Regimental colors

In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours (or colors), standards, flags, or guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some 5,000 years ago. The Roman Empire also made battle standards a part of their vast armies. It was formalized in the armies of Europe in the High Middle Ages, with standards being emblazoned with the commander's coat of arms.

General use

As armies became trained and adopted set formations, each regiment's ability to keep its formation was potentially critical to its, and therefore its army's, success. In the chaos of battle, not least due to the amount of dust and smoke on a battlefield, soldiers needed to be able to determine where their regiment was.

Regimental flags are generally awarded to a regiment by a head of state during a ceremony. They were therefore treated with reverence as they represented the honour and traditions of the regiment. Colours may be inscribed with the names of battles or other symbols representing former achievements (see battle honours).

Regiments tended to adopt "colour guards", composed of experienced or élite soldiers, to protect their colours. As a result, the capture of an enemy's standard was considered as a great feat of arms.

They are never capriciously destroyed – when too old to use they are replaced and then laid-up in museums, religious buildings and other places of significance to their regiment. However, in most modern armies, standing orders now call for the colours to be intentionally destroyed if they are ever in jeopardy of being captured by the enemy.

Due to the advent of modern weapons, and subsequent changes in tactics, colours are no longer carried into battle, but continue to be used at events of formal character.

Colours

Americas

Argentina

Each unit of the Argentine Armed Forces, the Argentine National Gendarmerie, the Argentine Federal Police and the Argentine Naval Prefecture bears the national colours, called National War Flag, which are the national flag with the unit's name embroidered on it in gold thread. The colours are carried by the unit's most junior officer, escorted by two NCOs, except in academies and schools, where it is carried by the top-ranked student of the senior course, and escorted by his or her second- and third-ranked classmates. If a decoration has been awarded to the unit, it's attached to the national colours' cravat. The national colours are never dipped in salute, except to salute another national colours which pass by or are being the subject of a special honour. Besides the national colours, each unit has its unique regimental colours, normally in the arm or service's colour background, with the unit's coat of arms on it. Units which were made part of the Army of the Andes during Argentina's independence war also carry the Flag of the Army of the Andes.

Brazil

Units of the Brazilian Armed Forces carry a stand of two Colours, differing per service.

The standard of the Brazilian Army measures 80 × 120 cm, white with the Army coat of arms in the centre, trimmed with gold fringe. The name of the service is inscribed in gold letters on a green scroll beneath the shield. Above the shield is a knight's helmet with red and sky blue mantling. The staff is topped by a nickel-plated lance-head finial, 32 cm high. Below the lance-head, there is a cravat (''laço militar'') divided lengthwise, sky blue and red, with a gold fringe at the end, tied in a bow and fastened with a cockade of blue with the Southern Cross in white stars, red, and blue. Ten red streamers with campaign honours inscribed in sky blue letters are also attached below the lance-head. The staff is 212 cm long, not including the lance-head, and 3.5 cm in diameter. It is covered in sky blue velvet with a red spiral strip. The colour belt is 10 cm in width, covered with sky blue velvet with red velvet stripes. The Brazilian Navy's flag uses dark blue colours; the Brazilian Air Force flag uses ultramarine blue.

Brazilian military units also carry the national flag as a National Colour. This is in the dimensions 90 × 128 cm. It is mounted on the same size staff and with the same finial as the Army standard, but the cravat is divided lengthwise yellow and green, with a gold fringe at the end, tied in a bow and fastened with a cockade of blue with the Cruzeiro do Sul in white stars, yellow, and green. The staff is covered in green velvet with a yellow spiral strip. The colour belt is 10 cm in width, covered with green velvet with yellow velvet stripes of width and number varying with the rank of the organization's commander.

Unit colours differ per service branch and speciality.

Chile

Units of the Chilean Army carry one main colour, known as the ''estandarte de combate'' (combat standard). This is the same as the national flag, but with an embroidered star and with the unit designation, honorific title, founding date and place, and, depending on the unit, other historic information and honours embroidered diagonally across the fly in gold. The flag is also trimmed with gold fringe. It is mounted on a staff with a gilt condor finial; below the finial is a cravat in the national colours with decorations attached. In addition to the military colour, particularly distinguished units, and long serving units may carry a second Colour known as a ''bandera coronela'' (colonel's colour). This is a red field with a large white five-pointed star. In the angles of the star are the names and dates of battle honours surrounded by laurel wreaths, all in gold, while in an arc above the star is the designation of the unit, also in gold. The flag is also surrounded by gold fringe. Since 2017, the 16th Infantry Regiment Talca became the first to sport a blue coloured ''bandera coronela'' in honour of its origins as a city guard battalion formed during the War of the Pacific.

The Chilean Air Force, the Chilean Navy, the Carabineros de Chile and the Chilean Gendarmerie all use the ''estandarte de combate'' as their main colour, and do not use the ''bandera coronela'' at all. The design is the same as in the Army's.

Colombia

The main state colours of the Military Forces of Colombia and the National Police of Colombia is the Flag of Colombia with the Coat of arms of Colombia in the centre inside a circle with a red border, used by all the services. These flags also carry medals and decorations attached to the flag. The MFC and the NPC also uses unit battle colours (brigade-level, regiment-level and battalion-level), that differ accordingly per service. All of them are gold fringed. Uniquely for Colombia, the battle colour tradition is mainly US-influcenced. In addition, the service colour is used as a secondary color, also gold fringed, to denote service affiliation.

The Navy, given the British influence, uses the national flag as a State Colour for ships and commands, and few naval units have a full strand of colours.

Cuba

Cuba's military colours under the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces tend to follow a mix of the Soviet and US practice, as the Cuban flag is treated as a National Colour.

* Regiments/Wings: bicolour vertical flag with a white field in the centre with the Coat of Arms of Cuba and the service or branch colour at the sides
* Infantry Divisions of the Revolutionary Army, Territorial Troops Militias, Youth Labour Army and Camilio Cienfuegos Military Schools System: Red with coat of arms with title on gold or white surrounding
* Armoured Divisions: Black with coat of arms with title on white
* Air Force Brigades: Blue with coat of arms with title on white surrounding
* Antonio Maceo Military College and Jose Maceo Military College: Red and Black with coat of arms
* Naval Academy: White with two blue stripes

El Salvador

El Salvador's military colours under the Salvadoran Armed Forces heavily follow US models, as the Salvadoran flag is treated as a National Colour.

Honduras

Honduran military colours under the Honduran Armed Forces heavily follow US models, as the Honduran flag is treated as a National Colour.

Mexico

The Mexican Armed Forces use the Flag of Mexico as the National Colour, with the unit inscription below the Coat of arms of Mexico and the official name of the country (''Estados Unidos Mexicanos'', "United Mexican States") above it. It is the standard design for infantry units and other general services. The same design is used as the National Standard of all Mexican Army cavalry and artillery units as well as artillery units of the Mexican Naval Infantry (under the Navy). Colours and standards are both gold fringed, and the lettering is also in gold.

As a uniformed federal force, the National Guard's units are entitled to a National Colour or Standard.

Mexican Navy units and the Heroic Military Academy are the only ones entitled to regimental colours. Navy schools carry a white gold fringed colour with the heraldic emblem of the school.

