- BLAZON
- The description, either oral or written, of an armorial banner, set of
armorial bearings or a shield from those arms, given according to heraldic
conventions conventions (see also ‘armorial bearings’, ‘banner 1)’, ‘heraldry’ and ‘shield 1)’.
Please note however, that the term and its use should
apply only to heraldic symbolism, and be employed in vexillology solely in that
context.
- BLAZONING
- (v) The act of describing heraldic symbolism as defined in ‘blazon’.
- BLESSING OF A FLAG
- See ‘consecration’.
- BLOODY FLAG (or COLOURS)
- 1) See ‘flag of defiance’.
- 2) See ‘red flag 2)’.
- BLUE ENSIGN
- 1) In English then British usage, the ensign worn (undefaced) by those merchant
vessels commanded by an officer of the Royal Naval Reserve – but see note
below and
‘archivexillum’ (also
‘armorial ensign’,
‘government ensign’
‘red ensign 1)’,
‘undefaced’.
‘white ensign’ and
‘yacht ensign’ under
‘ensign’).
- 2) Generically, any canton flag (either plain or defaced) with a blue field – particularly
(but not exclusively) if flown at sea – a British-style ensign (see also
‘canton flag 1)’,
‘deface’ and
‘red ensign 2)’).
From left: Blue ensign c1630 – 1707, England (fotw); Reserve Ensign, UK (fotw); Reserve Ensign. Sri Lanka (fotw); Government Ensign, Mauritius (fotw)
Please note that the blue ensign is also used either plain or
defaced as the ensign of many British yacht clubs, as an archivexillum (or template) for the
flags of Government departments and – with two exceptions - of British Overseas Territories
(see also
‘armorial ensign’,
‘colonial flags’,
‘defaced’ and
‘warrant’).).
Ensign of the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, UK (Graham Bartram)
- BLUE PETER
- A blue flag with a white panel in the centre, flown alone whilst in harbour to signify
that all persons should report on board as the vessel is ready to proceed to sea - now also
Papa in the International Code of Signals, but in use (with the same or similar meaning)
since the 1750’s (see also
‘International Code of Signal Flags’,
‘preparatory flag’ and
‘signal flag’).
![[Blue Peter - ICS Papa]](../images/v/vxt-d044.gif)
Signal Flag P (Papa) (CS)
- BLUE STAR BANNER
- See ‘service flag 3)’.
-
- BOAT ENSIGN
- 1) A small ensign (usually storm ensign size) used on ship's boats for identification
when more than one nation's naval vessels are present in an anchorage (see also
'storm flag 2)').
- 2) See ‘boat flag 1)’ below.
Please note with regards to 1) that the ship's boats of naval vessels
would not normally wear ensigns when operating in an anchorage if no foreign ships
are present.
- BOAT FLAG
- 1) In US naval usage, now obsolete, a small national ensign of modified design (with 13
stars rather than the number on the normal U.S. ensign) formerly flown on small
boats and submarines.
- 2) In US army usage, that version of a positional or rank flag intended to be flown on boats,
or sometimes in front of that officer's headquarters (see also
'positional flag' and
'rank flag').
- 3) In British RN usage, that version of a flag of command or broad pennant which was originally
for use only in boats, but from which the current versions of those flags are derived
(see also ‘ball(s) of difference’, ‘barge flag’,
'flag of command',
'broad pennant' and
vessel flag).
![[US Admiral, early 20th century]](../images/v/vxt-d590.gif)
![[UK Rear Admiral]](../images/v/vxt-d590a.gif)
Late 19th – Early 20th Century, US; Boat Flag of a Rear Admiral from 1864 and Command Flag from c1870, UK (fotw)
- BOAT-TAILED
- See ‘ogival’.
- BOB (or BOB-FLY)
- In UK usage, the term for a small flag or pennant flown from the topmast truck
of a sailing barge, bearing the owner’s logo and/or colours, and used to indicate
wind direction – a bob-fly or Kent vane-fly
(see also ‘colours 6)’,
‘house flag 1)’, ‘logo’,
‘main’, ‘truck 1)’,
‘vane 1)’ and ‘vane 2)’).
Bob of the Thames Barge Sailing Trust, UK (CS)
- BORDERING
- (v) A practice, now largely obsolete, of edging a flag in a different colour
than the field, either for decorative purposes or to prevent fraying.
- BORDER
- The term for a (comparatively) wide band surrounding a field of a
different colour, which may consist of one colour - either plain or have
charges placed upon it - or may be made up of two or more colours in a variety
of designs – a bordure (see also ‘double-tressure’, ‘flammulets’,
‘inset border’,
‘orle 1)’
‘pierced 1)’,
‘plain 2)’, ‘tressure’ and
‘wolfteeth’).
![[flags with borders]](../images/v/vxt-d046.gif)
From left: National Flag of Maldives (fotw); National Flag of
Grenada (fotw); Royal Standard of Bulgaria 1908–44 (fotw)
Please note - not to be confused with a fimbriation
which is invariably plain and whose sole purpose is to divide one colour from
another (see also ‘charge’,
‘fimbriation’,
‘panel’ and
‘rule of tincture’).
- BORDERED
- adj) The act of having placed a border around a flag – see ‘border’.
- BORDURE
- The heraldic term for a border (see also
‘cadency, mark of’).
- BOWED
See ‘embowed’.
- BOW FLAG
- See ‘jack’ (also ‘bow pennant’ below).
- BOW PENNANT
- A small triangular flag flown at the bow of pleasure craft, often facetious,
but sometimes a personal flag (see also
‘personal flag 3)’).