‘red ensign’).

From left: Undefaced - Reserve Ensign, India; Defaced - Government Ensign, India (fotw)

UNDY

See ‘wavy’.

UNEQUAL (or UNEVEN) TRIBAND

A term that may be used when a triband is composed of stripes whose widths are not equal – but see ‘triband 1)’.

From left: Civil Flag/Ensign of Spain (fotw); Civil Flag of The Dniestr Republic (fotw)

UNEQUAL (or UNEVEN) TRICOLOUR

A term that may be used when a tricolour is composed of stripes whose widths are not equal – but see ‘tricolour 1)’.

From left: National Flag of Collmbia (fotw); National Flag of Mari El (fotw)

UNFURL

(v) To unwind a colour or parade flag from its staff after it has been uncased (see also ‘colour 2)’, ‘furl’, ‘parade flag’ and ‘uncase’).

UNION, THE

1) The canton of the US national flag - the Stars and Stripes - i.e. 13 - 50 white stars on a blue field (see also ’stars and stripes’, ‘union jack 3)’ and ‘union mark’).

2) See ‘canton 2)’.

UNION FLAG

1) In UK usage, a precise term for the British national flag when flown on land – but see ‘union jack 1)’ and ‘union jack 2)’ below.

2) The term that may be used when a flag symbolizes the union of two or more previously independent countries – for example those of the United Arab Emirates or of Malaysia (see also ‘union mark’).

National Flag of Malaysia (fotw); National Flag of the United Arab Emirates (fotw)

UNION JACK

1) A general and officially recognized term for the British national flag whether flown on land or sea – but see ‘union flag 1)’ above (see also ‘British flag’, ‘conjoined’, ‘great union‘ ‘James union’, ‘national flag’ and ‘union mark’).

2) In UK usage, the British national flag when flown as a jack from the bows of a British warship, from a yardarm to signal that a court martial is being held, or at the main masthead as the command flag of an Admiral of the Fleet (see also ‘flag of command’, ‘jack’ and ‘naval jack’ under ‘jack’, ‘mastheadM/a>’ and ‘yardarm’).

3) In US usage, the official term for the traditional US national jack, which consists of the union from the US national flag (see also ‘union’).

National Flag of the United Kingdon (fotw)

Traditional National Jack, US (fotw)

Please note that the British national flag is legally (when undefaced) restricted to naval vessels whilst flown afloat (see also 'civil jack', 'government jack' and 'naval jack' under 'jack', 'pilot jack' and 'undefaced'), however, US merchant vessels are not forbidden by regulation to wear the union jack as described in 3) above, but at the time of writing it has been temporarily replaced in naval usage by the design shown below.

Naval Jack in current use, US (Graham Bartram)

Please note also that this US Navy jack was ordered by the US President to replace the traditional Union jack in the wake of the 9/11/2001 assault on the World Trade Center in New York, on the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia and the highjack/plane crash in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and is based on the first jack of the US Navy as used during the American Revolutionary War.

UNION MARK

A symbol expressing the unification of two or more territories - such as the British Union Jack or the former Norwegian-Swedish Union Mark - either employed alone or as a charge on a flag (see also ‘charge’, ‘conjoined’, ‘union’, ‘union flag’ and ‘union jack’ above).

Norway-Sweden Union Mark 1844 – 1905 (fotw)

UNION PENDANT (or PENNANT)

See ‘budgee pendant’.

UNION STANDARD

In British military usage, a term for one of three such standards each carried by the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals - the Household cavalry - and the equivalent of a normal cavalry guidon or infantry colour (see also 'colour 2)', 'colours 2)' and ‘guidon 2)’).

UNIQUE FLAG

A flag intended in design and usage, to be the only one of its type.

UNIT(S) COLOUR/FLAG (or COLOR/FLAG)

See ‘colour 2)’ and ‘colours 2)’ ’ (also ‘camp flag’).

UNIT DESIGNATION

The inscription on a colour that indicates the military group to which it belongs (see also ‘colour 2)’.

UNREP (UNDERWAY REPLENISHMENT) FLAG

See ‘battle flag 2)’.

UPRIGHT

1) On flags a term which may be used when a charge or charges that are usually placed horizontally are shown with a vertical orientation (see also ‘pall’ and ‘pile’).

2) In heraldry a term that may be applied (in place of rampant or its equivalent) to the orientation of charges representing crustaceans or reptiles.

UPRIGHT CENTRED CROSS

See ‘cross 1)’.

UPRIGHT PALL

See ‘pall’.

UPRIGHT PILE

See ‘pile’.

UPRIGHT TRIANGLE

See ‘triangle’.

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