Nicaragua

Nicaragua's military colours under the Nicaraguan Armed Forces are heavily following US practice, as the Nicaraguan flag is treated as a National Colour. The unit colours are in red, with a gold outline of Nicaragua with the service, unit or branch insignia in the centre.

United States

In the United States military, each branch has its own flag, an organizational colour, sometimes also called a ceremonial flag. Each of these is 4 ft 4 in × 5 ft 6 in, some using 2.5-inch gold fringe during specific instances. The ceremonial flag is paraded with a National Color of equal dimensions in a colour guard, with gold fringe as necessary. The National Color is never dipped in salute, but remains vertical at all times, while the organizational colours and any guidons are dipped as necessary. When the National Color is not cased, all persons salute the Colors. The finial is a nickel or chrome-plated spearhead, though the Navy uses different finials on occasion.

Each service attaches campaign/battle streamers, sometimes known as battle honours, for actions in which the service as a whole has taken part. These can either be war service streamers, which are in the colours of the appropriate campaign medal and have the name of the campaign embroidered; or unit citation streamers, which have the name of the action embroidered and signify that the unit's performance in a specific action has been worthy of special mention. Units are also permitted to wear streamers of overseas awards they may have been presented with. These streamers are in the colours of the appropriate medal ribbon. The streamers are 3 ft × 2.75 in. The Army, for instance, currently has 178 service streamers,U.S. Army Press Release
Army to award campaign participation credit and streamers for global war on terror
. Retrieved 16 August 2006. embroidering the name of each battle on each, as does the Air Force. The Marine Corps and Navy instead embroider award devices onto streamers to consolidate them, having 62 and 34, respectively.

= United States Army

=

In the Army, most regiments, battalions of regiments, and separate battalions also have a stand of colours. The first is the National Color, which is a version of the national flag trimmed with a gold fringe, and is the equivalent of the King's Colour in the British Army. The second is the Organizational Color, which is the equivalent of the regimental colour; this is the same dimensions as the National Color, but is of a single colour representing the branch of the service that the unit is from; each branch also has its own fringe colour, which the Organizational Color is trimmed with. In the centre of the colour, for regiments is the eagle from the Great Seal of the United States, but with the regimental coat of arms in the shield. The eagle has in its beak a scroll bearing the regimental motto, with the crest of the regiment's coat of arms above it and the regiment's name below. Attached to the Organizational Color are the campaign and unit citation streamers awarded to the individual unit – these are equivalent to the battle honours embroidered directly onto the colours of British and Commonwealth units. The Organizational Color was carried in lieu of a National Color until shortly before the American Civil War, when the Stars and Stripes became the National Color.. Retrieved 16 August 2006. Civil War era units sometimes carried alternative Organizational Colors based on their home state flags or of other designs.

Brigade, division and corps colours, also gold fringed, are in the facing colour of the service branch, for brigades the colour is of a bicolour design. These colours have the command heraldic arms at the centre.

= United States Marine Corps

=

In the Marine Corps, each battalion-sized unit or larger maintains a set of colours. The organizational colour is identical to the Marine Corps battle colour, except that the scroll has the unit's name instead of "United States Marine Corps". It also bears the streamers authorized to the unit, or scarlet and gold tassels if none are authorized.

Fringe is never used on the national colors when carried by Marine Corps unit. Instead, a red, white, and blue tassel can be used to decorate.

= United States Navy

=

Prior to Executive Order 10812 of 24 April 1959, the United States Navy used the U.S. Naval Infantry Battalion Flag as its unofficial colours. While the Navy uses a number of maritime flags, such as the Ensign and Jack of the United States, the Flag of the United States Navy is normally seen only at ceremonies and parades. The display of streamers and fringe is consistent with that of the Marine Corps.

= United States Naval Construction Force

=

When Naval Construction Battalions (Seabees) were first formed in 1942 the Naval Infantry Battalion Flag was mandated by Naval Regulation as the colours of the Naval Construction Force.FLAGS, PENNANTS & CUSTOMS,NTP 13 (B), NAVAL COMPUTER AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMAND, 4401 MASSACHUSETTS AVE., N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C. 20394-5460, section 17.11, p. 17–

/ref> Each battalion-sized unit or larger maintains a set of colours. The organizational colours of each unit is identical, excepting that each will have the unit's name and number in white on the flag. The display of streamers authorized to the unit is consistent with that of the Marine Corps.

= Other shore establishment units and commands of the Navy

=
Organizational colours of the US Navy's other shore establishment commands and units and all command formations are in navy blue with the arms of the unit or command, with appropriate displayed streamers attached if authorized.

= United States Air Force

=

United States Air Force, U.S. Air Force (USAF) groups and above have the same National Color as the Army; the Organizational Color is ultramarine blue, with the group's coat of arms beneath the USAF crest, which is an eagle on a cloud background. The fringe is in gold. Wing and force colours have their heraldic emblem used instead of the eagle.

This is the same design for Air Force commands and educational institutions but with the eagle replaced by the emblem of the formation.

Uruguay

Aside from the three state colours (the Flag of Uruguay, the Flag of Artigas and the Flag of the Treinta y Tres), the Uruguayan military also has regimental colours that differ per service and unit. The national colours have armed colour guards while the regimental colour has none at all.

Venezuela

In the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela, aside from the Flag of Venezuela as the National Colour, there are also Organizational Colours for each of the 6 service branches and the Ministerial Colour of the Ministry of Defence and Unit Colours, which differ per service branch and arm. Every military unit from the Ministry of defence down to all individual units have a stand of colours like in the United Kingdom, but differ from the battalion to the service and the national level. The national flag, until the 1940s, served also as the unit state colour in the same manner as the National Colour of the United States Army and the State/Sovereign's Colour in the Commonwealth of Nations, and was based on the national flag but with the unit inscription replacing the stars in the centre in white lettering. The Venezuelan National Militia is the only service branch that uses a battle colour, similar to the flag of the Cuban July 26 Movement: the colour is red and black with the service name on it in white, and a separate colour is used for the service headquarters at the Montana Barracks in Caracas. Starting from July 2013 onward it was granted permission to use a 4th colour for its battalions: red with the eyes of the late President Hugo Chávez and the inscription ''Chavez Vive'' (Chavez Lives On) below, topped with a scarlet star.

Since 2014 the National Armed Forces uses two additional colours (the National Militia its 5th and 6th): that of the Supreme Commander's Colour, which is red bearing the portrait of the late President Chávez surrounded by a wreath and the Armed Forces Motto (''Independence and Socialist Fatherland, we will live on and triumph!'') below and the inscription ''Supreme Commander of the Bolivarian Revolution'' (''Comandante Supremo de la Revolución Bolivariana'') and the eight golden stars from the National Flag above it, plus the Memorial Colour of the Liberator and Father of the Nation (introduced in the summer of 2016), which is of the same colour facing but with the wreath containing the portrait of Simon Bolivar, the eight gold stars and his title above and the words ''Freedom, Sovereignty, Independence'' (''Libertad, Soberania e Independencia'') below the title, all in gold.

The colours used on the Unit Colours are as follows:

* Red: Ministry of Defence (formerly grey), Service units, Marine Corps, National Militia, Military Technical Academy, Presidential Honour Guard Brigade, Caracas HQ Battalion of the Ministry of Defence
* Dark blue and red: Venezuelan Army HQ and units directing to Army HQ, Division and Brigade Colours
* Yellow: Infantry, Jungle Infantry, Airborne Units
* Orange: Rangers
* Green: Army Engineers
* Dark blue: Venezuelan Army Special Forces
* Red and Black: Rapid Action (Infantry) Battalions
* Black: Armor
* Burgundy red: Artillery and Air Defence Artillery
* Grey: Logistics, National Armed Forces Communications and Electronics College
* Navy blue: Navy
* Ultramarine blue: Air Force (formerly light green)
* Maroon: National Guard
* Dark blue and white: Bolivarian Military University of Venezuela, Military Academy of the Bolivarian Army and Armed Forces Health Sciences Academy
* Light blue and white: Venezuelan Naval Academy
* White: Venezuelan Army military high schools

Asia

Cambodia

In Cambodia, the Colours of the Military and other uniformed institutions follow British, US, and French practice. It is basically a large version of the Cambodian flag with the unit name below in white in the bottom blue stripe.

People's Republic of China

The People's Liberation Army is the overall body for the entire armed forces of the People's Republic of China, and is represented by a single flag, which serves as a ceremonial colour for all regiments and larger formations. This is based on the national flag, but has instead of the four smaller gold stars the Chinese characters for the numerals '8' and '1', which stands for the 1 August, which was the date in 1927 that the PLA was founded. When paraded, the flag is fringed with gold, and is mounted on a red and gold pole. However, each branch of the PLA has its own flag, based on the Army Flag, but are not taken out on public parades except with the same gold fringe as the latter:
*Ground forces: This is the Army Flag with the lower 40% coloured green.
*Navy: This is the Army flag except that the lower 40% has three blue and two white horizontal stripes of equal width.
*Air Force: This is the Army Flag with the lower 40% coloured air force blue.
*Rocket Forces: This is the Army Flag with the lower 40% being a gold stripe.
Banners of the PLA

Individual unit colours based on the PLA service colour would only come in a test basis beginning 2018, when mobile contingents of units of the Northern Theater Command who took part in the joint military exercise "Vostok 2018" with the Russian Armed Forces carried red colours with the unit name on the white fringe nearest the flagpole. Test battle colours were formerly given out to the People's Armed Police in recent years before the practice was adopted by the PLA Ground Forces on an experimental period. During the 1 October 2019 civil military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, a mobile colour guard unit debuted after many years the garrison colours awarded to every PLA formation and agency, which are red with the formation or agency name in Mandarin Chinese in white or gold lettering (but without the white fringe), with some colours bearing additional inscriptions bearing either battle honours or decorations awarded to the formation or agency concerned.

Republic of China

The army of the Republic of China (Taiwan) also has a single flag that it uses, which is red, with a banner of the Blue Sky with a White Sun in the centre. It has a red flagpole with silver spearhead finial and red tassels immediately underneath. Individual units use a variation of the Army Flag as their own identifying Colour; this features a white strip next to the hoist, which has the unit's name in black characters, as well as a golden fringe (as is the case since 1961 for all units of the Republic of China Armed Forces, but since 1947 were limited only to Army units above the regimental level). The army honour guard colour is in gold with the unit coat of arms in the centre.

The Republic of China Navy's colours were red but with the seal of the Navy in a dark blue canton in the centre until the 1980s, the honour guard company's colours only use both dark blue and the Navy seal, which are the same colours used today in other ROCN units.

For the Republic of China Marine Corps, its unit battle colours, since 1960, mirrors that of the USMC but since the 1980s the unit name is on the white stripe near the hoist (just as the rest of the armed forces, formerly it was on a scroll similar to the USMC's).

The colours used by the Republic of China Air Force are in sky blue with the air force seal in the centre (formerly it was red with the sky blue canton featuring the coat of arms, the old design only used today by the honour guard).

Units of the Republic of China Military Police, formerly using a blue colour, now use a brown colour with the ROCMP arms.

Units reporting to the Ministry of National Defence sport an orange colour with the coast arms of the Ministry in the centre. Garrison colours are in blue with the Kuomintang emblem, a wheat wreath and 3 interlocked circles in yellow, red and blue respectively. Reserve units carry a red colour while the Taiwan Reserve uses a green one.

Only the following military academies sport their colours as the ROCAF colour is used by the Republic of China Air Force Academy:
* Republic of China Military Academy
* Republic of China Naval Academy

In all events whenever the ROCAF is involved, the ROC flag is used as the National colour.

Indonesia

In Indonesia, the Colours of the Military, Police and other uniformed institutions are known as '. The Panji-panji is carried and escorted by a Colour guard known as "Pataka", an abbreviation from ''Pasukan Tanda Kehormatan'' in Indonesian.

= National Colour and Service Colours

=

During graduation and passing out parades, whenever the enlistment or commissioning pledge is taken, the flag of Indonesia is used as a national colour.

Mostly seen in parades are the service colours of the Indonesian National Armed Forces or TNI, the Indonesian National Police and the Municipal Police Units (known as the ). Within the TNI, service colours exist for all three service branches. means the military/service colours in Indonesian.

* Indonesian National Armed Forces Tri-Service Colour: Red with coat of arms on the observe and the national coat of arms on the reverse
* Indonesian Army Colour: Green with coat of arms on the obverse
* Indonesian Navy Colour: Dark blue with coat of arms on the obverse
* Indonesian Air Force Colour: Sky blue with coat of arms on the obverse

Non-military:
* Indonesian National Police Colour: Black and the national coat of arms on the reverse
* Municipal Police Colour: Dark blue

= Colours of commands and below

=

and are terms used to identify colours below the command or service specialty level within the Armed Forces, National Police and Municipal Police. The former are for battalion/squadron level units and military territorial commands or equivalents, the latter for brigades/regiments, divisions/regional commands and service specialty and operational commands. They share a common design: the unit heraldic arms is featured in the observe while the emblem of its reporting formation is featured in the reverse side. All colours are gold fringed and carry a Garuda finial based on the national arms.

Within the TNI, Police and Municipal Police, the speciality colours are:

* Green: Infantry, Army Corps of Engineers, Regional Military Commands, Operational and Administrative Commands, Agencies and Departments
* Red: Army Strategic Reserve Command, Army Special Force battalions and brigades, Reserve Component
* Black: Armor and Cavalry, Air Force Infantry, Raider Infantry (Airborne and Mechanized units inclusive), Municipal Police, Police
* Brown : Artillery and Air defence Artillery, Indonesian Military Academy
* Gray: Logistics and Transportation, Military Police, Army Services
* Navy blue: Navy
* Ultramarine blue: Air Force
* Maroon: Mobile Brigade Corps (Police)
* Magenta: Marine Corps
* Violet: Army Aviation Command

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

The Korean People's Army is the overall body for the entire armed forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Until 1993 the KPA was represented by a single flag, which served as a ceremonial colour for all regiments, educational institutions and larger formations. The colour is on the basis of the national flag but with the national emblem replacing the star and on parades the colours were surrounded by gold fringe. The gold lettering in Hangul was until 1992 "For the unification and independence of the motherland and the people" (), replaced by the current motto "For the unification and independence of the motherland, and the freedom and happiness of the people" ().

In 1993, as part of the 40th anniversary of the conclusion of the Korean War and the 45th since the founding of the DPRK, the old colour was replaced by the designs currently seen today in major holiday parades. All the colours share the same reverse with the emblem of the Workers' Party of Korea in gold and, save for the Worker-Peasant Red Guards, have identical gold letting in Hangul which states "Revolutionary armed forces of the Workers' Party of Korea, Korean People's Army nit name/ No.425 unit (in ceremonies)" (), the 425 number honouring the date (25 April) of the 1932 foundation of the People's Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Army, whose lineage is continued by the current service, but with the same colours as in the observe, which also shows the 4.25 mark in gold numbering. The Guards units also have its badge beneath the 4.25 mark. These colours are in gold fringe when brought out in public parades in Pyongyang, the national capital, and during state visits by the honour guards of the Supreme Guard Command, which is an inter-service formation unlike the rest of the command whose personnel are drawn from the Ground Forces. The 1948 and 1992 design colours, since the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the conclusion of the Korean War in 2013, have been brought out only by guards units and KPA battalions sporting historical dress uniforms of the 1940s and early 1950s, the 1992 colours have a gold Guards Badge outline in the reverse to denote Guards status of the unit's colour while the colours only use the 1948 arms and motto instead of the current one.

* Ground Forces 1993–97 and 2012–present (also used as unofficial flag of the entire KPA): Colour in national flag colours but with KPA emblem in gold (sheaves of wheat and a stylized dam with a red star surrounded by a gold circle with wreath below) and gold Hangul motto in the obverse
** Ground Forces 1997–2011 (also used as unofficial flag of the entire KPA): Colour in national flag colours but with KPA emblem in gold and gold Hangul motto on the top and bottom blue stripes reading "Let us defend the headquarters of the revolution headed by the great Comrade Kim Jong Il with our lives!" () with the name of Kim Jong Il slightly enlarged, gold motto also used in the flags of the other branches
* Air Force 1993–present: Emblem of KPA with wings (emblem updated in 2012), top large half in air force blue and small bottom half dark blue, with 6 alternating stripes (3 dark blue, 3 air force blue) below the emblem, formerly gold wings and a gold star above the emblem
* Navy 1993–present: Emblem of KPA with gold four anchor above, bicolour of white and navy blue with 5 alternating stripes between the large stripes (3 dark blue, 2 white)
* Strategic Forces (present colour): Green with emblem of the KPA and a larger wreath above a stylized top of a globe, with light yellow stripes below the globe
* Special Operations Forces: Dark Blue with emblem of the KPA and a larger wreath, with the Big Dipper below the 4.25 mark
* Revolutionary military schools: Red with KPA emblem and Hangul motto in gold lettering above and below
* Worker-Peasant Red Guards: Red with service emblem (red star and gold wreath) in the centre and the Hangul motto in gold above and below the emblem in the observe, and name of the service in Hangul below the WPK emblem in the reverse, from 1997 to 2011 the gold Hangul motto read "Let's us defend the leadership of the revolution led by Comrade Kim Jong Il with our lives!"

Republic of Korea

The traditions of military unit and branch colours of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces are mostly derived from the Western practice with the Flag of South Korea treated as a National Colour.

Today each of the ROKAF's service branches have branch regimental colours, all gold fringed, which are carried by colour guards following a mix of Western traditions. The colours are as follows:

* Army: Blue and white with service emblem
* Navy: Blue with white canton (taegeuk with crossed anchors)
** Marine Corps: Scarlet with service emblem
* Air Force: Air force/sky blue with gold service emblem

In major holiday parades two additional colours are paraded as part of the national colour guard.

* Honorary Colour of the Armed Forces and Ministry of National Defence: Red with armed forces emblem
* Colour of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the MND and ROKAF: Purple

Unit and specialty colours follow a mix of the Western models with influences from the Western model, sharing since the 1990s a common design with the unit name in Hangul below the emblem (in the Navy, the unit/command name is on a white scroll below following US precedence).

* Colours of units under the ROK Army
** Regimental, brigade, division and corps colours: Army Colour with unit DUI/emblem replacing the service arms
** Infantry: Blue
** Armour: Yellow
** Artillery and Missile Command: Burgundy red
** Air defence artillery: Green
** Engineers: Light blue
** Special operations: Black
** Logistics and service support: White/Orange
** Reserve units: Dark blue
** Army aviation: Blue
* Colours of units under the ROK Navy
** Fleet forces and other commands: Navy blue
** Marine Corps: Scarlet
** Service support: White
** Educational and training institutions: White/Navy blue
* All ROK Air Force formations: Sky blue

In addition, the traditional guard unit under the 3rd Infantry Division of the ROKA carries replica colours similar to those used during the Imperial era, that was used by Sumunjang or royal palace guards with its traditional military band, Daechwita. They are only brought out during state visits to the republic and on major holidays.

Laos

In Laos, the Colours of the Military and other uniformed institutions follow North Korean practice. It is basically a large version of the Laotian flag with the unit name below in white in the top and bottom red stripe.

Philippines

Philippine military colours are the Flag of the Philippines as the National Colour, the Organizational Colours, and the Unit Battle Colour. The Flag of the Philippines is the National Colour of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, but unlike the US colour has no markings on the flag. The Organizational Colours are the flags of the AFP's four Major Service Commands while the Unit Battle Colour differs per service arm and unit. Like the US, it also has 2nd order guidons for companies and troops, but these are also based on the Spanish military guidons and banners, not on the American ones, reflecting the long history of the military establishment here. These guidons are therefore not swallow tailed save for the PMA, the Philippine Army's Escort and Security Btn and some other units under the Philippine Army.

The color facings of the Organizational Colours are:

* Army: Green
* Navy: Ultramarine blue
* Air Force: Air Force Blue
* AFP GHQ: Air force blue, dark blue and green

Thailand

Each unit of the Royal Thai Armed Forces is given a colour called the ''"Thong Chai Chalermphol"'' ( th, ธงชัยเฉลิมพล) or Victory Colours. These are presented to each unit personally by the King of Thailand. The colours are divided into four different designs, for: Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy, Royal Thai Air Force and King's Guard units. Colours of the Navy carry no fringe, the rest have gold fringe. All carry the reigning monarch's cypher on the top right corner near the hoist.

Before their presentation, the colours are ceremonially blessed in a religious ceremony attended by Buddhist monks and other high ranking dignitaries inside the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok. During the ceremony amidst the chanting of the monks, the King will personally hammer the brass nails into the staff of each colour using a silver hammer. Each colour contains about 32–35 nails, in which the cloth is attached to the wooden staff. Within the same ceremony, the King will also take a strand of his own hair and conceal it within a compartment at the top of the staff, which is closed by a round silver screw top. The King will also attach each colour with its own ceremonial Buddha image, and bless each colour with holy water. The ceremony is steeped in Buddhist and Brahmic heritage; it symbolizes and cements the King's role as Chief Kshatriya (กษัตริย์) or Warrior ruler of his realm. It also emphasizes his constitutional role as Head and Chief of the Thai Armed Forces (จอมทัพไทย: Chomthap Thai).

These colours are similar to the Flag of Thailand and therefore are treated like the State Colours of the Commonwealth, but are not lowered to the ground but kept above it to the tune of Sansoen Phra Barami (the Royal Anthem) when salutes are rendered by these Colours to the Thai Royal Family (most especially the King and Queen) in all military events that they attend.

Vietnam

Similar to Chinese practice, the Flag of Vietnam is used as a National Colour by all formations of battalion level above within the People's Army of Vietnam. It is fringed in gold, and when used in ceremonies, often has the gold motto ("determination to win") at the top right corner of the colour near the hoist, with any decorations and/or medals attached to it.

Commonwealth of Nations

The colours of the infantry and standards of the cavalry are a set of large flags, unique to each regiment, that the ordinary soldier would be able to identify straight away.

United Kingdom

=Line infantry and foot guards

=

In regiments of infantry of the British Army and the armies of other Commonwealth countries, each battalion carries two colours, which collectively are called a stand. These are large flags, usually , and mounted on a half pike which is long; the king's/queen's colour is usually a version of the country's national flag, often trimmed with gold fabric, and with the regiment's insignia placed in the centre. The regimental colour is a flag of a single colour, usually the colour of the uniform facings (collar/lapels and cuffs) of the regiment, again often trimmed and with the insignia in the centre. Most regiments that are designated as 'royal' regiments (that is either have the word 'Royal' or the sponsorship of a royal personage in their name) have a royal blue regimental colour, most royal regiments have a Union Flag canton in that background. Irish regiments, today the Royal Irish Regiment, have a dark green regimental colour.

The colours of the five regiments of Foot Guards have the pattern of the line infantry reversed, with the king's colour of each of the 1st Battalions being crimson with the regimental insignia, a royal crown and honours and the regimental colour a variation of the Union Flag with the battle honours embroidered. The king's colours of any additional battalions from these regiments (currently held by the four incremental companies from four out of the six regiments) feature a Union Flag canton at the top corner.

=Additional colours

=

*The Grenadier, Coldstream and Scots Guards each have at least one state colour; this is usually crimson with various regimental devices and honours, and the royal cypher at the corners of it. They are only used by guards of honour from any unit from these regiments, not found by the King’s Guard, mounted on state occasions when the King is present. They are only lowered to the King and the Queen Consort and on state occasions only when the king is present, even if the guard of honour is mounted in honour of some other personage. The colour design is larger than the normal colours of the Guards Division used in ceremonies.
* The 1st Battalion, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, as the lineal descendant, bears the Third Colour initially born by the 2nd Regiment of Foot, later renamed the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) which, for one reason or another, was never taken away from the regiment in the 18th century when new regulations on colours were implemented.
* The 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers bears the Drummer's Colour awarded after the Battle of Wilhelmsthal to the 5th Regiment of Foot, (later The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers) of which it is the direct descendant.
* The 3rd Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Duke of Wellington's), as the linear descendant, carries the honorary King’s and Regimental Colours that were given to the 76th Regiment of Foot by the Honourable East India Company following their actions at Delhi and Allyghur.
* The Royal Highland Fusiliers 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland carries the Assaye Colour awarded as an honorary colour to the 74th Regiment of Foot following the Battle of Assaye, which is paraded every year on Assaye Day.
* The Honourable Artillery Company has both a stand of colours (king's and regimental) and guns. The latter are also regarded as colours and accorded the same compliments just as the Royal Artillery regard their guns as their colours.

=Rifle regiments

=
By tradition, rifle regiments do not carry colours; this goes back to their formation, when they were used as skirmishers and sharpshooters. While individual units may have had banners or pennants to distinguish themselves from other units, regiments as a whole never needed a full stand of colours. Today, the two rifle regiments in the British Army, The Rifles and the Royal Gurkha Rifles carry their battle honours on their drums, while the Royal Green Jackets also had theirs inscribed on their cap badge; this tradition is maintained by The Rifles, who wear the Maltese Cross badge of the Royal Green Jackets, inscribed with the regimental honours, as the belt badge. In place of a regimental colour, the Gurkhas carry the King's Truncheon awarded in 1863.

The Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment was the first modern non-British regiment to receive Truncheons when they were awarded to that unit in 2017. Formerly, the Malaysian Army Royal Ranger Regiment was granted a regimental truncheon in 1966.

In India, colours or banners are given instead of truncheons, following Russian practice, to all the rifle and scout infantry regiments by the President of India.

=Colours in the cavalry regiments

=
In the British Army's cavalry units, the king's cavalry standard and the regimental standard (for the heavy cavalry) and the king's cavalry guidons and regimental guidons (for the light cavalry) are the equivalents to the line infantry colours. The king's standard is crimson with the royal coat of arms and cypher, plus the regimental honours, while the regimental (squadron/union) standard has an adaptable background colour per unit (the colour is sometimes scarlet) and includes sometimes the Union Badge below the crown and the royal cypher at the sides of the badge, with the unit honours below. The light cavalry guidon is swallow-tailed and includes the regimental coat of arms and honours. Before the 1950s, however, Timpani in the drumhorses (and later snare, bass and tenor drums in the dismounted bands) carried the regimental honours and insignia of the light cavalry regiments. For dragoon guards regiments, the sequence is mixed, since these regiments have a king's cavalry standard and regimental guidons.

The Household Cavalry has the following unique colours:

* The Life Guards: King's cavalry standard only
* The Blues and Royals: King's cavalry standard, regimental guidon

=Embellishments

=
Woven onto the colours are battle honours; the king's colour has honours from the First World War and Second World War, while the regimental colour has honours from other campaigns. The regimental colour can also have other distinctions, including antecedent emblems and unique honours; one significant example is the Sphinx emblem carried by regiments who took part in the Egypt campaign of 1801. If the regiment has more than a single battalion, then there are identifying marks on the colours to show which battalion they belong to.
There are various other embellishments that can be added to the colours on various occasions:
*On anniversaries of various battle honours, and certain other events, a laurel wreath is added to the top of the pike.
*Battle honour equivalents awarded by foreign countries may be added to the colours, subject to permission being given by the head of state. In the Commonwealth, three infantry battalions are permitted to display the blue streamer that signifies the Presidential Unit Citation/Distinguished Unit Citation (PUC), which is the highest collective award given by the United States:
**2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
**3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
**6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

In the UK, 41 Commando, Royal Marines, and the 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, were also awarded the PUC and permitted to display the streamer of their regimental colours.

Because of their importance to the regiment, prior to a new stand of colours being presented, they are consecrated.

=Royal Hospital, Chelsea

=
The Royal Hospital, Chelsea had neither colours nor other distinctive device during its entire history, until 2002 when Queen Elizabeth II presented the hospital with the Sovereign's Mace. This is now paraded by a party of in-pensioners at all of the Royal Hospital's ceremonial events.

=Royal Marines

=
The Corps of Royal Marines has a single pattern king's colour, which is the Union Flag with the foul anchor and the reigning sovereign's cypher interlaced in the centre. Above is a scroll with the single battle honour Gibraltar surmounted by St Edward's Crown. Below is the globe (which represents the many battle honours the Royal Marines had earned) surrounded by a laurel wreath (which represents the Battle of Belle Isle) and below this is a scroll with the corps' motto. Each of the four commandos (the battalion-sized formations that make up the bulk of the corps) has a King’s colour, with the only difference being the colour of the cords and tassels. Each commando also has its own regimental colour. The regimental colour is a dark blue flag (because the corps is classed as a 'royal regiment') with a small Union Flag at the pike head. The colour carries similar central embellishments as the king's colour, with the exception that the cypher of George IV replaces that of the reigning monarch and the unit numeral is below. The royal cypher is at the other corners. The regimental colours also have the coloured cords and tassels, which are gold combined with the following colours:
*40 Commando: Light blue
*42 Commando: White
*43 Commando: Old gold and scarlet
*45 Commando: Red

The former 41 Commando was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for its service in the Korean War, and was thus permitted to carry the streamer on its Regimental Colour.

=The Royal Navy

=
The colours of His Majesty's ships in the Royal Navy consist of:

* a White Ensign (worn at the stern, or from the gaff or main yardarm when at sea);
* a Union Jack (worn at the ship's jackstaff at the bow when not underway or when the ship is dressed);
* a Masthead pennant (worn at the masthead, except when displaced by an admiral's flag or commodore's broad pennant).

In addition, each principal command in the Royal Navy also has its own king's colour which is a variation of the White Ensign, with its dimensions altered to mirror those of the colours of infantry regiments. In the centre is the royal cypher of the reigning monarch within the Garter, surmounted by the crown.

Unlike the colours of regiments in the Army, every king's colour of the Royal Navy is identical. The following units hold a king's colour of the Royal Navy:

* Naval Aviation Command (ACOS(AV), HMS ''Heron'')
* Submarine Command (CAPTFASFLOT, HMS ''Neptune'')
* Fleet ( CINCFLEET HQ)
* Britannia Royal Naval College
* Surface Flotilla (MWS, )
* Royal Naval Reserve (COMMARRES, )

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary also holds a king's colour, unique for a civilian organisation. It is a variation of the RFA's Blue Ensign, with the dimensions altered to mirror the Royal Navy King’s Colour. It has the same royal cypher in the centre.

=The Royal Air Force

=

RAF colours are made of sky blue silk and measure approximately 36" × 36". The following colours have been awarded:

* RAF College, Cranwell, approved 27 December 1947, presented 6 July 1948.
*The RAF in the UK, approved 27 December 1947, presented, 16 May 1951.
* No. 1 School of Technical Training RAF, approved 27 December 1947, presented 25 July 1952.
* RAF Regiment, presented 17 March 1953.
*Near East Air Force, presented 14 October 1960, laid up 31 May 1976.
* Far East Air Force, presented 13 July 1961, laid up 30 January 1972.
*Central Flying School, presented 26 June 1969.
*RAF Germany, presented 16 September 1970, laid up 27 June 1993.
* Royal Auxiliary Air Force, presented 12 June 1989.
* RAF Halton, presented 31 October 1997.
*Royal Air Force Regiment, presented July 2017.

The king's colour for the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom is a variation of the RAF Ensign with its dimensions altered. The RAF Roundel is moved to the lower fly, with its place in the centre again taken by the royal cypher surmounted by the crown. Other colours feature the unit's badge in the centre with the royal cypher and crown in the first quarter.

The RAF's squadron standards are its counterpart to the regimental colours. They are in air force blue surrounded by a gold fringe, with the squadron insignia and honours.

Australia, Canada and New Zealand

The naval and air forces of all three of these countries also have similar colours based on their own ensigns. Rules stipulated by the Canadian Department of Defence state that the First, or Senior Colours symbolizes the unit's loyalty to the Crown; authorization to possess a king's colour may only be granted, and the colour presented, by the monarch or his vice-regal representative. The design based on the flag of Canada reflects the custom established for infantry line regiments in the mid-18th century, when the sovereign's colour was based on the national flag, as was the practice in British and French units in Canada.

=Navy

=
*Royal Australian Navy: The King's Colour of the RAN is the Australian White Ensign it is a reverse of the Australian national flag (white with blue stars), with Elizabeth II's royal cypher and Garter band positioned between the Commonwealth Star and the stars representing the Southern Cross. (See former colours at Naval Chapel, Garden Island NSW.) The RAN possesses two colours, the first is the Fleet Colour held on behalf of the fleet units by Fleet Headquarters, . The second, known as the Establishment Colour, is held by on behalf of the shore establishments.
*Royal Canadian Navy: The King's Naval Colour is a variation of the Canadian Naval Ensign it is white, with the Canadian flag in the canton, the cypher from Elizabeth II's personal flag for the Commonwealth (a crowned "E" surrounded by a wreath of roses) in the centre, and the symbol of the navy in the lower fly. The edge of the colour is trimmed in gold. Until 1979 the RCN possessed two identical colours: one for the Atlantic fleet and one for the Pacific fleet. Since then, a single colour has been held at Naval Service Headquarters.
*Royal New Zealand Navy: Since 1968 the RNZN King's Colour is a variant of the Naval Ensign of New Zealand itself the Flag of New Zealand but in white, with Elizabeth II's royal cypher and Garter band situated near the Southern Cross.

=Army

=

* Australian infantry battalions formed just prior to or during World War I had a pair (a stand) of colours, being a King's Colour based on the Union Flag and a separate Regimental Colour emblazoned with the battalion number and its colour patch (shoulder badge). Battle honours were also emblazoned on the Regimental Colour. These customs followed the British tradition. Some of those World War I battalions were amalgamated prior to or during World War II. For example, the 57th Battalion amalgamated with the 60th Battalion in 1930, forming the 57th/60th Battalion which saw action in the South West Pacific campaigns during World War II. The 57th/60th Battalion did not have its own colours, but by dint of history inherited both stands of colours from the 57th and the 60th. In accordance with the order of battle the 57th/60th wore the colour patch of the 57th on its uniforms, but they still paraded and presented the colours of both the 57th and the 60th. Queen Elizabeth II gave permission in 1960 for the battle honours from World War II (South-West Pacific 1943–45, Liberation of Australian New Guinea, Commando Road, etc.) to be emblazoned on the Queen’s colours, rather than on the Regimental Colours, which were already emblazoned with honours from World War I (The Somme, Passchendaele, Villers-Bretonneux, Amiens, etc.). A similar situation occurred with the amalgamation in 1942 of the 58th Battalion and the 59th Battalion to form the 58th/59th Battalion, which wore the colour patch of the 58th Battalion on its uniforms but inherited and paraded both stands of colours from the 58th Battalion and 59th Battalion. The 57th/60th Battalion and the 58th/59th Battalion were disbanded soon after World War II and the colours were laid up in the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne where they are on display in the Crypt. The Shrine and other war memorials and churches around Australia display many other stands of battalion colours that have been laid up in their care, such as St Stephens Church, Sydney.
* While the colours of the Australian Army infantry regiments follow the British tradition, starting in the 1960s colours based on the Australian national flag are now used as the king's colour. Armoured units carry Standards and Guidons – flags smaller than Colours and traditionally carried by cavalry, lancer, light horse and mounted infantry units. The 1st Armoured Regiment is the only unit in the Australian Army to carry a Standard, in the tradition of heavy armoured units. Guidons are also carried by aviation units. Only the Royal Australian Artillery uses guns rather than flags as the colours. Non-combat units (combat service support corps) do not have Colours, but have Standards or Banners instead. The Royal Military College, Duntroon also has an additional colour, the Sovereign's Banner, carried yearly by the RMC's Champion Company from the Corps of Staff Cadets formed from the best cadet company for the year, which on parades takes precedence over the other companies as the Sovereign's Company. The Army itself since 2001 has a banner known as the Army Banner, carried on all events of the service (as the Army is the protector of the traditions of the Flag of Australia, and thus does not have its own service colour). It is trimmed with gold fringe, has gold and crimson cords and tassels, and is mounted on a pike with the usual British royal crest finial. The Army Banner bears the Australian Coat of Arms on the obverse, with the dates "1901–2001" in gold in the upper hoist. The reverse bears the "rising sun" badge of the Australian Army, flanked by seven campaign honours on small gold-edged scrolls: South Africa, World War I, World War II, Korea, Malaya-Borneo, South Vietnam, Peacekeeping and East Timor. It was presented to the Army in celebration of its 2001 centennial year.
* In the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (RCAC) regiments designated horse guards and dragoon guards, along with the Canadian Special Operations Regiment, have regimental standards. RCAC standards have a crimson field and the CSOR standard has a tan field. RCAC regiments other than horse guards and dragoon guards have crimson regimental guidons. Each battalion of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps, except those of rifle regiments, has a stand of two colours: a king’s colour and a regimental colour. For foot guards, the King’s colours have a crimson field, and the regimental colours are based on the Canadian national flag. For other infantry regiments, the king's colours are based on the national flag, and the regimental colours are of the regimental facing colour. Only the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery uses guns for its colours. The rifle regiments share the traditions of the former British rifle regiments of having their battle honours carried on their drums. The Royal Canadian Engineers do not have colours but have the motto , Latin for 'everywhere', on their cap badges and other insignia to represent their service everywhere.
*Only the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, the sole infantry regiment of the New Zealand Army, has a stand of colours, with the king's colour now based on the Flag of New Zealand, with the Union Flag canton carrying the regimental insignia, and the regimental colour being royal blue due to its status as a royal regiment. Stands of Colours are present in the regiment's two regular and three reserve battalions. Until 1964, when the New Zealand infantry was reorganized into a single regiment, all the reserve infantry regiments also carried their own colours. The sole armoured regiment, Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles, carries a guidon in the traditions of cavalry units raised in New Zealand since the 19th century.

=Air Force

=
*Royal Australian Air Force: The king's colour of the RAAF is the Royal Australian Air Force Ensign. It is similar to that of the RAF – however, in addition to the RAAF roundel, which is in the lower fly, it has the Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist and the stars of the Southern Cross in the upper fly, with the royal cypher in the centre. The flag has a border of golden wattle as well as golden fringe. Squadron and command colours are in air force blue with the honours and the heraldic emblem of the formation.
*Royal Canadian Air Force: The king's colour of the RCAF is different from that of other Commonwealth air forces in that it is not based on the ensign but instead is similar to the King’s colours of infantry regiments: it is a silk national flag of Canada with a red circlet on the maple leaf inscribed with the name of the command, surrounding the royal cypher, and ensigned with the royal crown. Uniquely among Commonwealth air forces, the RCAF also has a command colour, analogous to an infantry regimental colour. This is light blue with the RCAF badge in the centre and a maple leaf in each corner, stems inward. Squadrons with 25 years or more of active service receive squadron standards with battle honours surrounding the unit badge on the same light blue background edged with flowers (the ten provincial floral emblems).

Sri Lanka

When Sri Lanka declared itself a republic in 1972 the units that had a King’s colour, first using the Union Jack and then the current national flag, retired them. These were replaced by the new President's Colour, which was first awarded in 1972.
The following colours have been awarded:

*Sri Lanka Army
**Regiments
***Sri Lanka Light Infantry – 1978
***Gemunu Watch – 1980
***Gajaba Regiment – 2007
*** Sri Lanka Armoured Corps
***Sri Lanka Artillery
**Establishments
*** Army Training Centre – 1972, laid up 20 August 1992
*** Sri Lanka Military Academy – 1997
* Sri Lanka Air Force
** Sri Lanka Air Force – 1976
**SLAF Regiment – 2009
**Squadrons
*** No. 1 Flying Training Wing – 2001
*** No. 2 Heavy Transport Squadron – 2009
*** No. 4 (VIP) Helicopter Squadron – 2009
*** No. 9 Attack Helicopter Squadron – 2009
*** No. 10 Fighter Squadron – 2009
**Stations
***SLAF Katunayake – 2001
*Sri Lanka Navy
**Commanders
*** Admiral of the fleet Wasantha Karannagoda
**Establishments
*** Naval and Maritime Academy – 2000

Regimental colours follow the British model, and the two light infantry regiments (Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment and Sri Lanka Rifle Corps) do not carry colours at all. Unlike the British Royal Artillery, the Sri Lanka Artillery carries a set of President's and Regimental Colours, the same case for the Sri Lanka Engineers.

Unlike the Air Force which uses a single colour design similar to the RAF, the Navy sports unit and command colours in the same fashion as the Army.

The design of the President's Colours of Navy and Air Force units are the gold fringed versions of their service flags. The Army President's Colour is a gold fringed national flag with the national arms in between the teal and orange stripes on the left.

India

Given its Commonwealth heritage as a former British possession, the Indian Armed Forces sports colours which are equivalent to those used in the British military.

= Presidential Colours to service branches of the armed forces

=

Only the Navy and Air Force sport President's Service Colours which are their respective naval ensign and air force flag with an elephant at the bottom left end.

= President's Colours/Standards/Guidons/Banners of military units

=

President's Colours (Standard and Guidon for mounted units of the Army and Air Force flying units and Banners for service arms and the light infantry) are awarded to distinguished units of the Armed Forces by the President of India, who is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, these are the equivalents to British regimental colours. In the Army, these colours carry the regimental/battalion insignia and any battle honours won by the unit.

* Army
** Cavalry Standards – per colour facing
** Cavalry Guidons – same as standards
** Artillery and Air Defence Artillery Banners - burgundy red and blue
** Infantry Colours – per respective colour facing
** Light Infantry and Rifle Banners – same as regular infantry
** Service Corps Banners – per respective colours
* Air Force – sky blue

Malaysia

The same format of Sovereign's and Regimental Colours also apply in Malaysia. The King's Colours and Regimental Colours of the Malaysian Armed Forces are the flags given by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in his responsibilities as Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and by the 8 other state monarchs. The colours are given to units recognized as Royal units and to flags of large formations (the King's Colour) and to units receiving their new regimental colours (the Unit Regimental Colour).

The King's Colour is yellow with the national arms surrounded by paddy on the centre. Thus Malaysia is one of only two Commonwealth countries, the other being Brunei, that does not use its national flag as a senior Colour (the flag is the senior colour of the entire Armed Forces establishment). The sides are emblazoned with the battle honours of the unit. On the canton the service emblem of either service of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy and Air Force) can be seen. The Regimental Colour, however, differs by service arm or branch (the latter case being used in the Army) and unit. Both flags have gold fringes surrounding them. These colours are only present in formal parades.

During the Independence Day Parade and on Armed Forces Day on 21 September, as the armed services on parade do not wear their dress uniforms, only the 1st Battalion, Royal Malay Regiment, which wears dress uniforms, is present with its King's and Regimental Colours. For the rest of the services on public parade, the following order then applies:

* Service Colour/Regimental Camp Flag
* Flag of Malaysia (National Colour)
* Colour of the Malaysian Armed Forces

Singapore

Singaporean military colours of the Singapore Armed Forces are divided today into Service State Colours and Unit Regimental Colours. Until 1997 there were also Service Regimental Colours and Unit State Colours. The Service State Colours are similar to the Flag of Singapore but differ per service, with the service emblem in the white field. But Regimental Colours are different, and they differ per unit or service arm (save for the flags of the Air Force and Navy that show their respective service colours instead and some SAF service-wide commands like the Military Police). Their common design is that of the regimental or command arms at the centre of the colour, which is in the colour of the unit uniform facings or service branch which it belongs. Both are gold fringed and are brought out on major occasions only. The former Unit State Colours carried the unit emblem or badge in the white field of the national flag.

Europe

Belgium

Infantry units have a ''drapeau'' / ''vaandel'', a square vertical tricolour of black, yellow, and red based on the national flag within a 15 mm wide gold fringe, the whole being 90 cm square. The names of battle honours for which the unit was cited are embroidered in gold in French on the obverse and in Dutch on the reverse, in straight lines.

Denmark

Danish Navy, Army and Air Force units carry a unit colour ( da, regimentsfane) and for the Life Guards a battalion colour (), which measures 105 × 140 cm, former horse units a slightly smaller guidon. The flag is a variation of the Dannebrog, with a curvilinear white Dannebrog cross, called the Mantova cross, set with its centre about one-half the width of the hoist from the hoist edge. The royal cypher is embroidered in gold over the centre of the cross, the unit badge in gold in the upper hoist, and the unit number, name or both in gold in the lower hoist. Some regiments have additional marks in the upper fly. The Jyske Dragonregiment, for instance, has Prince Henrik's cipher in the upper fly. The finial is an ornate gold openwork spearhead with the royal cypher in the centre. Attached below the spearhead can be one or more campaign streamers (). The colour is decorated with a gold cord with two tassels and bordered with a thin strip of gold cord. The sleeve holding the colour to the pike is attached with ornamental nails, the first three of which represent the sovereign, the Fatherland, and the Union.

Finland

Units of Finnish Defence Forces have a single Colour. The Colours are either active or traditional. An active Colour belongs to a brigade or an equivalent unit in the FDF. A traditional Colour belongs to a battalion or a regiment that has formerly been separate, but is now part of a brigade. The difference between an active and traditional Colour is the way of presenting them. The active Colour always has a guard of two officers, while a traditional Colour is borne without one. The military oath is always given in the presence of the active Colour of the unit.

The Finnish military vexillology is a mixture of Scandinavian and Russian tradition. The Colours are usually modelled after Swedish regimental flags of the 17th century, but some units carry flags modelled after Russian or German colour traditions. The Colour often bears the emblem of the province where the unit is located with an appropriate symbol of the service branch. No battle honours were awarded for units during the Second World War, but some units have battle honours from the Finnish Civil War.

Units and institutions of the Finnish Defence Force which have not been awarded a colour of their own use the unadorned swallow-tailed Flag of Finland as their State Colour, and the oath of service for NCOs and volunteer enlisted personnel assigned to these are given in its presence.

File:KaartJR-lippu.jpg, Colour of the Finnish Guard Jaeger Regiment. Note the Imperial Russian-style design of the flag which is symbolic of the lineage of the regiment as part of the Russian imperial guard
File:PsPr-lippu.jpg, Colour of the Armoured Brigade features the black and silver colours of Finnish armoured troops while the main emblem is a cuirassier helmet symbolizing armoured force.
File:PorPr-lippu.jpg, Colour of Pori Brigade has the blue and yellow colours of Satakunta, and the coats of arms of Satakunta and Finland Proper on its two sides. The colour carries the ribbon of the Order of the Cross of Liberty as a streamer.
File:Kymen_J%C3%A4%C3%A4k%C3%A4ripataljoonan_lippu.jpg, The traditional colour of the ''Kymen jääkäripataljoona'' (Kymi Jaeger Battalion), nowadays a part of Karelia Brigade, is of the form defined for light infantry. The Kymi Jaeger Battalion follows the traditions of the 3rd Bicycle Battalion and carries that number on its colour, and the Order of the Cross of Liberty both as a streamer and as the point of the staff.
File:I-SVP_flag.jpg, The traditional colour of ''Itä-Suomen Viestipataljoona'' (Eastern Finland Signals Battalion), part of Karelia Brigade, has the branch colours of signals corps: purple and gold. The device featuring Western Capercaillie is a throwback to the earlier designation as Central Finland Signals Battalion. The main device, the three lightning bolts, is symbolic of communication.
File:7_Ohjuslaivue_lippu.jpg, The traditional Colour of the ''7. Pintatorjuntalaivue'' (7th Surface Combat Flotilla) of the Coastal Navy features a blue Lion of Finland with a fish tail, striking with a trident.
File:PvKvK-lippu.jpg, The Colour of the Finnish Defence Forces International Centre features a Lion of Finland holding a herald's staff in addition to the sword. The shade of blue of the colour is the same as in the flag of United Nations.
File:Karjalan Lennoston lippu.svg, The Colour of the Karelian Air Command features, like all Finnish Air Force Colours, a swastika within a winged circle. The identifying device is a small coat of arms of Karelia

France

In January 1188, in a meeting between Henry II of England and Philip II of France, it was agreed that both would go on a crusade, and that Henry II would use a white cross and Philip II would use a red cross. Later on, this usage was inverted, and the English took to using a red cross on white, and the French a white cross on red.

=Background

=
As the use of regimental colours spread in Europe, the habit developed of using a symmetric white cross as the basis of the design of the French regimental flags, and by the 18th century almost every regiment had a white cross. The regiments were distinguished by the colours of the cantons.

After the French Revolution and the appearance of the new '' Tricolore'', crosses disappear in 1794 and various arrangements of the tricolour come into use. Napoleon standardizes first in 1804 to a white field chape-chausse of red and blue, and in 1812 to the modern French flag. Atop of the staff of colours of the Napoleonic army the Imperial Eagle (modelled after the Ancient Roman ''Aquila'') was placed, which actually rose to be more important symbol of the regiment than colours itself.

File:Vigiles du roi Charles VII 32.jpg, French, white cross, and English, red cross, fighting at the battle of Formigny during the Hundred Years' War.
File:Rég d Auvergne 1635.png, Regiment of Auvergne.
Rég de Normandie 1616.png, Regiment of Normandy.
Rég du Roi 1757.png, King's Regiment ('' Régiment du Roi'').
File:Franche de la Marine1.jpg, The pre- revolutionary regimental flags inspired the flag of Quebec (here, the Compagnies Franches de la Marine).
File:Drapeau-3e-reg-suisse-napoleon-p1030181.jpg, French Imperial regimental flag with its Eagle (1804–1812).
File:Grenadier Pied 1 1812 Revers.png, Regimental flag of the 1st Regiment of Grenadiers of the French Imperial Guard (1812).

= Battle honours on current colours

=

The modern French Armed Forces are not officially considered to be the successors of the Royal Army and Navy, although many of their individual units trace their histories to before the foundation of the First Republic. Accordingly, battles fought and won by the Royal Army and Navy before the French Revolution (such as Patay, Fontenoy, Chesapeake, Porto Praya

HOME


Content is Copyleft
Website design, code, and AI is Copyrighted (c) 2014-2017 by Stephen Payne


Consider donating to Wikimedia



As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases